Let's get crafty...a sort-of-step-by-step-tutorial to paper cut portraiture

Apologies in advance if this hurts more than helps explain the process I took to make these portraits! There are lots of teeny, tiny steps along the way and I tried to document as much as I could, but it's a little hard without 2 pairs of hands (next time I might make a video tutorial). Here is the video tutorial that I used to figure out the whole process.



Ok, Let's get started:

Find some inspiration! Or a photo you really like. It doesn't have to be super high quality (it's going to get posterized) but if it's a very small jpeg and you try to blow it up and then posterize it, you'll wind up with lots and lots of funky pixels that will get in your way when you're trying to discern which layers to cut.

Well hello, Gogo mare!

Next, you'll use a program to posterize the image and then break it down into 3 layers (I like working in only three layers and in a monochromatic-ish palette) but you might like something different. Rather than explain this process on my blog, go here to see it broken down step by step in Photoshop. Don't have Photoshop? There are other ways of achieving this effect (a free one is highlighted in the video tutorial I linked to). Once you've posterized your image just so, re-size it to a dimension that you feel comfortable working with...remember, the smaller your photo is, the tinier and more detailed your cuts will have to be...I have a sore index finger to prove it! I like working around 8 x 8 (and since it's easy to find fancy paper that size). Then, you'll want to make LOTS of copies of your posterized, re-sized image on regular printer paper. I make about 6-7 copies, just in case.

Gather your materials to begin your paper cut. Here's what you'll need to get started.

Several copies of your image, tape, paper of various colors, an X-acto knife with lots of #11 blades, a self-healing cutting mat and a fine point Sharpie. 

I used Canson paper for Gogo and I got it in a monochromatic color scheme loosely based off her coat (I didn't choose exact colors because I think that gets a bit paint-by-numbers looking). It's available in loads of colors, it cuts well and doesn't tear easily. You can find this in nearly any arts and crafts store. Also, you'll note that I printed a black and white (un-posterized) image...I feel like it helps to guide which shadows and highlights to cut, and which are ok to leave out.

Tape a trimmed down photo onto your first (bottom) layer.

Tape it down in a few places that you won't be cutting.

Draw a hard edge around the shape you'd like to wind up with. For me, I decided to ignore the background. With a fine point Sharpie draw some lines to help guide you when you make the first cut.

Mostly, you want to define the outside of the shape, but I felt like it helped to see where certain parts were (working in three colors tends to blend a lot of areas.

Cut the first layer! I leave a little extra at the bottom so I have something to grab when I am moving the layers around. Once you've cut, it will look like this.

Woot! One layer down!

You can now peel the print away from the bottom layer and set it aside.

This is where things get tricky. For the next step, trim and tape your print onto the second layer (brown paper in my case). Now, to get the middle layer you trim away everything that is white. Basically, you are cutting away to reveal the bottom layer. Don't think about it too much, just cut. A hint I was given early on with paper cuts is always cut the smallest pieces out first, If you cut the big stuff first and then go back to do the smallest cuts, the paper won't be structurally sound and will tear.  When you've cut all the white out, cut the outside shape again! and it will look like this.

I know, it looks a bit crazy at this point.

 If you're nervous about your progress, you can line it up on the bottom layer to see if you're on track. Any huge mistakes will be noticeable at this point. Don't fret about the edges of the outside shape, you can clean those up later.

It's coming together...but the hardest part is still to come!

By far the toughest layer is the top. Again, you tape your trimmed print to the top layer (black in my case) and this time you cut all the black shapes out. Try to keep as much of it in one blob as possible, even if it means connecting some areas that aren't connected in your print. You'll see why in a second. It's the top layer that really gives the paper cut it's definition and shape so try to make these cuts as accurate as possible. Again, cut the smallest pieces out first and save them in a folded sheet of paper.

Um, what???? Also, don't panic if you lose any, you can always cut more (that's what the extra prints are for!)

Now, you're ready to start gluing everything together. At long last! I use Spraymount because it's repositionable and relatively easy to work with. You'll start by spraying the back of the second layer and attaching it to the bottom layer. Use the original print out to help guide you. Then, spray mount the large black piece onto the second layer and begin gluing on your tiny pieces. I use a thin white glue (called J-Dar) and a tiny craft q-tip thingie to help me here. I guess I have giant hands because this stage gets very difficult for me! Use the print out to help you figure out just where to put all your little pieces and you should end up with no tiny black pieces left over and something that looks like this.

Still a little rough, it needs to be trimmed a little.

Now that you have all your layers together, you can trim off any excess (like my little helper piece at the bottom and the extra ear highlight I cut by accident). And you're more or less done!

But not if you're a maniac like I am. I found some handmade paper as close to Gogo's competition colors as I could find and wrapped a piece of 4-ply mat board with it. Then I cut a double mat and put some spacer in between to give the whole thing a little depth.

About a 1/4 inch spacer there (I worked for years at a high-end frame shop, so I've got mad skillzzzz)

 And the final product! Photographed with the fancy pants Hasselblad at work!

What do you guys think? More importantly, how was this for a tutorial?