#02 Newspaper Doll

I have learned this sculpting technique together with Zoe on Family Sundays at the LACMA, which if you happen to be living in the LA area you must check out. It was a rainy day (rare occasion in LA) so instead of doing messy pottery outside we were shown how to sculpt neatly with paper and masking tape inside the Greek and Roman gallery of the LACMA.

In the following tutorial I will share that technique with you, demonstrating how to make a doll. Keep in mind that with this technique you can sculpt anything you can imagine, it is physical and soothing at the same time. some background music is a plus.

Although this technique is more suited for ages 6 and up, you can do this with younger kids with some assistance. Working the paper will strengthen the little hands and prepare younger kids for fine motor skills. the project can be as simple as a ball or as complex as a bust with curly hair.

A note about the masking tape:
I was looking long and hard for a biodegradable masking tape. I found a company in Australia that sells it. I couldn’t find any standard biodegradable masking tap in the US, but i did find Japanese colorful tape made from Washi paper that seems amazing for this project or anything else for that matter.

Pardon my appearance as i am still unpacking.

You will need:

Newspaper
Masking tape
J.S. Bach: Goldberg Variations
Drawing tools

Optional:
Colorful magazines
Scissors
glue

How to:

Rip one newspaper page and crumple it into a ball

Place inside the center of a spread,
turn over and twist the newspaper around the ball to form a head.
Tape around the neck.

{{At this phase Zoe insisted me taking a picture of the amazing olives we got in the desert, she wanted to share them with you but only in virtual way, they are way too tasty to give away (she is very protective of her food). yes, we usually eat when we work...maybe next time I should remind her to wash her hands...}}

Use another spread and scrunch it the long way.
Place inside the spread tight to the head, this will become the hands.
Tape around the upper body, forming the shoulders and waist.

You may choose to end the doll in this phase, make sure you tape around the head, torso and hands. You may add a string on top, with some colorful beads. If you add wings to the back, you may just get a fairy…Hang somewhere special.

^{made by Zoe when she was 4 1/2} ^{(with just a little help)}

Crunch another spread for legs.
Start to tape the figure, add crunched newspaper for extra volume where needed: belly, nose, heels, etc. tape over added mass.