Paper Maché Lost Souls & The Gates of Hell

Students will work in-groups to create a large paper maché sculpture. 

This unit has five parts: construction of the architecture and support structure, paper mache, sculpting with paper mache clay, painting, and presentations.

Overview Unit Goal

Composition Concepts

  • Dimension
  • Relief Sculpture
  • Representation & Abstraction
  • Repetition & Variety

Technical Skills

  • Cardboard construction (measuring, cutting, and gluing)
  • Paper Maché Strips
  • Paper Maché Pulp Clay
  • Background Painting
  • Detail Painting

Tools & Supplies

  • Cardboard
  • Paper Strips
  • Paper Pulp Clay (Joint Compound, Glue, Paper Pulp)
  • Paint & Brushes

Technical Skill Videos

Resource Book Notes

Order of Work

ARCHITECTURAL CONSTRUCTION
  • MEASURE the cardboard you need to make your form
  • TAPE & GLUE your cardboard pieces together to make your box forms
  • REINFORCE your cardboard with white glue and more cardboard to increase the thickness of the walls once they have the correct exterior dimensions
  • INTERIOR STRUCTURE be sure to include the lego-like holes in the pillars and base pieces so that they can interlock
  • TEST the fit of your sculpture with the other teams' sculptures to ensure it will fit together
  • TEST your ability to get it out of the classroom
PAPER MACHE
  • ARCHITECTURAL DETAILS add any molding, shelves, borders, or other areas to resemble Rodin's Gates of Hell 
  • PAPER MACHE cover one side of your form with paper mache strips 
  • REINFORCE CORNERS with paper mache strips
PAPER MACHE PULP CLAY
  • SCULPT bodies of the lost souls on the gates of hell using paper mache pulp clay (you need to sculpt a minimum of 3 bodies yourself, but you'll likely need to make many more so that your team's frontispiece looks complete)
  • PAPER PULP MACHE looks more like stone and has a texture, PAPER MACHE CLAY looks more like porcelain and is smoother
  • PAPER MACHE CLAY made with toilet paper rather than paper pulp is smoother. You can use paper mache clay to make finer details on your relief bodies
  • JOINT COMPOUND can be used by itself when you want an especially smooth finish
  • SAND surfaces to leave a smooth detailed form
PAINTING
  • PAINT everything with the base coat
  • DETAIL painting to mimic metal or stone (depending on what we decide as a class)
DOCUMENTING
  • PHOTOGRAPH the bodies and elements that you sculpted (as many photos as you need to capture your work - minimum of 3)
  • Fill out the REFLECTION
  • Record a VIDEO if you are not presenting in class
  • EMAIL an important adult about your work

Project Concept Inspired by Rodin's The Gate of Hell & Edvard Munch's The Scream

Architectural Relief Sculpture Criteria

Architectural Sculpture

Paper Maché

USE PAPER MACHE STRIPS TO MAKE THE BASE SCULPTURE & SMOOTH & REINFORCE JOINTS

USE PAPER MACHE PULP TO ADD SCULPTURAL DETAILS

USE PAPER MACHE PULP CLAY FOR SMOOTH DETAILS

Sculptural Detail Ideas: Rodin's The Gates of Hell

Steps

MAKING THE STRUCTURE
Measure your cardboard exterior parts and cut them out
Tape them together and remeasure, then make any necessary adjustments so they are accurate
Add the baseboards and the inset parts on the frontispiece
Build the interior support structure
Include any structural joinery components, like holes or tabs
PAPER MACHE
Use cardboard to make any architectural details for your frontispiece
Use the paper mache strip technique to reinforce joints and edges
The entire front and side should be paper mached, as should all joints
SCULPT THE BODIES
Draw out your body designs before you start sculpting - be sure to include enough to mimic the variety on Rodin's Gates of Hell
Use paper mache pulp clay to make the rough body forms as placeholders for where you want your bodies to be placed
Use paper mache clay to make the details on your bodies
REFINE YOUR DETAILS
You can use joint compound to smooth out any rough textures
You can carve into joint compound to add extra details
Sand any remaining rough textures (outside please)
PAINTING
Paint everything with the latex base coat 
Faux texturing will use tempera paint

Documenting your Relief Sculpture

  • Photograph all of the aspects that you sculpted
  • Be sure your photos are well lit, in focus, and center your artwork
  • Also fill out a drawing of your form with everyone's contributions listed on your team page

Email an Image of Your Project

Grading Criteria