#2d design

[ryanseslow]

How to Create Paper Cut-Out Reliefs: Tips and Techniques for Beginners

Back again with another lil' series of 2D wall relief paper cut-out forms. Both of the pieces below follow the same process and technique. Im really happy with the process and outcomes. Im working on animating them as we speak. I'll add them to this post later. My paintings inspire my drawings, and my drawings are inspired by those same forms found in my paintings. It makes sense that every so often I want to make those forms "pop out" and off the surface of a flat plane. Alas, it all starts with a quick sketch. See below, just a series of light loose free flowing lines take the lead, forward ->

Here we have a dude posing for a profile style portrait. Most likely, this is inspired by the NYC B-Boys from the years 1983 - 87ish. Either way, it's nostalgia for me. Once the sketch feels good, I'll break out the paper and x-acto knife. I keep telling myself that one day Ill work with another material other than paper for these works, perhaps wood or metal.. It will happen, I can foresee it for sure, hang in there. Im using a white bristol paper for the cut outs, I believe it is the vellum type and not the glossy, but either or will work just fine. I love to cut paper and the whole medium of paper art in general.

Paper cut-outs, also known as paper cutting or Kirigami, is a traditional art form that involves cutting shapes and designs out of paper. The history of paper cutting can be traced back to ancient China and Japan, where it was practiced as a folk art. The Chinese and Japanese would create intricate designs, often featuring animals, plants, and mythical creatures, and use them as decorations for festivals and special occasions. I always loved it and have felt inspired by these pieces.

Using the sketch above, I apply the "map" of the shapes and forms that I see. Sometimes I redraw those forms on the paper that I will cut out, and sometimes I just "draw" with the x-acto knife to recreate the forms. Sometimes, it's a combination of both of those techniques. There is also a series of "out-take / byproduct" cut outs that do not make the final piece, those can be saved and used for the next piece, obviously!

I layer the forms on top of each other to compose the arrangement as a whole, its fun to watch it all come together, in the next phase, you will need some kind of durable tape or you can make little paper forms that can be pasted to both sides of the forms as they stack, this will create the gauge and depth of the piece once it is placed onto the wall.

This is the final composition above, I love it! I used a roll of duct tape to make small cylinder forms that connect the pieces together, the piece as a whole comes "off of the surface of the wall" by about 1.5 - 2" inches - you can play with this a bit but keep in mind, the tape makes the piece heavier and it will want to comply with gravity :)

I hung the piece (also temporarily adhered via the same duct tape) for the photoshoot and to also get a good look at how it will function on the wall. I have an old painted fire place in my studio that is a great surface for hanging things, I love the contrast of textures between the bricks and the paper, as you know, the shadows will be super cool to see too.

Once I had the whole piece constructed I took a few pictures of it. I immediately wanted a clean vector line drawing of the whole character. I brought the photo into adobe Fresco and used a vector brush to draw this lovely variation. This is how my brain works, I switch paths because I know they are really pipelines to the "next thing" that I will push this to, so forward we go.

Then, it was light source and photo shoot time. Im not really happy with these picture as traditional "photographs" as I know I can do a much better job, but, as a series of "sketches" for a planned photo shoot, these will really help to make those plans a reality. I love neon colored lights. I have a bunch of them from various places and spaces that I found on the internet. Amazon has a great selection of flashlights with various colored light options. Get a few and play around with how the light can effect your work and the shadows that it creates. This is where the depth and gauge of your pieces play a role. The photos below are also a part of the same session, which all took place over a few days.

Here is another variation with a different character.. What do you think? Shall I make more?

[pocket-deer-art]

I really, really wanted to do some character design.

[fencecollapsed]

Undead 💀

[dxsbond]

Made some Blame! Fanart after some suggestions from other ppl!!

[mask-of-prime]

Hand-Shy

My final project for 2D Design from a few semesters ago. We were instructed to include color theory (I used a monochromatic yellow-orange color scheme here), value focal points (the out-of-focus hand having low contrast from the background and the black cat being the main focus), and extreme shapes telling emotion (the cat taking an exaggerated dip resulting in a huge back arch, in which said arch is accentuated with extremely raised hackles). Looking back, this is a pretty rough painting, and a very empty background. It could've used a little more of an established environment to give the scene a little more natural life tbh. Completed May 25th, 2023.

Info on the painting below:

A slightly abstracted caricature of Silhouette, an outdoor cat who briefly resided in my backyard before moving on elsewhere. He, unlike his brother Shadow, was far more feral at heart, and was afraid of being pet, and preferred to hunt his food rather than have the processed stuff handed to him. Because we were renting this house, I could only feed and care for them outside, so I wasn't able to get them fixed or anything, which may explain why they and their mother Luna (who had them in one of my bushes), have all eventually moved on. Even Shadow, now, who stayed with us about two years after his mom and brother went their separate ways.

Shadow, by the way, hasn't come back since Halloween (a scary time to be a black cat because there's some cult out there who sacrifices black cats on that day). A month later, we saw on the neighborhood watch's Facebook that someone had taken in a black cat, who I strongly believe was him since it looked a lot like him. If that's so, I'm relieved that Shadow finally got the warmth and safety and cushy life of a housecat that he'd always wanted. It was hard caring for a cat I was unable to let in my house or get fixed. I really hope our neighbor knows what to do for him.

[noamsussman]

humans

[vicbeers222]

‘Self’ Plaster Sculpture Concept Images

@2ddimensionsstudiofall2024am

[artificelux]

Been noodling away at this glam-rock visualization for Tonic (the main character from Color of a Mirror). Very graphic/black and white work so far, which from a design standpoint is probably my comfort zone. Now it's time to see how far I can push this in terms of materials/colors/rendering.

COLOR OF A MIRROR

[awoogajt]

breakfast in the flower bed

[shannonreneeperkins]

Sedna - Technical pen on paper

This is based on the Inuit mythology of Sedna, the Mother of the Sea. Cast into the frigid waters by having her fingers severed as she clung to the side of her father's boat, her fingers turned into all the seals of the sea, and she the ruler of the deep. Sedna is to be feared and respected.

One of my favorite Illustrations I've done, I absolutely love working with ink. Another project for my 2D design class.

[neon-cit3]

My little fella~

Feel free throw some names my way cause I’m burnt out on creative juices

[persa-tra-i-miei-pensieri]

Troppo bello questo stile 2d cartoon 😻

[fencecollapsed]

I made a pattern :]

[alkhowa]

A 2D desing assignment inspired by Beastars 🐺🐰

[anothergo-anifilmproject]

Collection of pc screens from the short with graphics of the news and the discord chat with the protagonist's best friend.

[wampa-bampa]

"Heavy Metal"

(graphite on printer paper)

I was inspired to draw this after looking back on my drawings from my 2d design class last semester and listening to 72 Seasons lol