From Blob to Bowl: The Process of Paper Mache

This is the process I go through to make one of my mini snake bowls. All the other bowls are made the same way, but on a larger scale or without snakes.

Ready? Okay.

I start off with paper pulp.

Which I mold into a bowl.

The bowl has to dry, usually 3-4 days, before I add the snake.

Seamless. :D

Then the bowls gets a quick spin in the oven to remove any remaining moisture and to completely harden everything. It also gets a once over with some sand paper to remove any rough bits.

Then I prime the bowl.

Now... painting! Base color painting takes around a day to do, with drying time, because I have to wait for each color to dry before I can add another color.

For this bowl I started with the yellow, waited, then did the brown, more waiting, and then, finally, the orange snake. Phew! Good thing I had other bowls to paint in the meantime.

Now the tedious work of painting stripes. And the not as tedious work of painting dots.

(but picking out the color combos is mind wracking! what colors will people like!?)

Finally, if I'm not totally pressed for time, I let the bowls sit for a couple of days, just to let the paint really dry well. (and to make sure I don't compleatly hate the color combos)

Then it's time for eyes and a tongue. My dad suggested putting pupils on the eyes for the minis this time. I think he's right. It gives them more personality!

I took this bowl to an art show last weekend. It was the first one to sell.

Fall colors for the win, I guess.

:D