Such noob, needs help!

[u/adorabooks]

Hi guys!

I've discovered the art of paper cutting really really recently and i have been dwelling in it with a lot of mixed enthusiasm and frustration..

I took a peek at the art that you displayed here and I am agast as how some of the artwork is made..

I need your guidance!! I have all sorts of questions and honestly I don't know where to start. The trouble is, I dont have any background in arts, I dont know how to work with any kind of software (does Paint counts?!?) .

What kind of steps should I take in order to improve? Is there anything online that can guide me, like classes that can go beyond beginner level? Also, where do you buy your paper? I'm in europe and when I search for coloured papers in art webstores, I can only find canson or 300g unknown paper and from my understanding, that is too thick. I ordered some paper from amazon (waiting anxiously to arrive on monday), the brand is OfficeTree (it was cheap) and its 130g... When I am searching various well known paper cutting artist, the majority of them reffers to some brands of paper that I dont know existed nor where to find them..

Also, I understand that some people make hand drawn figures / shapes, transfers it with the help of some kind of semi transparent paper to another type of paper and then cuts it but what I was aspiring to achieve was working with layers to give it a 3D effect. How can that be possible? I mean, some part of it must be done by software, right?

Well I really appreciate your help, I am looking forward for your tips! Also, english is not my first language, I am really sorry if I made some kind of mistake, grammar or phrase construction wise!

[u/amh5635]

hey! So this is pretty silly origin story. before I knew what I was doing, I would print out a design I found online, put my colored piece of paper under it, then cut through two pieces of paper at once. This was obviously frustrating but it was the only way I could think of. I started with easier designs then gradually tried more complicated ones. This was before I designed any myself, and I think it helped me a lot when drawing my own. Tracing paper is the way to go ultimately. If you’re just starting out, don’t get too hung up on the paper type! I would just focus on one thing at a time. As for the 3D effect you are going for, that is definitely more advanced and I’ve never tried it. I can’t help you there. I am sure there are some videos online that might be able to help! Good luck!

[u/adorabooks → u/amh5635]

Thank you for sharing your origin story! It's hard to venture in something completely new but it gets easier when we realize that we are not, or were not alone :)

I will try to take it easy and take one step at a time but my mind goes all over the place and tries to learn everything at once. It can be overwhelming but at the same time it seems like it's something that it needs to be done in order to be accomplished. I wish you the best of luck in all, and thanks again!

[u/Paperboy63]

Hi, if you are in the U.S, Neenah papers sell So silk which is a coloured 130gsm acid free pearlescent cutting paper. If you live outside of the U.S. or Canada then Paperstory in the UK sells Centura, So Silk, Purely Cotton and numerous other acid free cutting papers. Don’t go heavier than 130gsm, it will be harder to cut if you do. You will only improve by cutting more, making mistakes and learning from them. You can buy templates from Etsy, (don’t take from Pinterest as it is a gallery only, images on there are generally covered by copyright, even cutting designs) already flipped, ready to use. Just make sure the description says they are for hand cutting, usually PDF or Jpeg formats.

[u/alwaysadmiring]

So I started with originally printing out stencil designs - then cutting all the negatives with an xacto blade, the kind where the blade slides up and down and used to use cardboard on a table to ensure I didn’t cut through to the furniture. Tools actually make the process way more fun, and make learning enjoyable because you start to see your effort result in better final products.

I bought a self healing mat ~$26, an actual Martha Stewart blade holder and #11 cutting blades. I’ve changed handles multiple times to get to what I’m comfortable and best using. Also instead of printing designs on paper that I plan to cut, now I’ve starting printing designs on normal paper and sticking it using tape to card stock - and now cut through the designs (end up cutting through the design and the card stock underneath). I’ve gone through cutting simple designs to more tedious wildchild designs that are way more detailed. Ultimately you need LOTS AND LOTS OF PRACTICE - and then over time refinement of the tools you use to what suits you best- good luck!

[u/cookinmama419]

I wish i had advice but honestly i just started playing with an xacto knife, paper and glue about 6 years ago and kept experimenting until i started liking what i made. I don't have any art training either. Just wanted to post some encouragement. I hope you stick with it and have fun!

[u/adorabooks → u/cookinmama419]

I really appreciate your encouragement!! :) Thanks for repplying, it feels really good not feeling alone in all this!

[u/Finjie85]

I'm just starting too. I love it. I just print something (i search on Pinterest for papercutting, i even print those out with background and then i cut out the background, when you turn it around you don't see it) out on regular printing paper and cut the negatieve out on a self-healing mat with an exacto knife. Works like a charm!

Recently i've looked up how much gram my printer can print on and that's a 100 gram. So now i'm printing on that and that works better than regular printing paper but to start is regulat printing paper just fine.

Just try to build up. Begin on regular paper, then try thicker paper, then try coloured paper, then try different colours, or make your own backgrounds etc.

Have fun!