3D Plaster Letters

Project Description: Students will construct a 3 dimensional letter or series of letters from cardboard, cups, and plaster strips. Students can paint and/or finish the outside of the letter as they would like. 

Be inspired by Signs! We are basically making a 3D version of a sign.
Picture
Robert Indiana

​Robert Indiana, one of the preeminent figures in American art since the 1960s, has played a central role in the development of assemblage art, hard-edge painting and Pop art. A self proclaimed “American painter of signs,” Indiana has created a highly original body of work that explores American identity, personal history and the power of abstraction and language, establishing an important legacy that resonates in the work of many contemporary artists who make the written word a central element of their oeuvre.
Sculpting Large Letter
  1. Gather your materials. You will need drawing paper, disposable paper cups, chipboard or cardboard, glue, a hobby knife, and adhesive paper tape cut into long strips. You will also need a method of dampening the paper tape without soaking it, such as a new clean kitchen sponge. Decorative materials, such as acrylic paint, are optional.
    1. Keep in mind that the size of the cups that you choose will partially determine the size of your letters. How tall your cups are will roughly correspond with how thick your letters will be. Likewise, you will need to make each portion of your letter at least as wide as the mouth of your cups.
  2. Draw your letter on paper and cut it out. Use the drawing paper to sketch out your ideas. Draw a letter that is at least the width of your cups' mouth in all areas. Don't worry about erasing mistakes or making it neat; this paper will not be incorporated into your finished letter. Once you're happy with your letter's design and size, cut it out using either your hobby knife or a pair of scissors.
  3. Trace your letter cutout onto either cardboard or chipboard. Cut your letter out using a hobby knife. Do this twice so that you have two identical copies of the cardboard letter. Make sure that the two letters line up perfectly.
  4. Glue paper cups to the cardboard letters. Stagger the cups right side up and upside-down to pack them in as tight as possible. The more cups you use, the more structurally sound your final letter will be. Do not allow any part of the cups to go over the edge of the letter.
  5. Glue the second letter onto the opposite ends of the cups. Wait for the glue on the first letter to dry. Make sure to line up your second letter perfectly when gluing. Allow the glue to dry completely before moving on.
  6. Cover the edges of the letter with tape. Take pieces of tape and wrap them around the sides of your letter to form a surface for your plaster to stick to. You may have small gaps in between your tape pieces, but no more than an inch wide.
  7. Cut Plaster strips, dip in water and apply to your letter.
  8. Paint and decorate your letters as you wish. Make them interesting, unique, stand out from the rest.

GOALS: (Learning Targets)
-Properly construct the shape of the letter using cardboard, cups, tape and glue. 
-Letter should be 3D and have form (has height, length, and width)
-At least one complete layer of plaster added to support structure and create a surface for painting. 
-Letter is finished in a creative ways (painting, collage, added features)