Papercutting: Tips and Techniques

By Kyleigh Orlebar

Discover the wonderfully relaxing art of papercutting and create stunning designs. This gorgeous book explains the absorbing and rewarding art of papercutting. Packed with ideas and enthusiasm, it takes you through the whole process from first picking up a scalpel to displaying your work of art. Kyleigh generously shares her skills and her amazing designs to present a book that inspires as well instructs.
Guides to Materials, Techniques, Display, Templates and step by step guides.

• Language: English
• Publisher: The Crowood Press
• Release date: Apr 24, 2023
• ISBN: 9780719842108

Kyleigh Orlebar

Kyleigh Orlebar is an award-wining papercut artist and designer whose playful typographical papercuts are influenced by her background in – and love for - graphic design. Her passion for what she does shines through in her beautiful papercut designs, as well as in her popular workshops. 

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

Are you ready to kick-start your wonderfully relaxing papercutting hobby? My name is Kyleigh and I am a professional full-time papercut artist and designer. My aim is simple: to spread the joy of papercutting to all, regardless of how creative you might or might not be.

If you think that the reason to take up papercutting is for the beautiful artwork you create, you’d only be half right. The act of papercutting is, in itself, so wonderfully relaxing it’s almost meditative. Since 2014 I’ve had the pleasure of teaching over one thousand students the joys of papercutting, and the same thing happens on every workshop without exception: there is a moment when a comfortable hush descends as the students lose themselves cutting their creations.

The reason is this: papercutting is a craft that gets you into a ‘flow state’ – a mental state in which a person is completely immersed in a single task or activity. It can be challenging, but not so challenging that it becomes frustrating. It can relax and calm a frazzled mind, and you’ll find that time passes in the blink of an eye. This ‘flow state’ is, in itself, reward enough. But of course what you are also getting in the process is a gloriously intricate piece of artwork that you created – and from the humblest of materials: a piece of paper.

In this book I’ll introduce you to the tools you need to get going on your new obsession, and you’ll gain an understanding of what paper you need so you’ll be knowledgeable when it comes to buying the right thickness for your projects. I’ll guide you through the different types of scalpel available, and I’ll teach you step by step how to use them as we cut the practice sheets and the three beautiful typographic designs given right here at the back of this book.

With your new skills emerging we’ll discover the different ways you can display your creations, from mounting on colour, playing with the shadows, and mounting in a ‘floating’ frame. You might need to warn your family and friends to expect nothing but papercut gifts in the future as you dive headlong into a hobby that enables you to gift your artwork, no matter how creative you are. And if you want to have a go at designing your own templates I’ve got you covered with that, too. I’ll explain how to design a papercut using paper and pencil, as well as run through the basics of designing a template using a computer. You don’t even need to design your own templates as I’ll explain where to find and buy templates for your future projects.

I am hoping to take you on a relaxing journey to find your new obsession, and I invite you to carve time out of your busy schedule to immerse yourself in an activity that is deeply satisfying, both in terms of the final creation and also the journey creating it. A rewarding and relaxing flow state awaits, so put on your favourite podcast or audiobook, make a cup of tea, and let’s get cutting.

CHAPTER 1

TOOLS

To get started on your papercutting journey it is important to have the right tools. In this chapter I’ll share with you all the essentials you’ll need, as well as ideas on storage and desk set-up.

FIXED-BLADE SCALPEL

Scalpel, craft knife, hobby knife, precision knife, utility knife – call it what you like, you will be needing one of these. Essentially a scalpel is a type of knife with a pen-like long handle and a sharp blade for cutting with precision in a crafting/hobby capacity. The term ‘fixed blade’ refers to the fact that the long blade is fixed and doesn’t move, unlike a swivel scalpel, which moves 360 degrees (more on that shortly).

There are so many fixed-blade scalpels on the craft market that knowing which one to choose can be quite overwhelming. It seems that when it comes to scalpels the choice is completely subjective, and comes down to what feels the most comfortable in your hand. Just like a favourite pen, some people will opt for an expensive Parker pen, others can’t use anything other than a rollerball with a rubber grip, and others swear by the trusty Bic Biro! And so it is with scalpel choice.

There is a large variety of fixed-blade scalpels on the market.

My advice is to buy any scalpel and start using it (they are luckily quite inexpensive), and that way you will be better able to judge if it feels right in your hand. If you get on well with your chosen knife, then that’s great! If not, then you’ll be in a better position to know what you need from a scalpel.

Let’s look at the differences in the most popular brands: Swann-Moreton make surgical scalpels for the medical profession, but their scalpels are used by the craft community due to the high quality and comfortable handles. The handles are made of surgical steel, and are flat with ridges in the metal for grip. There are over thirty different Swann-Moreton scalpel handles and over 100 different blade shapes. But unless you’re a surgeon, my advice for papercutting is to use a No. 3 handle with a 10A or 11 blade. However, unlike some of the other craft knives listed below, this one doesn’t come with a safety cap, and the blade is sharp. When the blade is not in use I push it into a small eraser. This is my scalpel of choice, but there are plenty more.

If you prefer a tubular handle that is more pen-like to hold, then the ‘X-ACTO #1 Z Series’ or ‘Excel Blades Hobby Knife’ might be better for you. These are both made from aluminium and are nice to hold. A great feature of both is that they come with a safety cap, which is invaluable when the blade is not in use (providing you remember to put on the cap, of course!). With this type of craft knife, changing the blade is quick and easy. Simply unscrew the grip, which in turn releases the blade. Then it’s a case of placing a replacement blade into the slot and screwing back the grip over the top.

There are craft knives on the market that come with a rubber grip as part of the handle. ‘Fiskars Soft Grip Art Knife’ and the ‘Excel Blades Soft Grip Hobby Knife’ have been designed for a more comfortable grip and are slightly thicker and more ergonomic to hold than the thin, pen-like scalpels mentioned above. These can be a particularly good choice for those with grip problems caused by arthritis or carpal tunnel syndrome.

New to the market are the ‘Slice’ range of craft knives, with high-tech ceramic blades that are safer than traditional steel blades, making them finger friendly and a good choice for older children wanting to experiment with crafting (keep younger children away from all blades, obviously!).

Then there are the finger handles such as the ‘Fiskars Softgrip FingerTip Art Knife’, which have a curved, hoop-like handle ergonomically designed to be held with your index finger or middle finger through the handle. They come in fixed blade and swivel blade (more on swivel blades later). Some find this grip to be beneficial, others can’t get on with this type at all. For example, the swivel scalpel in this design is my ultimate favourite for cutting curves, while I can’t get on with the fixed blade version at all!

So as you can see, when it comes to fixedblade scalpels there are a lot of different knives to choose from. In fact, during my research for this book I looked up a lot of craft knives from various online sources and the reviews are always so polarised – some love a particular knife, some hate it! Therefore, my advice is to try before you buy if you can. If you can’t try before you buy (not a lot of places allow this), then buy whichever one you’re drawn to. But if you don’t get on with it, please don’t let this discourage you. Your love (or not) of papercutting can come down to your tools and how it feels to cut the paper. If you don’t get on with a particular scalpel, try another until you find one to best suit your grip. You’ll know when you’ve found ‘the one’ as cutting even the most intricate of shapes will feel smooth and effortless, and I guarantee you will fall in love with the mindful art of papercutting, savouring the relaxing, almost meditative state it brings you.

CHANGING A BLADE ON A SWANN-MORETON SCALPEL

Removing an Old Blade

With the Swann-Moreton logo facing upwards (ruler side down), tilt the handle about 10 degrees away from the cutting mat holding the handle. With the other hand, place one finger on the very tip of the blade (be careful not to touch the sharp edge).

Put the blade on a cutting mat and place a finger over the tip.

While pressing the tip, slowly tilt the handle up, keep pressing and it should snap the tip of the blade off.

Press down as you tilt the handle up to snap off the tip of the blade.

Be careful with the little bit of blade left on the handle, as there’s still a little sharp bit right at the top.

Be careful with the little bit of blade left on the handle.

Use a thumbnail at the bottom to prize it off away from you.

Use a thumbnail at the bottom to prize it off away from you.

Both bits of blade should now be disposed of properly (do not put them in a bin): I use a small plastic box to collect up all my used blades, which can then go into a purpose-made sharps bin.

Dispose of the used blade in a makeshift sharps bin.

Inserting the New Blade

The foil replacement blade pack for Swann-Moreton scalpels contains five replacement blades. Tear open the foil wrapping down one edge and remove one of the paper-covered blades.

Unwrap a