Last week we had fun making Matisse cut-outs from construction paper. This week we will use construction paper again but this time our papers we cut will not be flat. We are going to make our papers come off the background. How you ask? Well first we need to discuss 2D and 3D art.

What is the difference between 2-Dimensional art (known as 2D) and 3-Dimensional art (known as 3D)? 2D art is flat like a drawing or painting. 3D art is not flat. It takes up space like a sculpture. The artwork we have created in Weeks 1, 2 and 3 were 2D. It was completely flat. Our artwork today is going to be 3D. The lines we make from strips of paper are going to come off the background.

The first thing you should do is cut strips of different colored paper. The strips of paper do not have to all be the same. They can be different lengths. Some can be thin while others can be thick. It is all whatever you want. If you do not have construction paper, then you can color white paper for your strips.

After you cut your strips of paper, you are ready to begin your 3D paper sculpture. You will need either a glue stick or liquid glue. Either is fine to use. You should glue the end of one strip of paper onto your background paper. Before gluing the other end of the strip of paper, you should curl, twist it or even fold it into a zig-zag so it is coming away from your background. This piece has now become 3D!

Now you should add another strip of paper in a different spot on your background. Try to bend it a different way.

You can even glue one end of your paper strip to another paper strip!

Keep going until your background is covered with lots of strips of paper!

Please watch this video demonstrating this project:

Now please watch this video. It shows the same project but the artist is trying to twist and turn her strips of paper in a way that looks very hard to do! Hopefully it inspires you to try taking some risks!

Here are some more finished examples of this project. As you can see, you can use papers with patterns already on it!

Make sure you check out the section "Fun Activities for Everyone"

for extra art activities