CHAPTER VIII

PASTEBOARD MODELS FOR A HOME DRAWING CLASS

Study drawing at home and make your own models; form a class of several girls and work together; criticise one another’s drawings, and get a criticism from an artist whenever you can. Much may be accomplished in this way if you have the enthusiasm, perseverance, and will to carry it through. Starting with one object, complete in itself, a variety of forms may be evolved, and combinations can be made until an entirely new model is produced. Such, for instance, is the church shown in the illustration. First there is the house, then the house with a chimney, the house with chimney and one wing, the house with chimney and two wings; then the church, which is made by adding turret and steeple, the church without wings, and the church with wings. A number of times this model may be used, changing the position and adding to or taking from it, and a different picture will be the result of each drawing.

Simpler models like

=The Pyramid=

can also be made, and it is well to try your hand on this before attempting the more complicated forms.

Lay a sheet of heavy card-board flat on your work-table and draw carefully four triangles like Fig. 218. These are for the four sides of the pyramid. Use a rule to keep your lines straight, and make each side according to the dimensions given on the diagram. You will see that the measurement from apex to base is ten inches, and the width at the bottom is six and one-half inches. With a sharp knife, or large shears, cut out each part, taking pains to keep your edges true to the lines. Besides the card-board you will need a roll of passe-partout paper. This comes in one-inch widths, ready gummed, for making passe-partout frames. It is strong, easily handled, and altogether more convenient for joining the parts of the models than ordinary strips of paper. Should the passe-partout paper be out of reach use new cotton cloth [Illustration: Fig. 218.] [Illustration: Fig. 219.] cut in even one-inch strips. Of course the cloth or paper must be white. Cut off a strip of your gummed paper a little longer than the long edge of the triangle. With a pin at each end, pin it to the table, the gummed side up, and draw a line lengthwise through the middle, dividing it exactly in half. Have ready a glass of clear water and a paint brush, dip the brush in the water, and with it moisten one half of the paper. Over the wet half lay one of the [Illustration: Fig. 220.] triangles so that its long edge almost touches the central line, then gently press it until the paper holds fast to the card-board (Fig. 219). Remove the pins and turn the triangle over to make sure the paper is quite smooth on the right side; then lay it down again, moisten the other half of the gummed surface and [Illustration: Fig. 221.] press another triangle over that part, keeping the edges of the two triangles perfectly parallel, but not touching. The space between the edges must be left to give room for the bending of the corners (Fig. 220). Pin a second strip of [Illustration: Fig. 222.] paper to the table, moisten one half, and press still another triangle in place; continue doing this until all four sides of the pyramid are joined as in Fig. 221; then bring the last two edges together, while holding it in your hand, and press the moistened paper down, smoothing out any wrinkles that may appear. Lastly, trim off the ends of the paper at the bottom, and stand your pyramid up, holding it so that its base will form a perfect square (Fig. 222). Do not allow it to flatten and form a diamond. The top edges of the paper should be trimmed off as the sides are put together.

There are six parts to

=The House,=

two sides, two ends, and two halves of the roof. Draw these on your heavy card-board, like Fig. 223, the roof; Fig. 224, the side, and Fig. 225, the end, making them according to the dimensions given on each diagram. Put the house together, as you did the pyramid, with the passe-partout paper. When you have joined the sides and ends of the house and have fastened the two halves of the roof together, paste strips of the passe-partout paper along the upper edges of the sides of the house, as in Fig. 226. These strips must be on the

=The Chimney=

is adjustable and is not fastened to the house. Make four sides; two like Fig. 228, two like Fig. 229. The dimensions of each side are given on the diagrams. In putting the chimney together, paste your strips of paper only as far up as the dotted line at the top, the part beyond this line is to be turned over as in Fig. 230, which shows the completed chimney. Make

=The Wings=

with slanting roofs like the ones shown in the illustration of the [Illustration: Fig. 231.] church. Fig. 231 is the highest side, which goes next the house when the wing is added; [Illustration: Fig. 232.] Fig. 232 is the lower side; Fig. 233 is for the two ends, which are exactly alike, and Fig. 234 is the roof. The dimensions are given on the diagrams.

=The Tower and Steeple=

which transform the house into a church are shown in the illustration. Cut two sides for the tower like Fig. 235, and two like Fig. 236, and put them together like Fig. 237. The notches in the lower part of the tower and of the chimney allow them to sit astride the roof, which position holds them in place without making them permanent. Fig. 238 and Fig. 239 are for the cornice of the tower, which is something like a box with a square opening at the bottom and a round hole at the top. Cut Fig. 238 according to the dimensions given and bend at the dotted lines, first the lengthwise lines, then the cross ones. Allow the laps with the trimmed corners to come on top of the others. Put the two end edges together with the gummed paper to form a square, then with a drop of glue or paste at each corner fasten the laps in position, as shown in Fig. 240. In the centre of a perfect square, made according to the dimensions on the diagram, Fig. 239, cut a circular hole; [Illustration: Fig. 238.] paste strips of paper along the four edges of the square, Fig. 241, bend down the free edges of the paper and paste the square on top of the cornice. Fig. 240 is the cornice with top down to show its construction. Cut the steeple from rather heavy drawing-paper, like Fig. 242, keeping to the dimensions on the diagram. Turn in the lower laps and paste the side lap over the corresponding edge to form a cone (Fig. 243). Drop a little glue on each of the lower laps, place the cone directly over the circular hole in the top of the cornice, and, slipping your fingers through the hole, press the laps down until they are firmly fixed. Fit the cornice on the tower, but do not attempt to glue it, for it will hold its place quite well without.

Your own ingenuity will suggest other models to be made in this way; any angular object is easily constructed, and curved ones are not impossible.