this board is either pretty dead or ppl cant be bothered answering me?
anyone know of any other web resources for paper mache?
hello...hello...hello...echo...echo...echo.

Hi Kimpewter & Whirlwind,

I'm afraid the forum isn't the busiest so replies often have to be waited for. I guess most people are off 'doing' rather than talking about it.
The chicken wire looks like a good place to start if your making a large piece. If trying something smaller, I know some people use pipe cleaners. As for strips of paper cut or ripped, I would personally say either. I tend to tear and cut depending on piece being worked on.
As for getting a smooth surface, again I can only explain what I do but generally I mix up a fine pulp and give the whole thing a smooth layer of that. Its very much like icing a cake and good for adding detail and extra shape.
Hope this is of use. Check out old posts while here as they will answer a lot of the questions you might have. We all had to start some where, and probably have all had to ask similar questions along the way.
Best of luck with your projects.