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Thickish, sticky, gel paste?

#1 2011-09-21 19:58:50

bmaskmaker
Member
From: Takoma Park, MD
Registered: 2010-04-08
Posts: 93

Thickish, sticky, gel paste?

I stumbled across a you tube video last night while searching for sculpture info, and found a video posted by merveillesenpapier (Laetitia Mieral).

http://youtu.be/zzfNkbJUPLI

What I'm fascinated by is her paste/sculpture technique.  She has a bowl of clearish goo, that she dips her hand into or drags the paper through ... but it's thick.  And sticky enough for the paper to hold a crumpled shape or lie flat. 

Does anyone know what the paste might be?  Has anyone used an armature technique like this? 

I checked out her website and blog and did my best with google translate ... but don't see where she talks about her paste recipe. 

It almost looks like wax to me.  And I suppose it could be methyl cellulose ... but I've never tried to mix or work with it that thick ... 

Anyone have experience or ideas about this? 

Thanks.

-- Beth

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#2 2011-09-22 03:53:10

CatPerson
Moderator
From: Washington State, U.S.A.
Registered: 2006-01-09
Posts: 1314

Re: Thickish, sticky, gel paste?

I'm thinking it is methyl cellulose.  If you leave it out for several days uncovered, stirring it daily, it looks like that.

Here is some info on her:  http://rochambeau.typepad.com/my_weblog … paper.html

And here is her website:  http://merveillesenpapier.typepad.fr/me … senpapier/

There is some very beautiful work there!

Thank you, Bmaskmaker, for bringing her to our attention!

Sue

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#3 2011-09-22 16:46:54

bmaskmaker
Member
From: Takoma Park, MD
Registered: 2010-04-08
Posts: 93

Re: Thickish, sticky, gel paste?

Thanks Sue.  I'm going to play around with some CMC and see if I stumble on to something with a similar consistency and properties.  : )

I'll post back my results.

Warmly,

Beth

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#4 2011-09-22 18:48:44

CatPerson
Moderator
From: Washington State, U.S.A.
Registered: 2006-01-09
Posts: 1314

Re: Thickish, sticky, gel paste?

Actually, thinking back on it, it may have ended up looking like that after a few WEEKS.

But just adding less water would probably have the same, but more immediate, effect.  It seems like it would be more aggravating to work with that thick, but that's just my opinion.

Let us know what you think about it, okay Beth? 

Sue

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#5 2011-09-23 02:13:00

bmaskmaker
Member
From: Takoma Park, MD
Registered: 2010-04-08
Posts: 93

Re: Thickish, sticky, gel paste?

Thanks Sue, I will.  And what I'm thinking is to have a bowl of thick CMC goo (or maybe with some white glue and starch mixed in) for building or embellishing an armature.  But stick with my thinner CMC + white glue + starch for the regular strip work.  Because I agree, for strip work it would likely be more trouble than helpful. 

You recommended a book awhile back on sculpture techniques ... 3D Wizardry ... and in it he talks about using contact cement to build an armature.  (He's making a very large dragon piece -- I'm likely doing things a bit smaller).  I've been holding back because the only contact cement I could find was pretty noxious (or the tiny tubes of elmers contact cement that weren't really what I wanted either).  And if CMC can work ... that's lovely because I already have it.  : ) 

I did also find a reference to a non-toxic contact cement (while looking for something having nothing to do with papier mache, or sculpture, of course) ...  Titan DX.  So there's something else I can play with if this doesn't work. 

I'll definitely let you know what I discover.  : )

-- b

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#6 2011-09-23 09:01:54

dopapier
Moderator
From: UK
Registered: 2004-12-04
Posts: 754

Re: Thickish, sticky, gel paste?

Have you read the bit about this in the article 'What Pastse to Use'?  I have CMC for a long time and find it ideal, though difficult to find.


I'm a PM addict

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#7 2011-09-24 03:57:10

bmaskmaker
Member
From: Takoma Park, MD
Registered: 2010-04-08
Posts: 93

Re: Thickish, sticky, gel paste?

Success!  (I feel like I just found $20 in a pocket on laundry day.) ...  Here I've had CMC all along, but have only be using it after the armature stage ... not during.  : )

David, I confess I had read your article a long time ago, and in fact first used CMC in my paste recipe based on your and Sue's recommendation as I had some from a previous papermaking project.  I hadn't noticed or remembered your section about being able to twist and hold the shape. 

I'd been separating the ideas in my mind ... armature first usually using hot glue, paper, cardboard and masking tape ... then papier mache strips and paste.  It hadn't occurred to me that my paste might be useful in the armature stage.  (Thus the revelation of the video I mentioned above.)

In my experiments today I discovered that it's the plain CMC (vs. CMC+PVA+starch) that works best for me during the armature stage.  The CMC I use is A4M made by Dow Chemical ... I get it in 8oz containers from a local supplier (www.bookmakerscatalog.com).  And I actually preferred the CMC a little less thick than shown in the video.  I like being able to dip a cheap 2" paint brush in it and run that on the strip of paper or on the armature itself, and then smooth down a paper strip. 

I did some twisting and crumpling just to see that it works, and it does, happily so.  But what I did more of was rolling newspaper cores and then adding the cores to a previously made large paper mache tube base (cast from a sonotube -- used to make concrete columns) to build out a 2 1/2 foot pumpkin shape.  (It is Halloween coming up afterall.)

All told between making the 18 cores, attaching them to the tube, criss-crossing them to form the pumpkin top and adding 3 layers of strip mache, probably took less than an hour.  The detail layer will be pulp mache (or carton pierre? as I use joint compound in the mix) ... so I only need it to be solid enough to support the layer of pulp that will be added.

Did I mention I'm thrilled?  Thanks so much for your help.

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#8 2011-09-24 04:34:10

CatPerson
Moderator
From: Washington State, U.S.A.
Registered: 2006-01-09
Posts: 1314

Re: Thickish, sticky, gel paste?

One of the advantages I've seen with MC is that it is the quickest-drying of the adhesives.  At least, if it's thinner (egg-white consistency), I've never tried it thick as it just seemed like too much trouble.

Sue

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#9 2011-10-13 04:06:52

Simon Hill
Member
Registered: 2011-10-11
Posts: 1

Re: Thickish, sticky, gel paste?

Thanks bro...!
for giving so much inspiration.

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#10 2011-10-21 01:17:39

skwirl
Member
From: Oklahoma City, OK
Registered: 2008-11-12
Posts: 34

Re: Thickish, sticky, gel paste?

AWESOME video!

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