I notice you’ve been doing commercial commissions for book boxes, do you ever plan to do private commissions?
Unfortunately, my schedule doesn’t allow me to have open private commissions at the moment. I can at most build 1 – 2 papercrafts a month depending on the complexity, so it’s very limiting if I open private commissions. Commercial commissions allow these box subscriptions to distribute my artwork on a larger scale to you all […]
Favorite book of all time?
HP5: Order of the Phoenix. I read at age 15 and at first hated emo Harry. But later related to his slice-of-life hardships, and now it’s my favorite to start a HP binge on. Plus, Prof. Umbridge is deliciously evil.
What’s your favourite paper craft you’ve made/art you’ve drawn?
The Ace of Shades “The Lovers, Reversed” papercraft is still my favorite piece. The mish-mash of symbolisms for the Lovers / Fool tarot cards and story elements fit together so well. The trifecta imagery of the golden God’s Robe / City Skyline / Spade was especially fun.
What tools do you use to do your papercrafts?
Drawing/ Sketching/ Concept/ Vector: Photoshop / Surface ProPapercraft Cutting & Assembly: Cricut Explore Air 2 (and tweezers!), Zig 2-Way Glue Pen 3D Foam Adhesive Squares Copic Markers & General Acrylic Paint Studio Decor Belmont Shadow Boxes and my trusty, ancient X-Acto Knife
How do you come up with such brilliant ideas for patterns? Your papercuts seem very complicated!
I use the patterns (or filigree) as a form of highlighting / shading. Similar to how an illustrator would use pointillism or cross-hatching to create different values with only two colors. Filigree is a more decorative form of those techniques for my papercrafts. I first draw major line forms to get the flow of the […]
What’s your favourite book/movie trope?
Twist/surprise exposition. When characters are monologuing plans to audiences in books/movies, they usually go wrong. When they plan off-screen, they usually go right and are revealed later as a twist. Even better when the former is paired with the latter as a red herring. Ocean’s 11, for example.
What’s a book genre you enjoyed despite initially thinking you’d hate it?
Mystery / Thriller. Surprisingly, Harry Potter introduced me to this genre, because they’re, at their core, mystery books with a magic twist!
Do you have any artists that have inspired you?
Oh boy, I’m going to gush here. Glen Keane. One of the most prolific Disney animators since the Disney Renaissance, his work has been my inspiration since before I even knew who he was as a person. You can easily recognize his character designs by his signature eye style. They’re so full of focus and […]
Can you explain the entire process of your papercrafting?
Pre-planning: I start by re-listening to the book for details and symbolisms. I take a lot of liberties with the art, but I don’t want to stray from the spirit of source material. I love adding in as much symbolism and hidden details as possible so avid readers can spot them Concept: I try to […]
How long does it take you to make papercrafts?
It depends on the complexity and size of the piece, as well as if I’m running into artistic blocks during the concept phase. An average breakdown of hours for each step for a few different pieces: