S
Sakon Shima
Guest
Incredible paper sculptures by Jeff Nishinaka
Jeff Nishinaka carves and pinches paper to create intricate paper sculptures. The 52-year-old Los Angeles based illustrator and sculptor has been refining his paper craft since 1982. Taking anywhere from three days to four months to produce, Jeff's detailed pieces range from
8in by 8in to 20 feet tall and 20 feet wide.
Jeffrey is a full time artist and estimates that he has produced hundreds of his paper sculptures during his career. "I use very simple tools: tweezers, a mechanical pencil, toothpicks, art knives, cutting mats, French curves & triangles, and a small round wooded dowel to curve the edges," said Jeffrey.
The works are given a three-dimensional look through careful layering of the paper and clever lighting.
He uses acid-free 100% Cotton Vellum paper, so the pieces will not deteriorate or yellow with age.
"I start with an idea, do my research, then work on rough sketches. After that, I refine the sketch, then do a final drawing with graphite on vellum to the actual size of the sculpture. The final drawing becomes a blueprint for the sculpture. The drawing is broken down into individual pieces and transferred to the back of the paper. The pieces are then cut out, cleaned, shaped, and then finally glued together. That's kind of it in a nutshell. It's a long, somewhat labour intensive process".
