Week 4 - Tools , Equipment & Model Materials

2nd Assignment - House with countoured landscape with base.

Card Model.

The Second assignment is made up of 3 parts, the first is a MDF base, second, a contoured landscape and the third, a styrene clad house. To start off we were asked to make a mock up of the house using cardboard.


The first task was to work out all the dimensions from the drawings. Again with this material, the thickness of the material most be taken into consideration when planning the job. For this we are using a 2mm card. The house is made up of 4 main components, each one will be made individually then joined together and finished with the roof.




The first task is to cut out the 4 walls of the house. Particular attention was paid when cutting out the windows and doors so as there were no cut marks on the external faces. I decided to mitre the edges before gluing, this way I didn't need to worry about making adjustments to the dimensions before cutting. The roof has spilt in the pitch, so again careful planning is needed before cutting.



The circles were cut out using a circle cutter. Once all the components are finished they can be attached to the main house piece. The roof will need to be carefully measured so as to fit correctly over the components.


Card.

Card come in a vast variety of colours, effects, textures, thicknesses and dimensions. It is exterely easy to cut with a scapel, stanley blade or even scissors.
It is often used for mock ups as it is easy to work with, it can be used to create complex curves and shapes as well as straight walls.
It can be bonded with a vast selection of solvent free adhesives, Uhu, superglue, contact adhesive, double sided tape. For this exercise we are using PVA glue.
Standerd A2 sized sheets can be purchased from most art stores and internet suppliers, prices vary between £2 - £5.

PVA - Poly-Vinyl Acetate.

PVA is specifically used to bond wood or wood based materials like hard or soft woods, paper card, and cork.
It can also be used as a protective barrier as it dries clear and leaves a gloss finish.
When water is added it become a high viscosity liquid which can be used for Paper Mache.
PVA creates a very strong and permanent bond with wood.
It is air-drying, applying heat with a hair dryer can reduce drying time, but this technique should not be used when bonding wood.
Sand and paint can be added to PVA to create textures and colours.
It is readily available from all art stores and hardware store and is quite inexpensive.