I love papercutting. The materials are so simple: a piece of paper and a blade are really all you need. But the results are delicate, beautiful, and complex.
I learned papercutting by trial and error, and mostly on my own. There aren't many resources online or in books for learning advanced papercutting techniques. Most are geared towards kids cutting paper snowflakes, and while technically that's also papercutting, I was looking for more refined instructions for an audience that didn't need permission to use the scissors! I never found those instructions, so if you're looking for some yourself, allow me to help with a tutorial!
First, gather your supplies. Paper and a blade (I use a craft knife) are a must. Some people also use small, sharp scissors: it's up to you to decide what you're more comfortable with. Any paper will work for papercutting, though higher quality stuff will last longer. I personally prefer to use origami paper, as it can readily be found in a wide range of colors. Right now, though, I'm just using a piece of white sketchbook paper. You can use anything from tissue paper to cardstock. Be aware, though: thinner papers will rip more easily, and thicker papers will be harder to cut through.
Apart from the absolute essentials, you'll also benefit from a cutting mat and a pencil. The cutting mat protects your work surface from the blade if you're using a craft knife: cardboard works in a pinch but may dull your blade faster. And a pencil will allow you to sketch the design on the back of the piece before you start.
All right, now let's get started! Planning is essential for papercutting: there's no undoing a cut once you've made it, so you need to be sure of where it's going! Flip your paper to the wrong side (if there is one) and begin lightly sketching the shape of your design. I'll be drawing a dragon. Why? Because I can!
Some poses are better than others for papercutting. You can't shade anything or use different colors, so it's hard to differentiate between objects put in front of one another. The more distinctive you can make the silhouette, the better. So the sleeping dragon on the left might be cute, but it would be much harder to design a papercut of it than the one on the right.
Once you're chosen the design, lightly sketch it out full size on the paper, paying the most attention to the outline of the shape. Be aware: since you're sketching on the backside of the paper, the actual result will be a mirror image. If the direction of asymmetry is important (like for words), carefully sketch them in reverse. I don't particularly care about the direction for this one, so I'm not worrying about it. Mark out any features inside the shape that need to be visible as well. You'll need to find a way to differentiate these areas. For me, the major areas of concern are the wings: I want to make a distinction between the wing bones and the membrane.
Fortunately, we aren't limited to only silhouettes! I could cut out the membrane entirely, leaving only the edge line intact. But that would make the wings very fragile, and it wouldn't be visually interesting. So instead, I'm adding a bunch of spiderweb-lines to make a lacy pattern. It will be open enough to be distinct from the wing bones, and stronger than pure open space. I'm also adding some scale patterns to the body - because it looks cool - and cutting out the eyes and the horns. When you're adding details, be careful that you don't split the piece in half. All of the positive space (the paper) has to be connected, or else it'll fall apart! Ideally, every major area should be connected by multiple points to those around it. This lends strength to your finished product, making it less likely to tear when handled.
Now (finally) we begin cutting! You can cut out the rough outline of the piece in order to make it easier to handle, but don't cut close to the outline yet! In fact, start with the inner detailing. The laciest, most delicate parts should be cut out first, while there's still lots of surrounding paper. That way, you're less likely to rip it. So following these rules, I started with the wing membranes.
Once that's done, you can cut the outline. Be careful here: you'll likely have spots without much room for error. For me, those spots are around the outer edge of the wing membrane. Cut away small sections at a time so that excess paper doesn't get in your way.
There's no big wisdom to success here: a sharp knife and a steady hand are needed. If you cut or rip a section, you can try to put a dab of glue on the backside to repair it, but this isn't always successful. Alternatively, you can improvise and cut a new pattern that fits your mistake! No matter what you do, you'll end up with something simple but beautiful! Here's mine right after cutting:
Here you can see the wisdom of sketching lightly on the wrong side. The paper around the wings is so skinny that it would be extremely difficult to erase marks without ripping the paper. Better, then, to make light marks which won't show up on the right side! Turn the piece over and admire your work.
The principles of papercutting aren't complicated. Cut shapes from a piece of paper: that's the gist of it. But the simplicity belies a beautiful art form that requires little more than patience and a steady hand to create. Hopefully this tutorial has given you inspiration to try some papercutting of your own. Brandish your craft knives (carefully!) and get to it! Happy papercutting!
