Introduction

I often get questions regarding how I make my paper models, and how others can make their own. There is no single answer since many paper model designers have their own methods. There is no right or wrong way to go, no single program to use. All I can do is reveal how I do them.

My methods have changed over the years, but this is the latest. Hopefully, it will answer many questions, and inspire others.

The model I will be focusing on is the Disneyland® Paris version of Sleeping Beauty Castle that I designed for my website, the Disney Experience. Designing a paper model from scratch can be very time consuming, and is a lot of hard work! Not that it isn't enjoyable.

Part 1: The Basic Shape

Gathering reference photos is a must! Sources come from the Internet, movie image captures, and photos of replica props. Some photos even come from site guests. But, the VERY BEST images are blueprint elevations and dead-on photos. They provide the best placement accuracy.

I only have photos to work from, so this model will take a little longer than if I had side elevations. Perspective in the photos is the enemy since shapes and sizes are distorted.

Paper models are rendered in Blender, a CG modeling program. This makes the models very accurate, and that means I don't have to make as many corrections as I used to.

In the old days, I had to re-teach myself Geometry and imagine the shapes in my head. One head-scratcher was figuring out how to trisect an angle. I also had to limit models to those that could be broken into simple shapes.

I typically design the models to be printed with regular printer paper. The average computer users generally have printer paper readily available, so they can start printing right away. More experienced builders prefer to print onto a type of card stock (everyone has their own preferences) for greater sturdiness. Those who use regular paper are still amazed at how sturdy my models turn out.

For more sculptural models, I like to make them large, using 50 or more printed sheets of parts. For more toy-like or desktop models, I scale them down appropriately.

Paper thickness does affect the parts, especially when there are two curved pieces nested inside each other. The thicker the paper, the longer one piece has to be.

Here is a stereoscopic rendering of the nearly-final CG model. Cross your eyes to see what the model looks like in 3-D.

Although the model looks detailed, many faces are flat and featureless. It's not until graphics are added that I can paint in illusions of depth.

Model parts are broken down piece by piece. Blender's built-in Unfold Python Script makes unfolding easy. I can even mark seams so that piece unfold the way I want them to.

The final file is exported as a Lightwave file.

Lightwave files are one of the types of CG files that is supported by Pepakura Designer. Here, I can arrange all of the pieces, making them level and centered. Level parts are important for both adding graphics and creating nice page layouts.

Next: Step 2 >>