This wasn't too difficult, and the more detail you put in, the better the result.
Patient people will be good at this!
Dont forget to vote for me in the duct tape and cardboard contest! Thanks!
Date made: Feb 2013
Approx cost: £5
Approx Time: 2 hours
Difficulty: Easy/Medium
Patient people will be good at this!
Dont forget to vote for me in the duct tape and cardboard contest! Thanks!
Date made: Feb 2013
Approx cost: £5
Approx Time: 2 hours
Difficulty: Easy/Medium
Step 1: Things You Need
1. Duct tape (I used white, silver and black)
2. A piece of cardboard
3. A knife
4. Computer/printer
2. A piece of cardboard
3. A knife
4. Computer/printer
Step 2: Find Picture
Find a picture that you like. Something with high contrast and big areas makes it easier.
I found a cool picture of John Cleese that I liked.
I guess I should give credit to the original image under fair usage. It came from the Guardian.co.uk website and is credited to: Cine Text/Allstar.
I found a cool picture of John Cleese that I liked.
I guess I should give credit to the original image under fair usage. It came from the Guardian.co.uk website and is credited to: Cine Text/Allstar.
Step 3: Quantise Picture
Use a program that you are familiar with to turn the image in to the right number of colours.
There is normally a function called posterise. That is the function you want. This is the case on paint.net and photoshop. You might want to apply an average noise filter reduction first to smooth the image too.
I actually used an iPad app to do this (see comments for details), but it can be done in pretty much any paint software. If you don't have any paint software paint.net is free and fairly easy to use.
I chose 3 colours. Generally paint software lets you choose the limits if each colour. Try to get a good balance.
Print out at least 2 copies. 1 for cutting through, and 1 for reference when separating layers later. I printed 4 just in case I made a mistake.
There is normally a function called posterise. That is the function you want. This is the case on paint.net and photoshop. You might want to apply an average noise filter reduction first to smooth the image too.
I actually used an iPad app to do this (see comments for details), but it can be done in pretty much any paint software. If you don't have any paint software paint.net is free and fairly easy to use.
I chose 3 colours. Generally paint software lets you choose the limits if each colour. Try to get a good balance.
Print out at least 2 copies. 1 for cutting through, and 1 for reference when separating layers later. I printed 4 just in case I made a mistake.
Step 4: Lay Down The Colour Base
Get your piece of card and stick down strips of white duct tape. Start in the middle and work out so that you have even strips on either side and aren't left with a small slither one end.
Next use your knife to trim the edges.
Repeat this with your next colour, but lay the tape at 90 degrees to the last set. This will help you when you strip the separate layers later.
Next use your knife to trim the edges.
Repeat this with your next colour, but lay the tape at 90 degrees to the last set. This will help you when you strip the separate layers later.
Step 5: Cut Picture
Stick your template to your cardboard. My cardboard was A4 and so was my picture, so I just lined it up and used some duct tape on either end to fix them together.
Then start cutting! Get your knife and follow the template.
You need to gauge how hard to press the knife. You need to press hard enough to get through the duct tape but not go through the card. That's probably the hardest part. You can always practice before hand.
You don't need to follow the lines exactly, but like I said before the more time and detail put in to it, the better the result (or so I think). If you look at the finished picture you can see the shadow on the left of his face I did with a smooth curve, on the right I followed a rougher line. Decide which you think is best, and go with that method!
Once your done, remove (what's left of) your template. This will leave you with a 1 colour picture with lots of cuts in it!
Note: A craft knife would have been much easier than the knife I used, so get the best knife you can!!
Then start cutting! Get your knife and follow the template.
You need to gauge how hard to press the knife. You need to press hard enough to get through the duct tape but not go through the card. That's probably the hardest part. You can always practice before hand.
You don't need to follow the lines exactly, but like I said before the more time and detail put in to it, the better the result (or so I think). If you look at the finished picture you can see the shadow on the left of his face I did with a smooth curve, on the right I followed a rougher line. Decide which you think is best, and go with that method!
Once your done, remove (what's left of) your template. This will leave you with a 1 colour picture with lots of cuts in it!
Note: A craft knife would have been much easier than the knife I used, so get the best knife you can!!
Step 6: Peel Off The Layers
This part can be tricky, just be patient!
Start peeling off the layers you don't want. Use the spare print out as your reference so that you know which bits to peel off.
I found pulling the duct tape off at a 45 degree angle was best, so as not to pull off the layer below at the same time.
Use your knife on its side to start any fiddly bits.
Remember not to peel off too many layers!
Keep your knife handy as there are bound to be bits which haven't cut quite right, just cut them as they go.
Best advice is to take your time!
Start peeling off the layers you don't want. Use the spare print out as your reference so that you know which bits to peel off.
I found pulling the duct tape off at a 45 degree angle was best, so as not to pull off the layer below at the same time.
Use your knife on its side to start any fiddly bits.
Remember not to peel off too many layers!
Keep your knife handy as there are bound to be bits which haven't cut quite right, just cut them as they go.
Best advice is to take your time!
Step 7: Enjoy
Now you have your finished picture you can put it in a frame, send it as a birthday card or if you thought about it before starting, you could do it on the front of a school book or something.
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This app will only let you have 2 or 3 colours. If you want more, you will have to use some computer software.
THIS IS SOOOOOOO COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I didn't study art at school (wasn't my sort of thing at the time), and I didn't do well in design class. But one thing I've realised now that I'm (a bit) older is that a) with enough time and patience you can do anything and b) if you fail and throw it away, who cares! It's worth a try.
Id really recommend you pick a simple picture and give it a go! The satisfaction is so much greater than buying one!
The other option is spray paints. Do exactly the same process but cut out 2 card stencils. One for black and one for grey. Spray the black one on a white canvas first, then the grey on top of that.
As for prints, I guess it depends if you are in the uk or America? But I would have thought any print shop should be able to turn it in to a black and white picture for you and print it on canvass.
There are lots of online places where you can order prints too. Photobox, hellocanvas. Tesco. Asda. There must be lots of others too.
If its specifically this picture (in black and white and grey) that you want, I will try and convert it to black and white and upload it somewhere.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/61654338@N02/8469763445/
just another little tweak - I have cleaned up the edges, but it really needs the resolution increased and then the edges smoothed by someone who knows what they are doing. I think it is still too pixelated to print at the moment.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/61654338@N02/8469595757/
that one is an edit of the photo of my duct tape picture instead of the original. thats probably my best attempt so far. Id suggest it still needs a little tweaking.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/61654338@N02/sets/72157632747467976/
but I dont think they will be good enough for you to get printed - there is not enough pixels in the original picture, and my photoshop skills aren't good enough.
It might give you a starting point though, so I thought I'd send them anyway...
Anyone out there able to offer a hand, and improve these to print quality?
Don't ignore the fact that you also have a negative image that you can also do something with.
Have a fiddle with the sliders til you get the best results.
This app will only let you have 2 or 3 colours. If you want more, you will have to use some computer software.
You can also get sheets of duct tape, 8"x10" in a variety of colors. I got mine at a hobby store for about $2 a sheet. Limited on size but would safe some time..........
Happydancehappydance :D
Thanks for sharing!
http://sillywalkclock.blogspot.co.uk/?m=1
You'd have to think about the order of the colours, maybe even do white twice, as you'd want the white of his face at the front (with lots of layers), but the white background at the back with few layers?
I was thinking something like metal would be the best backing as you could press as hard as you wanted and not have to worry about cutting through it. But having said that, the backing colour duct tape would peel off the metal easily. It sticks to the cardboard so doesn't peel off which is good.
I guess you could always patch up the canvas on the back if you cut too hard!?!
I used cheap wilko duct tape (£1.50 for a 10m roll). I used cheap stuff for 2 reasons 1) cost 2) I thought it wouldn't stick so well so would be easier to peel off.