In the last few months I've gotten into doing papercraft. All the models I've done are by other people. Most come in the form of either a pdf file or a Pepekura(a software used for making and viewing papercraft models) file. I print it on card stock with a regular printer. I categorize models into two categories, closed and open. Closed are ones that have a sealed hollow area on the inside of it, like a box. An open model is one that has a large opening or no real "inside", like a helmet or mask respectively.
Here is a recent project I finished.
The model was from a set of masks worn by the splicer enemies in the game Bioshock. The original model had feathers around the edges of the mask, which I left off. What my intention was was to make a plague doctor mask(see Deimos avatar for an example). Like almost all of the model I do I print it in plain, untextured, white. This is both to save ink and because it's easier to see the fold lines. When I finish a few more I will take all of them and reinforce them with fiberglass and resin. I'm then going to custom paint them.
Here is my current work in progress. This one is a Dragon Priest mask from Skyrim.
Here are my tools. There are scissors, two X-acto knives, and glue. The knives are actually different. The one with the custom camo tape wrapped handle is a regular knife used for cutting things that aren't easy for the scissors to get. The bare knife has a blade I rounded by rubbing it on a sharpening stone the worst way possible. The reason for this is so I can use it to crease the card stock before folding it to make it easier. I also use it to apply glue to areas the glue stick can't get to on a semi-complete model or manipulate parts inside a closed model that I can't reach with my finger.
Here is the piece of cardboard I use over my laptop when working on papercraft(I usually watch YouTube videos while working). It's to prevent the knife from damaging the laptop and lap-desk. This one is almost worn out (both sides), and will soon be replaced with a fresh piece cut from boxes that would otherwise be trash. I find it also makes a nice background for pictures.
Here are some future projects that are recently printed. The printer causes the card stock to get curved, which I fix by letting printed pages sit under some flat heavy objects, which during the school year was a stack of text books.
I have many half finished projects. All of my "closed" models are unfinished with at least one piece left off for now so I can later add some kind of filler before resining and painting them. I'm not sure what to use as filler. My idea is some kind of expanding foam, though I don't know what kind, where to get it, and so on. I haven't yet fiberglassed any models yet, I'm waiting to get a few models so they can all be done at once. I'm aware of the dangers and such of the fumes involved when using resin. My dad has been working on a fiberglass body hot rod so they materials are readily available.
I have MANY files from all kinds of games, movies, and original works. I can put the collection up for download if anyone is interested.
I wish I had wrote down who made all the models I have so I could give proper credit. I'll try to track them down in the future. If you want to find the models they can likely be found by Google searching "papercraft (insert object)". I appreciate the efforts of all the model creators and that the put them up for free download on the internet. If your model if here I want to thank you. I don't want anyone to think I'm taking credit for any of these models, they aren't mine, though I want to make some of my own in the future.
I would love to hear your comments, criticisms and suggestions. More pictures of other models to come in the near future.