I have been making paper models for some time now and have completed quite a few Clever model kits (photos will be pending Jim) and thought I would post a few tips I have picked up along the way.

1. An old trick I picked up in design class at college about cutting out models. I use a standard 11 blade in an xacto knife to cut out my models make sure it's sharp but an easy way to cut straight lines without a metal ruler is to position you blade at the top of the line you wish to cut then look at where you want to finish you cut and then cut your line. Not unlike when your driving a car your brain will guide your hand to where you are looking and you can achieve some nice straight cuts without having to use a straight edge. With a little practice youll find yourself cutting out parts twice as fast as you could with a metal ruler.

2. The all important coloring the edges of the parts you cut out, the biggest problem is most markers bleed into the papers as you color your edges and with the smaller models this bleed can ruin the look of the models. Try putting a piec of cardstock under you part you are edging and draw a line along the edge as though you were using the part as a straight edge, most of the ink will bleed into the paper below and you should be able to get just enough ink on the part to color the edge.

3. Marker suggestion for edging models, there are markers called by Premier, that are designed for artists making clothes designs. They are grey and come in different darkness of gray 20, 30 40 percent. These are excellent for edging your pieces, I suggest 40 %. They have a thick and thin point and the ink in the markers are transluscent which means if they bleed thru your piece they will not effect the printed side of your piece as much. You can find these at any art store like Micheals.

4. Lastly some suggestions about windows, I like to cut out the panes in my windows and add plastic to them to make them look like they have glass in them. Problem is I don't like using super glues on my models to hold the plastic in place, since it is very hard to keep from putting finger prints on the glass parts. Try easter basket type plastic wrap, it comes in big rolls which you can get for a few dollars which is enough to make windows for 1000's of models, it also adheres to cardstock with regular white glue so it's easy to use. The wrap comes in many different colors and you might want to try some of the darker ones it creates a nice effect and you don't have to put interior backing on your window.

Hope these suggestions help.

Jay

Jay, thanks for the tips and sharing your experience. I too rarely use a straight edge except for very long cuts. I like to use the mostly transparent "glassene" material salvaged from the windows in envelopes. It gets less trabsparent with distance so something just inside a window can be seen clearly bit items farther back appear soft.

Thom

I have 'free hand' cut parts as well, but even my best free hand cuts are distinguishable from my straight edge cuts. I prefer the straight edge look that I am able to achieve. Make sure to try them both as you may like the results of one method better than the other! I only free hand the smallest cut lengths (shingles, some window cuts, etc)

-Ben