When handed a board and told to be creative, there’s about a billion and two things you can do with it.
Here’s one. Get yourself some vinyl tiles from the hardware store. They are about $2 for a small tile and $6 for a big one, so you’re not going to break the bank.
Then, draw your initial concept on a piece of paper so you’ve got something to work off.
Cutting out the bits is the most painful part. I say painful because vinyl is tough stuff. Use a big, sharp knife for long and straight cuts, and use a small sharp scalpel or craft knife for the fiddly bits.
- The glue on the back of the vinyl may not be enough to keep it stuck. Use tiger glue or craft glue to stick your bits down, mopping up any of the goopy bits that spill out.
- Dark colours at the back, light colours up the front if you’re building up a scene.
- Let the silhouette and the teture of the tile do the work: You don’t need to be uber accurate and lifelike to get a good effect.
- Remember your composition of frame – randomly placing stuff on a board seldom looks good. Start with a plan, stick to it.
- Be patient with your small cuts and work with many light cuts rather than few heavy ones.
You don’t need to stay with vinyl. Why not add in other embellishments like rocks or shells or even googly eyeballs? Don’t believe me? Stick around and I’ll make you something nice.