We hear so much about thinking “outside the box”… but what about thinking “inside the box?” See what I did there?
Creating a shadowbox artwork allows artists to create a little imaginative world in a 3d box. It challenges artists to be innovative with materials, focus on craftsmanship, and create engaging compositions. In this blog post, I will be sharing some ideas, video tutorial, inspiration, tips, and project examples to inspire. Much of what I’ve learned was from an investigative art process with my advanced middle school art class. Enjoy!
What is shadowbox art?
Shadowbox art is the art of making a 3D composition inside a box. The composition is developed by suspending layers with varying depths inside the box.
Artist connection
If you are looking for a great shadowbox artists, check out Daria Aksenova. Her insanely detailed, hand drawn and hand cut shadowboxes are inspiring and impressive! My art students were in awe of her work! https://mymodernmet.com/shadow-box-art-daria-aksenova/
There are a variety of options to consider when beginning a shadowbox artwork. Check out these options below:
Option 1- A single source shadowbox
A single source shadowbox is using predominantly one image to create the entire shadow box. With this option, finding a great photo to use is key to success. I asked my art students to find photos that had at least four layers of “depth.”
Option 2-Multiple source shadowbox
A multiple source shadowbox is a lot of fun to create! With this approach, artists can pull from a variety of photos, drawings, objects, and mixed media to create a layered shadowbox. I directed my art students to first find a background photo and then hunt through old magazines, book pages, and more to get inspiration. A lot of these took on a narrative of their own as artists worked.
Option 3- Cut paper shadowbox
A cut paper shadowbox is created by cutting images out of solid colored paper (all one color or multiple colors). This option challenges artists to not only cut and compose a shadowbox, but also to hand drawn all of the elements. The possibilities are endless!
Below is some information about the materials needed, process, tips, tricks, and more!
Materials list:
- Collage papers. We used old magazines, book sleeves donated from our media center, book pages, and more.
- Craft knife
- Scissors
- Colored pencil (to fill in gaps)
- Cardstock (to make tabs)
- Foam core board (to create your box)
- Glue sticks
- Self healing cutting mat
- Hot glue guns
- Mat cutter with foam core blade
Step by step process
- Step 1- Gather your collage sources.
- Step 2- Begin cutting your pieces. Use a craft knife to cut meticulous areas.
- Step 3- Once all pieces are cut, determine the order of your layers. Piece it together like a 2d puzzle.
- Step 4- Starting with your background first, glue this piece to a piece of foam core board. Cut to size.
- Step 5- Measure the height and depth of your background image.
- Step 6- Cut the foam core board walls of your shadowbox.
- Step 7- Use hot glue to carefully glue the walls of your box.
- Step 8- Working from back layers to front layers, begin glueing in your elements. Use tabs to support elements that are attached to the walls, and use hidden objects to suspend support floating objects.
- Step 9- Once all elements are glued into your 3d shadowbox, create either a foam core board or paper frame to glue on the top.
Video Tutorial
Tip 1- Safety first!
Creating a shadowbox will likely require dangerous tools like hot glue guns and craft knives. Before using these tools it’s very important to review safety.
Tip 2- BRAINSTORM and plan!
This step is especially important if you are using a single source image. You will want to determine the order of your layers and which parts will be connected, if needed.
Tip 3- Precut the “walls” of your boxes
Any teachers reading, this tip will save you and your students lots of time! If you have a mat board cutter, precut a bunch of strips of foam core board to the same size. I used a standard wall size of 2.5″ inches for all the boxes.
A good foam core blade with your mat cutter is a lifesaver. I recommend this Logan 701-1 Straight Cutter Elite Straight Matboard and Foamboard Cutter For Framing and Matting from Amazon.
Tip 4- Making tabs!
If an element is going to be touching the walls of the box (top.. bottom…left … or right), glue the element to a heavier piece of cardstock and then “score” the sides with a craft knife to create small folded tabs. These tabs are helpful to provide an edge to glue and attach elements to the walls.
Tip 5- Hidden “stacks”
When creating a shadow box, you will likely have some elements that are floating. Hence, not touching any of the walls. In this circumstance, you will want to create hidden “stacks” to glue behind the element. The most important thing is that these are not visible from the front. In my class, we used cut and glued “stacks” of foam core board and cardboard.
Thanks for checking out this blog post. I would love to see your creations if you use these steps to create your own 3d shadowbox artwork. Feel free to tag me on Instagram and possibly get featured in this site! Also, please follow Make a Mark Studios on Facebook to keep up with the latest posts! Thanks in advance!
-Stephanie Villiotis, creator of Make a Mark Studios
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