Most of the methods used in making the cigar box exhibits can be used in
preparing larger displays, but the immediate problem presented is that
of the setting, since there are no standard size boxes of the correct
proportions into which to put your foreground material. This is easily
solved. Use Elmer’s glue and carpet tacks to fasten a piece of
pebble-board, matt board, or poster board to two 1″ × 1½″ wooden
supports.
[Illustration: PEBBLE BOARD 1½″ 1″]
[Illustration: (unlabelled)]
Nail on top and bottom wooden 1″ × 1½″ braces to give the curve to the
background.
Poke, pull, and bend window screen to form main contours of base.
[Illustration: (unlabelled)]
Drill pairs of holes around pebble-board background. Push hairpin shaped
wire (stovepipe wire or finer) through screen, through holes, twist
tightly in back with pliers.
Spread paper mache mix over window screen with palette knife or spatula.
Dry tempera pigments may be mixed very _sparingly_ with mache to give a
basic ground color. Smooth joint between screen and background into a
curve, not a sharp angle.
[Illustration: (unlabelled)]
“Plant” hemp “bushes” in wet mache if desired.
[Illustration: (unlabelled)]
BACKGROUND shaded DARK top to LIGHT bottom
BASE shaded DARK front to LIGHT back
PEBBLEBOARD FRONT
Mix three sky blues from Towne’s Gold Bond Latex Blue and a latex white.
Paint dark at the top, blend medium in the middle, light at bottom,
blending almost to white at the horizon. Use a soft 1″ brush. Do not be
afraid to blend. Cut and glue a piece of pebble-board to fit between the
bottom of contoured foreground and base. Use Elmer’s glue.
Mix three browns for ground color. Use burnt umber casein tube color
with latex white. Paint dark at front of foreground, blend through
medium to very light at the background. When paint dries, proceed as
with cigar box, spreading foreground surface with a thick coat of
Elmer’s glue, sprinkling on dyed sawdust, sand, gravel, etc. Bushes and
shrubs are made the same way, with lichen, weeds, and other materials.