INTRODUCTION.
The art of Architectural Modelling is not so difficult to acquire, as an observer, examining a model and admiring the minuteness of its parts, would be led to suppose. But in order to gain a certain degree of proficiency, a large amount of patience and perseverance is absolutely necessary. The great beauties of a model consist, firstly, in perfect symmetry and correctness of parts, all the angles being clear, well-defined, and sharp, the various minutiæ of detail accurately delineated; and secondly, to the straightness and evenness of the horizontal and perpendicular lines. It will be, therefore, readily understood, that it is these portions of the manipulation which demand the student’s attention, more particularly as the joining of the paper or cardboard by means of a mitre, as well as the cutting of lines on the slant in either a horizontal or curved direction, is somewhat difficult. These difficulties which arise in the student’s path are, however, easily to be overcome, and he must not grow faint-hearted if, after repeated trials, he does not succeed in producing the required effect. Rather at this juncture let him examine some model by an adept in the art, comparing his work with it. By these means he will be enabled to see the points in his own requiring improvement, and then let him continue to labour perseveringly and diligently until he gains a perfect command of his knife and materials, and few will be found but will admit that the result at last obtained fully repays him for his time and labour. There is no doubt that the art is of very great antiquity, and that in former times no building of importance was erected without one having been previously constructed. This not only aided the successful carrying out of the architect’s drawings, but enabled him and his employer to judge better as to the general effect the work would have when completed.
We have mention made of models as early as 1546, when San Gallo (a pupil of Bramante, the original architect of St. Peter’s, at Rome), either himself constructed, or caused to be, a model of his proposed designs for that magnificent structure, in order that the whole might be carried out in the same spirit in the event of his death. On this latter event occurring, the immortal Michael Angelo Buonarotti undertook the important office of architect to St. Peter’s. One of his first tasks was to set aside the model of his predecessor, which had occupied many years in constructing, at a cost of many thousand pounds, while he constructed himself, at a trifling expense and in a few days, another model of his intended work. Numerous other instances of the practical utility of this branch of art might be cited, but the author deems it unnecessary, its importance being at once obvious; and this little work, though devoid of all technicalities, too frequently the fault of works of this description, yet is intended shall be eminently practical. To a large and increasing body, the architectural assistants, it is hoped that this little hand-book will prove to be acceptable; and though written principally for the professional man, it is hoped it may not prove utterly useless or uninteresting to others, who though not members of the architectural profession may yet possess sufficient taste and skill to wish to perpetuate
A DESIGN IN PAPER.
PART I.
OF THE MATERIALS REQUIRED.
The materials the architectural modeller will require for his work, are, for the most part, few, simple, and inexpensive. They are also easily procured at any of the Artists’ Repositories. It is not, therefore, so much in the material employed, but in the skill displayed in the working, that the beauties of a model consist. The principle in this description of modelling being, that every possible part be constructed of paper, it is necessary that this should be procured of the description best suited to the nature of the work, and of the best possible quality. Inferior papers are hard, contain knots and other imperfections, and are very frequently gritty; this latter imperfection, by destroying the delicate edge of the knife, prevents the work having that sharp appearance so much to be desired. The paper I use, and have always found the best for all purposes, has a surface similar to that of Whatman’s double-elephant drawing paper, and is, I believe, sold under the name of Crayon paper: a specimen is bound with this book, forming the next page; it is of a pale cream-colour, bearing a strong semblance in tint to Bath-stone, but I have procured it from this to the shades necessary for the roofs of models. It is firm, though not hard, in texture, and not being too spongy, does not absorb to too great a degree the paste used in fastening together the sheets for the various thicknesses required, thus ensuring their firmness, a matter of the highest importance, otherwise in thin strips consisting of four, five, or more thicknesses of paper, upon their being cut each would part and defeat the desired end.
The most useful tint of this paper is the one already described, as it can be easily tinted to represent bricks or rubble, &c., should it be necessary,—for instance, in a building where the quoins, dressings, &c., were in stone, the rest in random rubble or brick, it would enable you to mark them with a HHH pencil, and tint before your work was made up. I have constructed several models in pure white Bristol board, but it is a tedious hard material to work in, though the result is very fine.
The next most important auxiliary is an adhesive material for fastening the sheets together to produce the necessary thicknesses of cardboard, and to fix the whole together and the several parts in their places. For the former a paste of flour made in the following manner, will be found to be the best. To every two tablespoonfuls of the best wheaten flour, add a teaspoonful of common moist or brown sugar, and a little corrosive sublimate, the whole to be boiled, and while boiling continually stirred to prevent lumps, till of the right consistency. If a few drops of some essential oil, say lavender or peppermint, be added, the usual mouldiness will not appear, and the paste will keep for a great length of time. For the latter, a gum must be used, prepared by the following proportions. To each six ounces of the best gum arabic, add an ounce or less of moist or lump sugar, one teaspoonful of lavender or other essential oil, and a table-spoonful of gin, the whole to be mixed in cold water (no heat being in any way applied) to the consistency of a thick syrup.
Other requisites are sheets of mica or talc, to be procured at the ironmonger’s, and used for windows, skylights, &c.; pieces of soft deal or beech wood, to form any small detail such as pinnacles to barge boards, &c., that it may not be advisable or possible to form in paper; wire, lead, cord, velvet, and numerous other nick-nacks, which will occur to the modeller as his work proceeds, and which will hereafter, in their place, be carefully described.
PART II.
OF THE INSTRUMENTS NECESSARY.
The first thing the artist must procure must be a board of fine, close-grained wood, free from knots, to prepare and cut the several parts of his work upon. The best for this cutting-board is beech, sycamore, or pear-tree wood; it should be, at the least, one and a-half inch thick, by twelve inches broad, and about eighteen inches in length. I should prefer it even thicker than stated, as continual planing of the surface to erase the marks of the knife soon reduces its thickness. Let it be squared perfectly every way to allow the T square to work accurately along its edge. As before stated, care must be taken, when the surface has become too much cut up, to have it re-planed, or otherwise the knife is apt to follow the marks in the board, and cut the paper irregularly upon the under side. The size of board mentioned will be found most useful for all ordinary purposes; should the work be of very large dimensions, of course another must be procured, proportionally larger. Two or three boards of close-grained deal will also be found of service for cutting obliquely, &c., &c.