Nautical Knots Paper Cut Tutorial - Jason Koons ( @jason_koons )
DIY NAUTICAL KNOT PAPERCUTS
Repetition is a major component of my work and papercutting style; it creates eye movement, helps to unify different subject matters, and provide a level of visual and technical consistency. These nautical knot papercuts are great because they rely on a very simple repeated rope link shape. The classic nautical knot formations themselves are standard (a template for a basic square knot is included in this blog post), therefore the link shapes just need to follow and rotate along the basic shape of the knot you want.
Materials Used:
Excel Blades K26 Black Fit Grip Knife
Excel Blades Super Sharp Double Honed Blades (#11)
Excel Blades 12" x 18" (Green) Self-Healing Cutting Mat
Excel Blades Blue Hollow Point Tweezers
Canson Mi Teintes 112 Eggshell Paper (98lb/160g)
Pencil
Excel Blades Deluxe Conversion Ruler
Kneaded Eraser
Instructions:
Step 1: Draw your knot onto the back side of the paper.
Step 2: Once you’ve got your drawing finished, you will need to consider how to cut out the individual rope link shapes. For this DIY, I will demo three different styles:
Step 3: Begin cutting out the inside of each rope link shape.
Step 4: Once the inside of each rope link is cut out, you will need to cut around the outside of each link shape to liberate the knot. Pay careful attention to follow the shape of each link to get the true contour of the rope.
Step 5: Carefully remove your knot from the surrounding paper (you might want to use tweezers).
Step 6: You’re finished - frame as you like!
Because of the symbolism and meaning that knots have long held, I have found that these knot papercuts make great wedding and house warming gifts. If nothing else, they make for great practice and provide a lot of easy opportunity to experiment with different cutting styles and techniques.
Happy cutting!
Hello, I’m Jason Koons – a paper cutter, illustrator and art educator.
It’s hard for me to believe, but through these various artistic ventures I have been involved with the art making process for close to 20 years. All of my imagery is original, and all of my papercuts are hand drawn and hand cut. I find inspiration in pretty much everything – however I currently find myself producing work that centers on geometry, nature, or pattern study.
When I’m not moonlighting as a paper cutter, I am working full time as a high school art teacher in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. I currently teach drawing and painting at both an introductory and intermediate level, and in the past I have also instructed at the Advanced Placement level. I love teaching and I am lucky to have had the opportunity to help many of my students develop, further, and achieve their artistic goals.
I currently reside in a 1780’s farmhouse in scenic Chester County, Pennsylvania with my wife and two children, and I produce my work out of a small studio in our home.