How to Use Cash Register Paper to Draw Pictures
If you're looking for a non-conventional surface on which to draw a picture, cash register paper is a creative medium to choose. Note that different types of cash register paper yield different results. Thermal paper is a type of paper that reacts to heat to make a mark. This paper is shiny and smooth in texture and probably not the best choice for a drawing. Ply paper is a more traditional paper surface to draw on. None of these papers are acid free, meaning they will yellow over time. If you wish to make archival-quality drawings, use an acid free art paper.
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Instructions
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Choose something long or tall to draw. Examples include a comic strip, a panoramic landscape or a tree.
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Measure the length of cash register paper that you wish to draw on, and cut off that amount of paper from the roll.
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Roll up the strip of paper you just cut in the opposite direction than it was rolled in previously, to undo the curling effect. If the paper continues to curl, flatten it on a hard horizontal surface and place a few hardcover books on top for a few hours to flatten it out.
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Tape the register paper at its corners to a drawing board. This will help keep the paper in place as you draw. Now you can begin your drawing. Use H-grade art pencils to draw lightly on the paper at first, then use B-grade art pencils to make darker marks for finishing the drawing after it has been outlined on the paper. If you make dark marks early in the drawing and need to erase them later, you may tear the paper, which is thin and easy to damage.
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Tips & Warnings
When the drawing is finished, try mounting the register paper to a mat board or other stiff board. Allow the board to extend beyond the edges of the register paper to give your drawing a professional quality look.
References
- Photo Credit Martin Poole/Photodisc/Getty Images
