Pop-up Book Fundamentals: Storytelling with Paper and Light
A course by Helen Friel, Paper Engineer, Illustrator, and Author
Learn fundamental techniques to create your own pop-up books that come to life with light, from the initial concept to the finished 3D model
Pop-up books, for many people, evoke a sense of childhood nostalgia and wonder. Paper engineer Helen Friel hopes to inspire those feelings in her readers, but with a twist! By using light, she brings each spread to life and transforms 3D pages into something even more special. Helen has published books including Midnight Monsters and Hoakes Island, and worked with clients like TIME, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Sky, and The Savoy Hotel.
In this online course, she teaches you the fundamentals of building your own interactive light-up pop-up book. Craft three spreads, each of a different city scene, and learn how to use light to bring a whole new dimension to your art.
What will you learn in this online course?
20 lessons & 23 downloads
What's included in this course?
Begin the course by getting to know paper engineer Helen Friel. Discover how she turned her childhood love for window displays into a full-time career, along with the influences that inspire her and the work she creates.
Dive into the tools and materials needed to create pop-up books, and how to get the most out of them. Then take a look at the two key mechanisms that form your book: the box and floating platform. Move on to the v-fold mechanism before learning how to combine techniques and find inspiration for your book.
Time to create your pages! Simplify the shape of your monuments to create a box system, then cut and assemble its elements. For page two, design your scene on three layers, and glue your model. Lastly, put together the third page of your book using a v-fold, and build a 3D paper structure.
Discover bookbinding techniques to bring your pages together. To wrap up the course, Helen guides you through putting the finishing touches to your work, including how to play with light to bring your book to life.
- 100% positive reviews (78)
- 4,697 students
- 20 lessons (4h 26m)
- 23 additional resources (9 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish
- English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch · Turkish · Romanian · Indonesian
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
Design and construct a three-page, light-up pop-up book featuring some of London’s most famous attractions.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is for anyone with an interest in learning how to create narrative pop-up books from scratch.
Requirements and materials
Knowledge of Adobe Illustrator or another vector-based program is useful if you wish to work digitally.
In terms of materials, you will need a cutting mat, scalpel, metal ruler, pencil, UHU glue, and other materials specified by the teacher in the course.
Reviews
Helen Friel
A course by Helen Friel
Helen Friel is a paper engineer, illustrator, and author based in Bristol, UK. She grew up in a creative household and went on to study a BA in graphic design at Central Saint Martins, working for clients alongside her studies and producing her own artist books. Helen later worked as a paper engineer for a card company while juggling freelance projects and, a year later, pursued her creative passion full-time.
She has worked in the editorial and advertising fields, creating and directing for clients including Fanta, TIME, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Sky, The Savoy Hotel, Ted Baker, Etsy, The Body Shop, and The Sunday Times. Alongside creating paper craft designs and publishing books including Midnight Monsters and Hoakes Island, Helen teaches MA Illustration at Falmouth University. She is also the co-founder of the London chapter of Ladies, Wine & Design, which aims to bring together women in creative industries.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Influences
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U2
Mechanisms and Inspiration
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Materials, Tools, and Workspace
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The Box and Floating Platform 1
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The Box and Floating Platform 2
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The V-Fold and Combining Mechanisms
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Finding Ideas and References
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U3
Designing and Assembling the Pages
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Designing Page 1: Big Ben
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Assembling Page 1: Big Ben 1
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Assembling Page 1: Big Ben 2
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Designing Page 2: Leicester Square 1
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Designing Page 2: Leicester Square 2
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Assembling Page 2: Leicester Square 1
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Assembling Page 2: Leicester Square 2
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Designing Page 3: Hyde Park 1
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Designing Page 3: Hyde Park 2
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Assembling Page 3: Hyde Park
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U4
Finalising the Book
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Putting the Book Together 1
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Putting the Book Together 2
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Finishing Touches
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FP
Final project
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Pop-up Book Fundamentals: Storytelling with Paper and Light
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
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Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
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Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
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Certificates
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Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
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Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
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Connect with a global creative community
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Watch professionally produced courses
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FAQs
This course is best for learners with some experience in craft or design, but motivated beginners can also follow along thanks to step-by-step instructions and foundational techniques.
You’ll need basic tools like a cutting mat, craft knife, bone folder, glue, white card, colored papers, and access to either manual or digital design tools such as Illustrator or Procreate.
You’ll learn to design and construct pop-up mechanisms, choose and work with different papers, integrate lighting, create layered effects, and assemble professional-quality pop-up books and paper models.
Paper engineering involves designing and building interactive objects or books from paper, using folding, cutting, and gluing techniques to create pop-ups and moving mechanisms.
Yes, the course covers adapting pop-up and paper engineering methods for creative projects like interactive cocktail menus, paper sets for photography, and stop-motion animation.
Yes, you’ll learn to create pop-up templates by hand or digitally using vector drawing tools like Illustrator, depending on your preference and project needs.
The course explains how to select appropriate paper weights, textures, and transparency to enhance structure, light diffusion, and visual storytelling in your projects.
best course
Este curso lo recomiendo si ya estas en el tema de ing de papel exelente para mi lleno mis espectativas
Ótimo curso! Amei!
MUY BIEN EXPLICADO, FACIL DE REALIZAR SIGUIENDO SUS INSTRUCCIONES, ME HA GUSTADO
POSITIVO
Very good course. Thanx
Highly recommended