Pop-up Book Fundamentals: Storytelling with Paper and Light

A course by Helen Friel , Paper Engineer, Illustrator, and Author

Paper Engineer, Illustrator, and Author . London, United Kingdom.
Joined November 2021

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

98% positive reviews (61)
3,045 students
Audio: English
English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch

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.

Read more ↓

What will you learn in this online course?

20 lessons & 23 downloads

Materials, Tools, and Workspace
9 minutes, 21 seconds
The Box and Floating Platform 1
19 minutes, 36 seconds
Designing Page 1: Big Ben
11 minutes, 16 seconds
Assembling Page 1: Big Ben 1
15 minutes, 8 seconds
Assembling Page 1: Big Ben 2
13 minutes, 20 seconds
  • 98% positive reviews (61)
  • 3,045 students
  • 20 lessons (4h 26m)
  • 23 additional resources (9 files)
  • Online and at your own pace
  • Available on the app
  • Audio: English
  • English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch
  • 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

3,045 Students
61 Reviews
98% Positive ratings
  • More reviews

Helen Friel

A course by Helen Friel

Teacher Plus
Paper Engineer, Illustrator, and Author

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

  • U1

    Introduction

    • About Me
    • Influences
  • U2

    Mechanisms and Inspiration

    • Materials, Tools, and Workspace
    • The Box and Floating Platform 1
    • The Box and Floating Platform 2
    • The V-Fold and Combining Mechanisms
    • Finding Ideas and References
  • U3

    Designing and Assembling the Pages

    • Designing Page 1: Big Ben
    • Assembling Page 1: Big Ben 1
    • Assembling Page 1: Big Ben 2
    • Designing Page 2: Leicester Square 1
    • Designing Page 2: Leicester Square 2
    • Assembling Page 2: Leicester Square 1
    • Assembling Page 2: Leicester Square 2
    • Designing Page 3: Hyde Park 1
    • Designing Page 3: Hyde Park 2
    • Assembling Page 3: Hyde Park
  • U4

    Finalising the Book

    • Putting the Book Together 1
    • Putting the Book Together 2
    • Finishing Touches
  • FP

    Final project

    • Pop-up Book Fundamentals: Storytelling with Paper and Light

What to expect from a Domestika course

  • 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.

  • Learn from the best professionals

    Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.

  • Meet expert teachers

    Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.

  • Certificates
    Plus

    If you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Connect with a global creative community

    The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.

  • Watch professionally produced courses

    Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.


FAQs

Domestika's courses are online classes that provide you with the tools and skills you need to complete a specific project. Every step of the project combines video lessons with complementary instructional material, so you can learn by doing. Domestika's courses also allow you to share your own projects with the teacher and with other students, creating a dynamic course community.

All courses are 100% online, so once they're published, courses start and finish whenever you want. You set the pace of the class. You can go back to review what interests you most and skip what you already know, ask questions, answer questions, share your projects, and more.

The courses are divided into different units. Each one includes lessons, informational text, tasks, and practice exercises to help you carry out your project step by step, with additional complementary resources and downloads. You'll also have access to an exclusive forum where you can interact with the teacher and with other students, as well as share your work and your course project, creating a community around the course.

You can redeem the course you received by accessing the redeeming page and entering your gift code.

If you're a Plus member, when you complete a course you've purchased, you'll instantly get your personalized certificate. You can see all your certificates in the Certificates section of your profile. You can download your certificates as PDFs and share the link online. Learn more about certificates.
Pop-up Book Fundamentals: Storytelling with Paper and Light. Craft course by Helen Friel

Pop-up Book Fundamentals: Storytelling with Paper and Light

A course by Helen Friel
Paper Engineer, Illustrator, and Author . London, United Kingdom.
Joined November 2021
  • 98% positive reviews (61)
  • 3,045 students