Inventor Figures

Other Supplies

• Busts of Famous Inventors - laser color copies
• Color pencils
• Color markers
• Pencil
• Foam plate or palette
• White mat board
• Black construction paper
• Fine point permanent black marker
• Ruler
• Circle templet
• Scissors
• Wax paper
• Water Basin or container for water
• Paper towel

• Craft knife

Instructions

Note: For this project, we selected the following inventors: Alexander Graham Bell, Louis Pasteur, Tabitha Bobbitt and Stephanie Kwolek.

1. Working one famous inventor at a time, select one then draw, using pencil, the rest of the inventor’s body as you imagine it.
   • NOTE: As an added bonus, also draw the inventor holding their invention.
2. Outline the drawing with a fine point permanent marker, then color fill in with color pencils. 
3. Next, draw a speech bubble and add the inventor’s name inside the bubble.
   • NOTE: Be sure not to draw it too close to the inventor.
4.  Print a final color copy of the completed drawing using a dry toner based copier. Using scissors, trim around the inventor and name bubble leaving a small white halo edge. Set aside.
5. Prepare the mat board by measuring the width and height of the prepared inventor. Add 1” to each of these measurements and draw a rectangle on the mat board. Example: 2 ¾”W x 6”L inventor = 3 ¾”W x 7”L rectangle.
6. At the top of the rectangle, trace a circle templet to create a smooth curve transition from the straight sides of the rectangle to a curved top.
7. For the base, trace a half of the same circle and square off the bottom.
8. Cut out the base and curved top rectangle cutting along the pencil lines. Cut a 1” slit in the center top of the base from the top down. Cut a 1” slit in the center bottom of the curved rectangle from the bottom up.
   • NOTE: Both slits will need to be the width of the mat board. Older students may be able to use a craft knife.
9. Attach the inventor to the curved rectangle – apply a coat of Mod Podge Matte to the prepared surface. Lay the inventor image face down on wax paper and coat the backside with Mod Podge Matte. Flip the inventor image over and place the image on the prepared surface then press in place.
   • NOTE: Smoothing the image is easy using the side of an angled craft stick. Let dry.
10. Using Mod Podge Matte in the same way, attach the name bubble to the black construction paper using the same method as described in Step 9. Trim around bubble leaving a 1/8” black border and allow to dry.
11. Attach the bubble to the inventor using Mod Podge Matte. Allow to dry.
12. Slide the base into the bottom of the inventor.