STUDIO LAYOUT

Inside a kinusaiga board

Fabric on the surface. Adhesive underneath. Scored foam at the heart. A simple set of materials becomes a piece full of texture and character.

The artist's finished brown-and-white dog kinusaiga portrait with a floral crown, made from fabric sections
Original finished kinusaiga artwork supplied by the artist.

THE FINISHED PIECE

A portrait made from fabric, not paint

The fabric is the visible artwork. The foam and adhesive stay hidden beneath it. Patterns, weave and carefully tucked edges give every section its own character.

Surface
Individual fabric sections with tucked edges
Hold
Double-sided adhesive beneath the fabric
Foundation
1" FOAMULAR NGX foam, scored along the pattern

The three layers

Layer diagram — separated for clarity, not to scale. The finished layers sit together.

The finished fabric surface

Each fabric piece covers its section. Its extra edges are tucked into the scored grooves, giving the portrait its clean joins without stitched seams.

Your chosen fabric scraps, solids and patterns

The tools on the table

X-Acto knife with extra blades

Score the template boundaries in the foam. Keep spare blades ready for clean cuts.

Alcohol prep pads

Wipe adhesive and foam residue from the blade. Let it dry before continuing.

FIVEIZERO seam rippers (2 big, 2 small)

Ease fabric edges into the grooves; use the smaller tool for tighter sections.

Scissors and thread snips

Cut your fabric sections and trim away excess before the final tuck.

From pattern to finished board

Prepare the panel, apply adhesive, score the pattern, then peel, place and tuck each section.