defəˈniSH(ə)n/ noun : a statement that describes what something is. ← yep
I’m now using “photo resist” which allows for extremely detailed and precise work. It is especially handy for tiny lettering on plaques, awards and signage.
I had to buy a few new things and some specialized materials, but I think the results are worth the investment.
(Click on the image for a larger view)
Two years ago when I started creating my home workspace I made a special nook in the office with the hope that someday I might be able to fill it with a very special tool, one that I have wanted for many years. It’s hard to believe it actually happened, the Summa has arrived! The importance of owning our own plotter became obvious over these first few months of working at home. As a glass etching studio perhaps we could have sustained ourselves without one, but as far as diversity of products and competitive pricing, the horizon is now significantly wider.
This is my fifth Paache of this type over the last eight or so years, so they last me a little over a year – not bad considering what I put them through. Its possible that the way I use it causes extra wear and tear – I’ll look into that with this one. It’s the best gun I’ve found so far. It’s not perfect, but it’s close. I’ll be breaking it in with a new freehand portrait technique, hopefully in the next few days. I’m still trying to decide whose face to do – I’m open to suggestions. I do know I would like it to be someone well-known, someone recognizable.
Sometimes simple projects can be more difficult than they look. One would assume in looking at the lines in this design that they are the simple combination of a line and an arc, but not so. The curve of the arc actually lessens to meet the line – more like an oval.
One of the more difficult tasks in sandblasting is shading large areas evenly. There are no guarantees that your sand will shoot with perfect consistency, in fact I can almost promise you it won’t. Nor is it possible to force the human body to perform with absolute machine like precision. Shadows in the booth can also deceive the blaster into thinking it looks perfect.
These are all reasons that being an adrenaline junky is a helpful personality trait in this business. The challenge in this project was to try to evenly blast the middle areas. Click on the thumbnail to see how it turned out.
I’ve always relied on writing for peace of mind, brainstorming, problem solving, and channeling creative energy. It feels distinctly recreational. I hope this will hold true for writing about my work. With that in mind, I think it’s best I jump in without too much forethought or strategizing, and keep it … recreational if possible.
As a simple introductory post, I’m putting up this old picture I found of some clouds blasted more than twenty years ago. It marked a specific turning point in how I work. I was determined to find a way to get something other than the typical sharp edges created by cutlines , which I did manage to do, but with great difficulty. It took at least another 10 years before I became comfortable with the technique that evolved. In fact, it’s really STILL evolving. It seems like each new project teaches me a little more.
This “blurring of the edges” is useful for depicting so many things that are otherwise very difficult with sandblasting. You can see (click to enlarge) that it is not only the edges of the clouds that are softened, the interior workings are made up of not-so-sharp/not-so-soft forms as well. For some reason it was a long time before I started utilizing this to emphasize depth by blurring elements in the background or even the foreground. Once I started doing it though, it’s now hard to resist.
This car etched for Mercury Glass Co. was the first time that I can think of that I deliberately tried to blur the background to create a depth of field.
At the time I was also using this same technique to create the very controlled looking affects such as the high-light on the edge of the hood which is bright, bold, and somewhat sharp in comparison to the traditionally approached softer free-handed one on the back fender.
