THATCH 'N STUFF

ABOUT WORKING

Although my online presence has been sparse lately, I've been pushing on finishing the first set for MetalWulf. I'm not normally the "driven" type, but lately I've been an accomplishment junkie, setting a goal to meet every night. Tonight's goal = this!

"Find what works for you and do it every day"

- Patton Oswalt on the creative process.

I also heard somewhere that if you do something everyday for a month, it becomes a habit. I'm not sure if it's true, or not, but I like the sound of it, so I'm trying it. 

Motivation

ABOUT SUSAN

MetalWulf is too big a project to do on my own. I'd like to finish before I'm an old man. So, I asked my wife Susan to take over the painting. She's very talented and her skills with a paint brush will add depth and texture to everything. Now, I can concentrate fully on building and sculpting.

My pink-haired hobby hottie!

 ABOUT ROOFTOPS

Even after the excruciatingly long hours it took to cut all of that paper, I decided that the thatch I made didn't fit the look I was going for. I wanted something textural. To make the new thatch I hunted around and found some cheap brushes at the dollar store, a very underrated resource for materials. I pulled each cluster of bristles by hand, cut and glued them to strips of card stock, then the hand-off to Susan for painting.

 Hey, look! It's me! And I'm making stuff!

 Dollar store brushes.

Susan doing her thing. 

 A batch of thatch.

ABOUT WARM LIGHTS
For the elements, or anything etherial, I'm going a bit abstract. I first had this idea while watching the movie "Bunkaru" (coincidentally, a puppet term) in which the sky was made with overlapping angular strips of color. To create my own version of this effect I used an arts and crafts project that Susan does with her after school program. Small strips of color tissue are overlapped and glued over with a mixture of water and glue. Very similar to papier mache.

I wanted a warm, inviting glow to pour out of the hall as the doors opened for the first time. So, I did said technique over a piece of translucent tracing paper and directed tiny light behind it.

Tissue on tracing paper.

                            

Inside the hall. Two mini lights directed at the curved paper creation.

Inner glow.

ABOUT COLLABORATION AND PROCESS

Over coffee and doughnuts, a very good friend of mine interviewed me for his grad school paper. When I explained that the blog was part of my creative process, he said something to the effect of "Oh, so it's a way of collaborating!" Yes! Yes, it very much is, and here is an perfect example of how you're feedback helps me to improve both process and product...

DEAN, who suggested that I make the eyebrows out of the same stuff as the hair. So, I made little wire "T" shapes, wound floss around them, and glued them on. They fit the face so much better and complete the look!

SVEN, who suggested that I do a wash and dry-brush build-up to paint the face. He suggested a post from JEFF for reference. I gave my wife, SUSAN the job of painting.

EVERYONE, the comments that encourage me and keep me going with enthusiasm!

See? Collaboration. The feedback and suggestions you guys give me become part of the project, elevating it, and encouraging it along.

THANKS FOR PARTICIPATING!

ABOUT LOVE
Susan and I just had our 10 year wedding anniversary! My companion in every way, best friend, and wife. LOVE! 

Awwwwww!

ABOUT TIME

I wrapped this thing up.

Thanks for checking in! Seeya soon!