While working on this, I decided to try a couple different angles for the jetpack guy....at this new angle, a visitor said "OH! He's flying!!" I knew I had it in the right spot at that point and left it.  I find that as I start dialing it in toward being done, I make a few changes...in this case I plan to create a couple gear shapes that will go behind the two "dial indicators" near the bottom on either side.  I had planned to add some flexible wiring sheeth on the sides, but I'm not sure it would work...this is getting pretty close to done.  That's the challenge for me...not getting started, but deciding when to be done.  I think I may also try some different lighting for final pictures...it's hard to capture what signs like this look like in person..pictures never quite seem to do it.

 

Paint frenzy

I love the painting process...and it often goes quickly..this is an area where I get to look at the piece coming together while I'm building it, and by the time I'm ready to do some painting, I have a fairly firm plan in mind. This one is no exception.  I still have plenty of paint work to do on the jetpack flyer, and lots of fun 'steampunky' things to add....wires, gauges and such.

The beer glass will get a coat of clear epoxy to give it a nice gloss...and those vacuum tubes still need to be hooked up....but it's getting there.

Drill baby drill...

I managed to get the jetpack flyer mostly finished and primed today....

Next up, I worked out that I wanted some vacuum tubes mounted on the top of the shield of the sign.  Here's the challenge:Looking at the photo, you can see the top has lots of scroll like scallops...

If I just try to drill into that edge, the bit is going to have some real trouble....but thanks to some woodworking tricks, I know just what to do: First, I find the waste piece from when I had the cnc cut out this shape...i'm looking for the section that is the "reverse" of this scallop.  I'll cut out a small part of it and keep the back end flat and parallel to the scallop. It's no problem to drill a nice hole through the back part that is flat. I've drawn a straight line to help me guide the drill bit.

 Now I can clamp this single "scallop" to the edge of one of the scallops.

Now I'll use this clamped on piece to keep the drill bit in the right location and drilling the right way...I only drill just enough to create the beginning of the hole, then remove the guide.

Now I can drill the the proper depth without the guide since the hole is already begun...

In a very short amount of time, I've drilled all 10 holes on the top of the edge that will be needed to hold the vacuum tubes I'll be attaching....

Next up we'll begin painting this background piece with some wonderful rust!

Steam Punk Ale Flyer

I increased the size of the jetpack beer guy until I thought the scale looked good...

The next part is where the fun really kicks in....  I found a piece of scrap HDU (high density urethane foam) and traced the rough sketch on the surface.  Next I used an air powered die grinder to begin some of the rough shaping.  Once the dust settled, it was time to mix up a batch of Magic Sculpt and in very short order, I'd roughed in some of the shapes.

I'll continue to add a few more magic sculpt refinements and then prime it...after that I'll still be adding some bits and pieces for detail (some wires and cables for the jetpack...these little details will really bring him to life).

That's about the size of it

I seem to design in one of two ways....sometimes the total picture of what a project is going to look like comes in a burst.  I know all the major pieces and what they'll look like before I've even put a sketch down. Details may change a bit as it develops, but the bones are there from the beginning. Other times, I enjoy doing a kind of 'freeform' design.  I begin to put pieces together and see what fits and what doesn't.  I enjoy both methods, but it's the 'freeform' style that really seems to yield some of the most fun for me.  I let the design develop as I work...and let it go where my imagination takes me and I add and subtract elements until I know it's right...then I assemble it permanently once I have it mocked up.  It's not nearly as efficient as the other method, but I sometimes surprise myself and enjoy the sense of 'finding' the piece as I work.  I've been asked if I'm ever worried I won't like the result or get lost in options.  I approach it like a puzzle.  A piece only belongs in a certain location.  Some pieces have less importance, but eventually it will become clear where or IF the piece belongs.  As for results...I'm often pleased, but never satisfied.  The hunger for improvement makes satisfaction only temporary at best, but I'm ok with that.

So with that in mind, I began to play around with some ideas for this sample 'beer sign'.  I've looked at work by Joe Diaz (just look up 'Steampunk Stella' and be amazed) and others and just let it settle for a few days.  I've decided I want a guy in a bowler hat flying his jet pack and holding a brew.  My god, man...what good's flying if you can't enjoy a beverage while you do it? The beer is a nod to my friend Mike Meyer and his amazing beer painting practice from a couple weeks ago.

This time I decided to do some doodle sketching of the guy and play with the scale. I have to decide how 'dimensional' he'll be and how big.  I want the flames from the jet pack to come off the edge of the sign, I know that.  So I sketch up my fellow...(Thank you Stan Lee for your book on how to draw super heroes the Marvel Way)....print him out at a couple sizes and try him on for size...

I've decided I want him even larger.  Also, he'll come off the sign even more...the beauty about mocking it up this way is that I still have the freedom to experiment and try whatever comes to mind.  Nothing's written in stone at this point.  I'm also starting to think this sign would be great as a hanging sign...and wouldn't it be cool if the bracket holding it was a steam powered airship?