The Final Stretch

Just putting all the pieces together now... just set dressing and additional scenics to go. Yay finals!

Carousel Zoetrope Horses. Take 5.

Updated Work Reel

Carousel Progress 4

Horses. Take Three.

These horses are nearly finished… finally.

Nearly finished painting the horses

It's a Great Day when Horses Neigh!

Hazzah! I've finally figured out the process for casting the horses for the carousel.

Originally, the goal was to make a silicone mold of a horse that I sculpted, and then cast a silicone horse (with an armature inside) within that mold. From there, the plan was to make 12 molds of the silicone horse in the 12 positions of the zoetrope... but... making the silicone horse with the armature was A LOT more challenging than anticipated.

The silicone was too dense before it cured to get into all of the fine details of the mold—especially the legs of the horse. Once cured the silicone was not dense enough and even the most flexible armatures were tearing through. I began looking for a new material to cast in.

The solution that I have found is casting the horses in a two part urethane plastic with an armature. Although the product is fairly brittle, I am able to heat the plastic after curing and bend the legs into position. The armature holds the legs together where any cracks form, and I fill the cracks with Magic Sculpt (a resin with hardens overnight). This technique makes it so that I do not have to make an additional 12 molds and casts!

I have also started testing options for the paint pallet:

Lights and Encaustics

I've been working on lighting for the carousel. The challenge is the number of lights and the fact that they need to be spinning with the zoetrope (so the power source needs to be isolated). 

Right now I am giving fiber optic lights a try. The pictures below show me modifying a fiber optic strands by dipping them in tinted damar crystals to give them a tungsten quality. 

There are still a lot more strands to go, but the overall effect is on track. 

Progress Reel

Can you cast silicone in silicone?

YES! 

I'm getting ready to cast the horses for the carousel and the fact that this technique works is going to make my life a lot easier. yay!

Tests in Glass

Cutting glass for the first time

A little scary at the beginning, but the good news it that the process is definitely going to work for what I need. 

Finished with Casting

I'm all done casting! Now onto sanding and painting.

Carousel Poles

      Casting the poles for the carousel horses has turned out to be one of the more challenging casts. I've been trying to avoid a two part mold in order to avoid seams, but my one part molds yield pretty inconsistent results. I do have the option of altering the casts after the fact by sanding and adding clay, but kind of time is not in my production schedule. So I was stumped for about a day... but.... tada! I found straws that are perfect for what I need! I ran wooden dowels through the straws and cut them down to size. They will work perfectly and they are pattern is consistent enough that I can actually make the poles spin on the zoetrope. Blessing in disguise.

Early Ideation

Visual Research! For more check out my Pinterest: 

Color studies and foliage. Structures and assets. The why behind the set.

"This environment is a peak into a moment in time—both nostalgic and fantastic. This space exists warped in the veil of memory—imagination merged with fact to create the magic within."

Visual elements. Shape studies. What can I make a zoetrope out of? Maybe a Dumbo ride, the Mad Hatter Teacups, or a ferris wheel. What if the ferris wheel wasn't a zoetrope, but something really eclectic/eccentric—if all of the seats were different (like a bird cage, an umbrella, a park bench, a flower, or a fish bowl)?  

Early studies. Rough layout. Foliage. Lighting. The little details (ideas for cast parts)