We are starting production on this Sandblasted, carved and gilded HDU project right now.
I thought I would show how I used things learned at David Butler's Workshop to take a rough sketch and put it into Photoshop and make a finished presentation.
This is about 40" x 48" double faced 3" thick HDU with cutout INN letters, sandblasting, gold leaf and digital printing. The lady picture is not the actual one to be used.
Here's the first rough sketch done in about 15 minutes.
Then I scanned that in, vectored all the parts and added the scrolls from the Americana CD. I used some filters and a few other tricks to get the final product. The colors go along with the 1800's home.
Posted by Kelly Thorson (Member # 2958) on :
Its a beauty. I always find it hard to transfer my ideas from my head to the computer. We are two very different beasts (my computer and I)! I don't know why I don't draw them and scan them, the extra step would save lots of time in the long run and I wouldn't be satisfied with "almost what I had in mind." What are the plans for manufacturing the finished product?
Posted by mike meyer (Member # 542) on :
VERY NICE MARK!!!
Posted by Terry Whynott (Member # 1622) on :
Gorgeous!
Handsketching and then scanning in to the computer is the best way to design any sign like that. That is, for those who CAN handsketch! Posted by Amy Brown (Member # 1963) on :
Now I'm really bumming about not being able to make the class this weekend. Of course, I'm not a very good drawer to begin with. Haven't drawn anything since highschool!!
Thanks for sharing. Very nice!
Posted by Mark Higdon (Member # 2990) on :
First Class.......
Amy, dust off those old pencils.
Magic
Posted by Raymond Chapman (Member # 361) on :
Mark - the grass needs mowing.
Posted by Randy Campbell (Member # 2675) on :
Great work as usual Mark. Posted by Janette Balogh (Member # 192) on :
I generally do sketches like that within the computer, scanning hand drawn graphic elements in sometimes. It's going to be interesting to learn how to approach it differently.
hahaha... I was thinking the same thing about the grass. Looks good. Is the grass vector art or a photo. Kind of hard to tell.
I'm so ready to learn something this weekend! Nettie
Posted by Ken Henry (Member # 598) on :
Gorgeous sketch there Mark. The only tweak I'd suggest would be to consider changing the color of the 3 vertical green lines on the posts.Perhaps it's because the outer border of the sign is the same color, they tend to distract the eye a bit. Perhaps an imitation gold would lessen the distraction.
Posted by Mark Yearwood (Member # 2723) on :
Kelly, We are making this double faced 3" thick HDU. The posts are 5.5" with all trim and finials made from HDU. It will have metal running through the inside for strength and for mounting on posts and for the hanger.
Background will be sandblasted and the INN letters cut from 3/4" HDU, carved to shape and gilded. The faces of the other letters will be rounded over and gilded except for Bed & Breakfast which will be painted Ivory.
The pictorial will be digitally printed.
Nettie, the grass was done with a brush in Photoshop 7 that makes that pattern. Just drug it across a few times.
Thanks for your comments, everyone.
Posted by Rick Chavez (Member # 2146) on :
How long did that take you, and do you get paid for design? I personally don't think time or a per hour price applies here, this is a nice design worthy of decent compensation. Do many here find it neccesary to go to these lengths when presenting ideas? I personally think the hand sketch has enough to give the client an idea of what the signs "conceptually" looks like. I have a lot of this type of signs under my belt, but I usually get to design 30-50 at a time-that make the process easier-coming up with just one design, drives me loco. Very nice design by the way..
Posted by Mark Yearwood (Member # 2723) on :
Rick, I actually worked on the design about 5 hours and on a Saturday. I normally don't go to that much trouble for a presentation unless it's a logo design, but this project was sold and also in a new market area for us. I'm putting some extra into this piece and chalking it up as advertising well spent in the city it's going to.
The client was impressed and excited about the end project, so it helped build credibility with someone who is not familiar with our work. It helped him visualize some dimension and see what he was getting for his money.
I really enjoy doing these designs and in this case it was time well spent.
Posted by Shawn Setzer (Member # 426) on :
Mark,
I was impressed with you since the first day I met you at Fred's last year, you are a true humble talent!
I'd like to know what your using to insert the steel into the foam all the way across or are you using 2 pieces back to back with a groove in them for the steel???
I am working on a couple of similar signs right now and would prefer not to glue up 2 pieces, rather figure out a way to get a stright hole that long through 1 piece...is this possible???
The only thing I can see that might help your design at all would be to set the pole a few inches away from the sigh on both sides and let your steel supports become part of the design...just a thought...
Have a good one!
Shawn
Posted by Mark Yearwood (Member # 2723) on :
Thanks, Shawn. It's 2 pieces of 1.5" with grooves routed to accept the supports, then sandwiched with epoxy. I'm not sure how you could drill a hole (40" in this case) and keep it straight.
I had considered the offset posts, but it goes in a small flowerbed and needs to fit a set footprint.
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Looks good. Is the grass vector art or a photo. Kind of hard to tell.