I posted an introduction to this project over on the main page yesterday and received approval from the President of Master Lock today to share images and an outline.
About 8 weeks ago, the President of Master Lock (where I am employed as a Model Maker) asked me to design a mural for a conference room that was going to receive a massive makeover.
At that time the room was used for training sessions and had a 3 layered floor, can lights with grid ceiling and 3 rows of stadium seating along with tables facing the front of the room. The back wall is also curved back. I snapped this photo after the seats were removed.
The President's name is John Heppner and he had a general direction in mind for the room but asked me to come up with a few concepts and we'd go from there. The room was to be used as a New Innovation meeting space. His only guidelines were that it had to be futuristic and high-tech looking. We bounced around a few concepts and ended up with one that was based off a very large printed circuit board. He also suggested including 3-D elements in the mural.
We decided one of the 3-D elements would be a 52" touch-screen monitor inset in the center of the wall. There would also be two LED backlit panels which would display graphics related to the theme of the room. And then there were to be two 27" monitors set into the wall on either side. There was also talk of doing an array of LED bulbs sunk into the wall at random points.
Here is the finished rendering created with Adobe Illustrator...
a detail shot
I wanted the first layer of art to look as if you were looking through a semi-transparent printed circuit board. So I started masking off the signal traces (conductive pathways) or shall we just call them electrodes? I used gerber mask for all the circles (thanks Gary) and taped off the rest using 3/4" masking tape.
Because the wall has a curved surface, projecting was a bit of a challenge. My only option was to split the art up in 5 sections and line up each section as I went across the wall. Because of the distortion, I then had to locate the angles while it was projected and redraw all the straight lines with a level after the projector was turned off.
This is the wall after I airbrushed over the masking with black and painted the atlas by hand. By the way, the wall is just over 9' tall and 41' wide and was painted with Nova Colors over a latex base.
Posted by Dale Manor (Member # 4858) on :
Now comes the fun part!
The second layer of signal traces were to be painted in medium pearl blue. I put down a guide line of 7/8" masking tape where the paint would be going. Then I used blue painters tape on either side of the guide line as a mask and peeled off the guide tape.
17 hours later and 1000 ft. of masking tape and I was ready to paint!
Then brushed on a couple of coats of the blue pearl
While I was busy with that, I had my fellow model makers EDM wire cut, and prep about 1000 pieces of polished stainless steel and brass "connectors". The stainless was used to simulate solder joints and all the weld pins around the "Processors". I also fabricated a couple of smaller "processor chips" to add to the wall. Don't mind the numbers...they are just random? These were made of painted HDU and Stainless steel.
This photo shows the metal elements in place and 2 of the 4 iPads that ended up replacing the 27" monitors. John felt that the live information and touch screen of the iPads would better go with the theme of the room. The granite and metal tile as well as carpet is in place. Not to mention the great furniture that was purchased for the project.
And here is the completed room. The table is modular and the wood portions rotate around the smaller round tables to make it possible to put it in many different configurations. There are strings of LED lights inside the ceiling that can be programmed to change color and or stay any color you like.
A close up of one of the aluminum/stainless steel iPad stations...
And one more
Posted by Dale Manor (Member # 4858) on :
In addition to the mural wall, I designed the 6 acrylic backlit panels mounted on the side walls. Each panel has a circuit board pattern painted on the black layer of acrylic and has backlit features and aluminum bezels. Because of the amount of work involved in the mural and the other projects being done in-house at the time, these were produced by an outside source.
Sorry, these pictures didn't turn out the best.....
Posted by Jon Peterman (Member # 528) on :
awesome Dale, shoulda used real part numbers on the chips though or maybe some inside jokes
Posted by Miles Cullinane (Member # 980) on :
Brilliant on every level of the detail. well done Dale. and what a great boss to have!
Do you have any finger prints left after that amount of masking tape work????
What are the ceiling tiles replaced with? it looks like fabric, I haven't seen it before.
Also, Did they close off the original doors or have you hidden them in paintwork?
[ October 29, 2010, 03:35 AM: Message edited by: Miles Cullinane ]
Posted by Catharine C. Kennedy (Member # 4459) on :
Just drop-dead gorgeous!
Posted by Sam Staffan (Member # 4552) on :
That is absolutely stunning! Great job and a wonderful story.
[ October 29, 2010, 08:08 AM: Message edited by: Sam Staffan ]
Posted by Gary Boros (Member # 8487) on :
Wow Dale, that is an absolutely remarkable job! How you even designed such a piece is unimaginable. It's such a pleasure to see the finished product. If I ever make it to a Walldog event, which I certainly hope to some day, I want to be on your team!
Posted by Kelly Thorson (Member # 2958) on :
Wonderful! Posted by Jane Diaz (Member # 595) on :
Damn Dale, that is gorgeous!! You have to be VERY proud of that! What a cool project to get to head up. Congrats!
Posted by Dale Manor (Member # 4858) on :
Thanks all,
Miles, the Ceiling tiles where made of semi-transparent plastic. They could be placed with the pillow shape down or up. The doors were removed and sheet rocked over to produce a smooth surface to work on.
Jon...many of the numbers and letters I used on the wall and in the overall design have special meaning to me....just don't tell anyone...our little secret, eh!
[ October 29, 2010, 11:18 AM: Message edited by: Dale Manor ]
Posted by Pat Welter (Member # 785) on :
Star trec just got one step closer, what a make over... Fantastic work Dale just fantastic.
Posted by Doug Haffner (Member # 12445) on :
Dale, that's fantastic. Wonderful work to be sure.
Posted by bill riedel (Member # 607) on :
I am proud to say I know Dale Manor. Here is proof that there is no job too complicated for you. Bill
Posted by Craig Sjoquist (Member # 4684) on :
Wow outstanding never expected such a great result from the idea at first but when looking at the step by step it got better and better wow
Posted by Duncan Wilkie (Member # 132) on :
I thought your fruit on the kitchen floor was remarkable. This effort is out of this world. Your a shining star Dale.
Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
mind blowing!! I'd give up my grass shack to be able to hang out in an environment like that any day!! Very very nice!!
Posted by Ian Stewart-Koster (Member # 3500) on :
A-maze-ing!
(and no Mac/PC jokes, either!)
Posted by bruce ward (Member # 1289) on :
top notch, awesome, inspiring. You just cant top work like that.
Posted by Raymond Chapman (Member # 361) on :
Simply awesome!! You certainly can take mural painting to a step beyond what we normally see.
Your boss should be well satisfied.
Posted by Dave Sherby (Member # 698) on :
Lost for words gorgeous.
Posted by Bill Wood (Member # 6543) on :
Some people say...I can't draw a straight line! You proved it could be done. The work is AWESOME !!!
Posted by Rusty Bradley (Member # 6938) on :
Awesome...my mind is too simple to grasp the complexity...love the blue tones on the black.
Posted by Bob Kaschak (Member # 3146) on :
Dale, that is fantastic!
Posted by PatRaap (Member # 4290) on :
Wow!!!! Dale, this is so awesome!
Posted by Dan Sawatzky (Member # 88) on :
Very cool Dale! Nicely done!
-grampa dan
Posted by Shane Durnford (Member # 8125) on :
Brilliant design and execution Dale
Posted by Alicia B. Jennings (Member # 1272) on :
Freaking WOW!
Posted by Dennis Raap (Member # 3632) on :
It turned out great Dale!
Posted by Lynda Yoder (Member # 7340) on :
Love that, Dale...but did it ever give you a head ache? You do awesome work!
Posted by Sonny Franks (Member # 588) on :
Absolutely astounding, Dale.
but there are easier ways to kiss up to the boss.......
Posted by Dan Beach (Member # 9850) on :
That is awesome!
Posted by Rene Giroux (Member # 4980) on :
Great piece of work, BRAVO !
Posted by Neil D. Butler (Member # 661) on :
Holy Frig! How long did it take you to paint? It's Awesome!
Posted by Bevin Finlay (Member # 2159) on :
WOW !!! that is really impressive Dale. Great job! Thanks for posting.
Bevin
Posted by Dennis Kiernan (Member # 12202) on :
Awful design, Dale. If you want to redo it, feel free to blow up this foto to wall size:
Posted by Donald Miner (Member # 6472) on :
Dale, that is so far "Out", it's "In". Great, in any language. Don
Posted by Charles Borges de Oliveir (Member # 3770) on :
Dale thats unreal. You are amazing!
Posted by Elaine Beauchemin (Member # 136) on :
bits and bites mastered by your talent! That is something else. Great.
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