posted
Ive done some on a small scale, but now I have to do a 10' by 10' blending a light blue to white.
On this scale, to get a nice blend would you mix progressively lighter shades of blue to get 2 colors for every 9 inches of sign to cover so as to be able to split 2 of the colors on a nine inch roller?
That's an awfully big sign to try to roller blend. I've done lots of blends but nothing that size.
Maybe you could roller in 3 or 4 blocks of colour and blend them together with the spray gun.
I would probably roller the whole thing white and then spray the blue in.
I just can't imagine walking back and forth with a roller and keeping straight while getting a good blend. Also, would you be doing it mounted to a wall? How would you get up 10' and be able to travel back and forth? If you do it flat, how would you reach the middle of the sign?
I'm interested in seeing what others would do with this.
posted
Spraying is a better way to go, or perhaps an eaisier way to go. I have roller blended 4 x 8 backgrounds and if you are patient i suppose you can do a 10 x 10 the same way. I don't think you'll need as many shade variations as you described, or as many rollers. I use long roller handles screwed into the handle of the roller for the extra reach.
I'm also assuming that you will have some sort of text or graphics on the panel... these will also help to conceal minor flaws.
I'd start one end white, one end blue and work towards the center. Maybe white/process blue/brilliant blue combination.
Show us how it turns out.
-------------------- Jeff Vrstal Main Street Signs 157 E. Main Street Evansville, WI 53536 1-608-882-0322 Posts: 670 | From: Evansville, Wisconsin | Registered: Sep 2001
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posted
Hi Dave. With a blend that size, I'd use 3 colours only...the white, the blue, and a 50/50 mixture of both. The way I'd do it would be to start with 1 roller and tray for each colour, and one extra clean roller. Make sure that you use a high temp thinner and some linseed oil in each colour, since you don't want the colours to set up too quickly. This will give you a slightly extended window of time to get the blend to your liking. Start with the white and the intermediate mixture and roll each until the colours begin to overlap. Do not backtrack too much, once the overlap occurs...just enough to even out the blend. Once you're satisfied with that result, repeat the procedure using the blue and the intermediate colour.The 4th clean roller should be used in the intermediate colour, so that you don't contaminate the blend with the additional white/intermediate mixture. An extension pole for your rollers would be a very wise choice. The telescoping kind are available at most paint/building centres. Good luck with this, and I think you'll find that it isn't as difficult as it might seem at first glance.
I've done an 8' x 8' sign this way blending from yellow to a deep Forest Green, and it worked out well. Don't add too much linseed oil to your paint, as too much will take forever to dry.
Hope this helps you out.
-------------------- Ken Henry Henry & Henry Signs London, Ontario Canada (519) 439-1881 e-mail: kjmlhenry@rogers.com
Why do I get all those on-line offers to sell me Viagara, when the only thing hardening is my arteries ? Posts: 2690 | From: London,Ontario, Canada | Registered: Feb 1999
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posted
Ok, you could reach all of it if you mount it face down maybe 6.5 to 7 feet off the ground. Hope you have a good chiropractor!
-------------------- Mike Pulskamp Pulskamp Arts Sacramento, CA mpulskamp@earthlink.net Posts: 165 | From: Sacramento, CA | Registered: Dec 2002
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posted
Dave, Here's how i do this. You will need to mix the two base colors and at least 3 intermediate colors. You will waste a lot of paint, mix more than you need for triple coating the board. when you've mixed your colors, separate each color into 2 buckets. place one set of colors off to the side. Do not thin the paint. to the one set of colors add a 75/25 mix of white refined linseed oil/Smiths Cream. mix to an easy brushing consistancy. Working from dark to light take the first 2 colors and 3 good clean 4" mops and apply the first 2 colors with a good heavy coat. Use the third mop to feather the two colors together. repeat this process down the board, 1&2,2&3,3&4,etc. work fast, keep an eye on the set of the paint on the board, when done go back to the beginning with a foam roller and roll from dark to light. If the paint is setting up to fast stop anywhere in the process and use the roller to smooth what you have, stop short of the end of your color, leave some brushing room. when this is dry start over and repeat the process from light to dark. You will be tired when you finish, this is the basic method I use on any blend from 4x8 to 14x48. It is a messy job and drips can kill your work. If it is possible, turn the work over so you are working top to bottom for light to dark /dark to light. I hope this makes sense, good luck and let us know how it turns out. I have repeated this process two or three times on boards untill I was happy with the results. The color you've set off to the side is in case you run short and need to add more to the mix, or need to touch up when done.
[ June 03, 2003, 04:26 AM: Message edited by: Bill Dirkes ]
-------------------- Bill Dirkes Cornhole Art LLC Bellevue, Ky. Goodnight Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are. Posts: 591 | From: Bellevue,Ky. US | Registered: Aug 1999
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