Maetel - Dr. Ban #6

sculpting

I started sculpting the final shape. In order to have coherence, I made two negative templates, in the vertical and horizontal axis, of the desired shape. I'll be sculpting one side each day, so I'll be back in 3 or more days, with the final result.

paint tests

Meanwhile, I've been making paint tests. I photographed all in daylight, for better results. I didn't have the patience to throughly sand and smooth all the surfaces, but here's what I did:

Top 2 coats of Mod Podge, as a primer; 1 coat of black matte acrylic; 2 coats of black mixed with purple and blue metallic acrylic; 1 coat of Mod Podge (R) and 1 coat of Mod Podge with metallic blue acrylic (L).

Left 1 coat of Mod Podge, as a primer; 1 coat of matte black; 1 wash of blue metallic; 3 coats of glossy spray varnish.

Right 1 coat of Mod Podge, as a primer; 1 coat of matte black; 1 coat of Mod Podge with metallic blue acrylic.

I'm not happy with neither, but for now, I'll most likely will give it, 1 coat of universal primer; 2 coats of matte black; 1 or 2 coats of Mod Podge mixed with the metallic blue, but on a 5 to 1 proportion (this one is about 1/1). I'm also considering trying to find dark blue or black glitter, and mix it in the final Mod Podge coat. I'll also have to be careful with the final Mod Podge coat, to avoid streaks and blobs. I think I'll sponge it on. I'm aiming for black with a dark blue metallic hue,  but still black at first sight. More tests will follow.

+ The sculpting is going fairly as predicted, and the templates help a lot.

- I'm not very happy with the paint tests, I should have bought Winsor & Newton's black acrylic and searched for black or dark blue glitter. 

THE CUNNING PLAN 

Keep sculpting and search for the glitter at my local Chinese shop (they usually carry plenty of colours). Try to get a friend to convert my vectorial, Freehand, design into a DXF file, so I can have it laser cut and engraved. But before, I must go to Dagol and buy the plexiglass.

Maetel - Dr. Ban #5

the final print, the acrylics, and the foam

I redesigned the pendant on the computer, this time based on the much better picture I found last week. Had it printed, and was happy to find out my hand drawn shape is almost the same, I just need to take away a few millimeters on each side.

I also went to the arts & crafts store, Imaginação das Cores, where I will have the monitor laser cut, and bought the paints. They're Americana crafts acrylics, not my usual Winsor & Newton, for two reasons, I wanted to give it a metal sheen, and artists acrylics usually don't carry metallic shades, or only carry the classics, gold, silver, copper, and so on. I got their Amethyst and Ice Blue metallics, and I also bought their black, mostly because I didn't have any, and I don't like to mix different brands, it may lead to disaster.

I didn't do anything else yesterday, but I'm currently making a test piece, in a foam scrap.

+ The final shape almost matches my sculpted foam.

- The Americana paints aren't very expensive, but I'd still rather mix fine glitter into a glossy black paint. I couldn't find any on the shop and I'm not in the mood to search for some.

THE CUNNING PLAN 

Finish the paint test. Start shaping the foam.

Maetel - Dr. Ban #4

the old and new shape

With the new found pictures, I traced my original design to a blank piece of paper, with a fold in the middle, redrafted the shape by hand, folded it in half and cut the new pattern. Then I traced the new pattern on both sides of the foam, marking the top and bottom centres.

After that, the process was the same, file the shape.

+ it crossed my mind drafting a new design on the computer, I will eventually do so, because of the monitor, but it was simpler just tracing it onto paper. This way I didn't have to wait until I had the prints.

- I don't think the side angles are 100% at a 90° angle, but fortunately it's not a big issue in this case, as the final shape will be rounded.

THE CUNNING PLAN 

Trace the horizontal middle line, make negative cardboard templates of the curved shape. Redesign the pendant on the computer and go buy the plexiglass.

Maetel - Dr. Ban #3

Dr. Ban pendant

Why I didn't do this before? When I was having a hard time finding Dr. Ban's pendant photos, there's something I do quite often for anime or manga source pictures, to search in Japanese (銀河鉄道999ドクターバン)! Well, quite a few pictures popped up, amongst them the one above, and a few others where I could verify the back. The monitor goes both ways, so, I'll have to make a hole on the body of the pendant.

main pendant shape and monitor hole

So, after I was happy with the main shape, I punched a hole for the monitor with a thinner, sharper file, and then, with a curved one, I filed it until round. The hole will be bigger, but I want it this size for now, so I can shape both pendant sides. I'll also make it's shape more like the above artwork, but I'll have to make a new template for that.

I also checked my stash, I have silver studs, the right size for the buttons, and red rectangular nail art crystals for the LED lights. So, I only need the chains, buy the plexiglass for the monitor, to have laser cut, and think of how to make the monitor frame. I was thinking of using EVA foam, but now I think maybe cardboard would be a better alternative. I'm making both front and back monitor frames separately,  have the monitor screen cut bigger, and then fit it between, with a bit of glue to attach it to the sides, which will be hidden by the frame.

+ more and better artwork! Also, the foam is soft enough, I didn't need any special tools to pierce it.

- I'll have to reshape it, but luckily it will be taking away, and not adding to it.

THE CUNNING PLAN 

Make a new template, reshape the pendant, mark the middle line along the side, and make negative templates for the curvy surface in cardboard. And, go to the art supply shop, to get the paint. I'm thinking of a glittery or metallic dark blue-purple paint, or something similar.

Maetel - Dr. Ban #2

tracing the pendant design onto the foam

I'm still not going out much, so it took a while to have Dr. Ban's pendant design printed. Now that have it, I started by cutting around it, and the monitor's hole, and then tracing it onto the foam. I don't have Adam Savage's band saw, so I rough cut around it with my hand saw, and after I sawed closer to the lines.

pendant picture from a Galaxy Express 999 artbook

Meanwhile I managed to find a better, but not yet satisfactory picture of the pendant, where I noticed the visor thing goes through it. I'm still not cutting it yet, I need to get at least one more picture. But it gives me an idea of what's in the visor, and I can start drafting it on the computer.

I filed the contour shape

Ah, did I say I'm making two? I decided to make two and give one to my cosplayer friend Carol.

Then I filed the extra few millimeters to have the main shape.

+ It's been simple so far, but the sculpting has hardly started.

- I hate the dust from filing the foam, and I have to be careful with the foam "flaking".

THE CUNNING PLAN 

Sculpt the main "eggy" shape and keep searching for better pictures. Buy the paint and the chain, and search for nail art jewels (in my stash or shop for it) for the LED thingies and the two buttons.