✹ Practice #1

Make new 4-6 objects. Two of them should be new material you never use before.

Last week we had been assigned to make 4-6 objects that represent the subject of our project. 2 of them should be new material. 

Here are my thoughts, some failure and achievement I discovered during this process.

From last week object , I’m impressed with the wind spinner I found from Camden market. I tried to imitate its kinetic motion by using simple shape like 8 pointed prong. I tried to play with the effect of metalic sticker by using 2 different colour/pattern in different side so it can reflect each other and observed if that can create any interesting effect or not. 

What I discovered is that with this shape and form it seem to be gradient. Hot pink glitter in one side, pinkish rectangle pattern in the middle and then yellow rectangle in the other. I think It’s really interesting - the way metelic colour change because of the surrounding colour. I would like to develope this manner in future experiment , make it more obvious and try new form.

Anothr pattern of reflective sticker I used is circular pattern. What I found from this pattern is that it gives a multiple reflection effect ( rather than only one like mirror do) I cut them out into individual circle and they reminded me of water drop. So I assembled them into tear drop shape as shown. 

This piece give me a sense of how to use material. Without investigation, I’d never come up with the idea of tear drop as final piece.

PLA filament formed into cup shape by using 3D pen. Gilding with Pink gold leaves.

Fish shape epoxy putty. Gilding with Pink gold leaves.

I used gold leaves for the first time with this two pieces. The tutorial I found on Youtube are gilding on paper. So I want to try it on new material like PLA plastic and epoxy putty. The result is not so good - gold leaves peel of easily. I think if I still want to use gold leaves, next time I need to use different glue.

Another material I had tested is Illuminatic plastic sheet. The material itself has really interesting effect as when it bends the reflection change accordingly. So I came up woth the idea of permanetly form it in 3d shape. I went to the work shop in my University to use vacumm forming machine but the problem was this plastic sheet I have is too small - the machine can not work with it.

So I think I just want to see if it has a possibility to heat forming or not - I then put it in oven
How effect will change?
Will it burn?
Will it shink?

I content with result so far - not burning (5-7 mins), not shinking, can reheat, no smell. The effect changed interestingly. I will need to find the way to form them more properly - maybe with two sided mould. I have to develope the process.