For my lantern design I am creating a layered landscape of Atlantis, with a large shadow of a squid looming in the background. Much of my inspiration came from Hari and Deepti’s work. A piece I drew a lot from was their Nautilus sea scene.
I have created the three main layers of my piece, although I am wanting to add quite a few more layers for the details. I’m having some trouble deciding how to create these details – with the light shining through from the back it makes my head work extra hard trying to picture how the piece will end up looking.
I haven’t put enough thought into the container yet, but I think I am going to use 1/4″ thick wood. I don’t have my total layers yet so I don’t know the depth dimension (I’m going to have about a 1/4″ space in between each layer), but the width and height will be 8×12″.
Hi Imogen,
I appreciate the detail and effort you are putting in to have multiple layers on your lantern. Maybe doing a raster at just the right power to let light shine through could be a way to add detail?
I’m planning on using cardstock so rastering might be a bit difficult but I may experiment and see how it works!
Hi! What were your thoughts about the light source of your piece?
I bought a strip of LEDs that can be cut, so I’m going to outline the back of the frame with them!
Hi Imogen! I am struck by your detail in this piece! Have you considered using other material in addition to the wood for your layers? Perhaps fabric to allow some light to pass through?
I’m thinking of using cardstock for the layers and then either adding pen and ink work on each layer or attempting to raster the details (if the cardstock allows haha).
If you are using paper for your design, have you considered drawing on each layer? I have only ever seen shadow boxes with the white paper and I am curious on how it would look.
I hadn’t thought of that, but I really like that idea because I was having trouble figuring out how to incorporate detail! so thank you!!
I love the way you changed the size of the squid from the reference picture. I know the longer tentacles are to hold the body in place in the empty space, but the effect it gives your design is much more powerful this way, I can sense the impending doom collapsing onto Atlantis that the reference didn’t have at all. If you are thinking of using paper for your layers, have you thought about layering the pieces behind each other to hinder more light to maybe add more depth and details?
Thank you, I really like how the squid turned out too! I have about 6 layers right now that I’ve layered so that the light hopefully shows through – I’m finding it tricky to picture it in my mind how to make the details look the way I want but I might try drawing on each layer for the details and just using cuts for the outlines.
Hi Imogen! The design looks very cool! I was wondering what your plans are for the light fixture. Will you be making it similar to a shadow box?
Yes I’m going to make it similar to a shadow box but with the light source outlining the back of the box I make. I bought LEDs that can be cut into different lengths so hopefully that should work well!
Have you thought about what colors, if any, you are going to make each layer of the illustration?
I’m thinking of just keeping the piece black and white with warm white LEDs. I think it’ll look nice with the dark brown wood I’m planning on using for the box.