I decided I wanted to make something for my sister and she really likes dolphins, so for the layers project I’m going to stack waves that are offset with the ones behind them and add some dolphins jumping through the waves.
background layer 
first layer, widest waves 
second layer, medium sized waves and dolphins 
third layer, smallest waves 
top frame layer
I’m still working on fixing the lines on the second layer, I had to redraw some since I ended up wanting portions of the lines to be cut all the way through and others not. At first I was going to have the parts of the dolphins that are underwater stay behind the waves so you don’t see the underwater part, but I felt like it looked kind of empty and with the partial over/under water view you can see more of the dolphins. I got a short time slot for the laser cutter on Wednesday so I’ll probably test cut these on cardstock then I make the final cuts on Thursday. It will all be cut on wood but I’m probably going to do a watered-down acrylic paint on the waves (dilute enough to still see the wood patterns) and keep the dolphins the natural wood color.
I feel like I was inspired by these two pieces by shadowfox and this turtle I saw a while ago for my high school class, I really like how the layers create dimension and create the illusion that there is much more 3D space than there actually is. I also really like the contrast in colors between the layers; I feel like it makes them stand out more and adds to the whole illusion of space without needing to stack 10 or so layers together. All three of these also have fine edges/details which really shows how precise and detailed the laser cutter can be which is really cool.
Hi Jules,
I like how the dolphins go through some of the layers. How big do you plan on making the piece?
9″x7″!
Hi! I notice and appreciate the depth I can visualize your piece having. My question is how you plan on assembling and displaying the piece once it is all cut out?
I’m going to glue the pieces together, in retrospect I wish I did 1/4″ for the wood because it would then be thick enough to be freestanding, but it’s small and light enough to hang on a wall or lean up against something
Hi! I appreciate that the piece has a person in mind to give to. How did you decide the placement of the dolphins?
Hi Jules! I appreciate the variation in the wave layers and that the dolphins go between layers! Do you plan to paint the wave layers the same as the design? Would you use any stains on the dolphins?
Hello! I apricate the art style of the stacked flowy waves. My question is what made you choose the material of card stock and wood?
Hi Jules! I appreciate the use of repeating element such as the dolphins and waves! What kind of look do you plan to achieve with the layering? In my opinion, I think creating depth with the dolphins close to, but not quite, at the top layers would allow for shadows to be created adding more depth to the piece