For the layers project I really wanted to create a 3D animal head out of the layers of the material I chose to use. I have seen a lot of really cool layered animal head designs and was totally inspired by the look. I specifically chose to sketch a capybara head because it is one of my roommates favorite animals and they are just really fun and the shapes I was able to create in Inkscape for the sketch were not overly complicated but there was still some interesting detail in parts of the different layers. I also am still working out what parts of the piece I want to engrave, if any. Depending on the final size of my piece it might be wise for me to engrave the smaller details like the eye details and the tip of the nose.
The photo to the right of the 3D layered octopus design was one of the pieces we saw in the layers presentation that further inspired me to carry on in the direction I was going with my design. I love how it uses the cut out layers and enough of them to really achieve an accurate depth and proportion of the piece that clearly represents the desired shape. There are enough layers that the piece isn’t too flat and you can clearly understand what the piece is portraying from a visual stand point. I also like the simplicity of just using the wood with no staining or painting it really lets the shape and detail of the cuts of each layer of the piece speak for itself.
What are you thinking in terms of color? Are you going to use color and raster engravge?
I was not planning on raster engraving, but I was planning on adding some color to the smaller details like the ears, nose and eyes to make them stand out a bet better from the rest of the layers.
How big/thick do you plan to make it?
It probably won’t be thicker than 2 inches. I would have liked to make a bunch more layers and make it look more like an accurate 3D model of the capybara head but I decided to keep it more stylized.
What materials are you planning to use?
I am planning on using cardboard because I do like to use as much recycled material in my art as possible and I think it will give the piece an interesting texture.
What are you thinking in terms of material and orientation?
I want to use carboard because of the texture and base color but also because I like to used recycled materials. And orientation wise I am hoping to hang it on wall so it sits vertically instead of laying flat on a table.
How are you planning on displaying the piece? (btw I love this design!)
Thank you!! And I am thinking about using some of those velcro like command strips to be able to hang it on a wall because I don’t think it will be super heavy.
Do you plan on making some of the materials different types of wood to work in different colors or textures? What are your thoughts about the contrast between the contours of the layers design and the softness that is present when looking at a capibara?
I was planning on sticking to just cardboard but that is a really interesting thought to incorporate some wood to break up the textures of the materials. I definitely tries to emulate the softness of the shape of the capybaras head but making the different layers there are definitely some parts of the overall shape that kind of harden the look of the piece but i think the difference in this element is pretty interesting.
Are you planning to keep the rough edges of the original design or finish it in some way? How will you deal with negative spaces in the eyes?
I was thinking of keeping the rough edges to keep as much natural texture in the piece as possible. The eye and eyebrow buts are actually going to be cut out as their own pieces and act as part of one of the layers so rather than it being negative space they will be raised on top of the base layer of the eyes.
How are you planning to create the pieces — will you be using Slicer for Fusion 360 on a 3D model of a capybara head, or will you be drawing the layers manually like in the sketch here?
I actually drew up these layers in Inkscape so I am just planning on separating them out and cutting the layers seen in the sketch image to then glue together to make the final piece.
Do you plan on creating a 3d piece like the octopus above or a 2d piece with layers?
Originally I wanted to make a full 3D model of the whole head but I am not well versed in 3D modeling and I was not getting the results I wanted when using slicer so I just decided to keep it slightly more flat with the layers just building up a little bit.
Do you plan to use only one material or combine multiple? (different types of wood, anything else, ect?)
I was planning on only using carboard but I think it would be a really cool idea to play with a mixture of different materials to play with the different textures.