For my maquette I tried a few methods of creating various aspects of my project. My most major test was a 3D print of a crystal that could possibly poke out of my finished piece.
In the interest of time, I just downloaded a quick and basic crystal shape from Thingiverse. In order to make the crystal able to glow, I printed the crystal in clear filament with 0 infill, so that the print was hollow. After the print completed, I drilled a hole in the bottom of the print so that a single LED could fit inside.
I forgot to take a picture of the crystal before I colored it, unfortunately. The color is from watercolor ink. I’m unsure if it will ever completely dry, it seems like every time I touch the crystal some paint comes off on my fingertips.
Here is the crystal lit up:
I’m not sure how I feel about the results. I’d also like to note that it looks vastly different in real life. Currently it seems a little too bright at the bottom and not light enough at the tips of the crystal. I have thought of some other options; I also have cloudy-clear glow in the dark filament that I could experiment with. Additionally, I have thought of purchasing a thin LED strip that I could fold up inside of the crystal shape, or perhaps I could even use fiber optics instead.
The second aspect of my maquette is an attempt to make a small version of my sculpture’s ribcage. I’m really unsure of how I should make the skeleton of the structure; there were several ideas, either that it could be fully 3D printed, which would involve running the small printer I have access to almost constantly, or that I could make the skeleton out of wire and paper, or maybe even clay. I’m still not totally sure- the wire was a pain to work with, and easily dented/ruined when bumped. I’m not sure if the wire I have right now is strong enough to hold up the size of the sculpture I had in mind. I’ve thought about possibly making a wire underframe and then covering it in airdry clay, based on some YouTube videos I watched.
Although I could probably complete the project with materials I have now, I’m thinking of purchasing some RGB led strips so that my sculpture can have a variety of colors, rather that just one:
I’ve also thought about buying some airdry clay – I know it’s available at my local Target so I’d likely buy it in person. Luckily I have student prime, so if I feel I need some materials ASAP, I should be able to get the parts I need in just a few days.
Here’s my current planned timeline:
Week of 9/21 – Determine method for building skeleton, as well as the specific measurements regarding size.
Week of 9/28 – Build full skeleton.
Week of 10/5 – Rig all electronics to skeleton, including crystal protrusions.
Week of 10/12 – Polish, final details, and light manipulation to ascertain the artistic effect I intend.
The crystal looks cool!
From what I’ve read, you’ll get better results with acrylic or spray paint.
In terms of the lighting for the crystals – LEDs are super directional, so I’d recommend making a little “bouquet” of LEDs pointing in different directions to illuminate the various spikes. You may also find that diffusing the LED helps even it out. You can buy frosted LEDs or just give them a light sanding (or cover in a variety of diffusing materials).
If you want the maximum controllability, where each LED can show an independent color, you’ll need “addressable” LEDs. The Neopixel branded ones that Adafruit sells are nice and come in a bunch of different shapes. These are the basic individual ones: https://www.adafruit.com/product/1938
In terms of the skeleton, I think you’ll get the most realistic bone look (I’m not sure if realism is your goal) with an armature covered in something – air clay sounds like a good option, or paper maché is quite strong and easy to paint. If you end up choosing to go with bare wire, you might actually want a stiffer steel wire that can be bent with pliers but will hold its shape. Or you could go with a more flexible, easy to work with armature wire but perhaps in a thicker (lower guage) size.
I think that the crystals came out awesome, when it is lit up it almost reminds me of a salt light, maybe try adding a few more lights in the crystal to have it be more illuminated.
The crystal looks so cool!! I know you mentioned yesterday your troubles with wire, so maybe using foil to cover them could be pretty quick and easy if you still want the more metallic look!
I really love the crystals so far. They are truly beautiful. I’m also thinking of diffusing my LED lights and through a quick google have found that there are several cheap ways to DIY a diffused effect!
In terms of lighting the crystal if you wanted a more even look throughout the crystal spikes you could try stuffing el wire in there.