Cet article [EN] Lessons Learned At The EchoFab FabLab Residency In Montréal… est apparu en premier sur echofab.

The photo below shows the final design ready to be etched. The video shows etch itself onto the clear plastic acrylic. I am pleased with the result so far. It won’t look so much like a snowboard design when it is in the final piece, I hope!

final etch design

Cet article [EN] 10/11 – EchoFab Fablab Artist In Residence Day Ten/Eleven… est apparu en premier sur echofab.

Cet article [EN] 9- EchoFab Fablab Artist In Residence Day Nine…Get Drawing!… est apparu en premier sur echofab.

I also tried to brainstorm how the interactive elements of the Arduino will work, both the programming and the hardware setup. I have little experience with the Arduino so far and getting it to work will be a very interesting challenge! It is late at night now and as I write this, I have just finished the shape of the ‘cloud’ element to something that I am pleased with. Tomorrow, I will attempt to get at least a rough version of it laser cut so I can construct a trial shape of it over the long Easter weekend.

streets like a river

architectural elements of Montreal

quick street sketch St Denis

abstract shape development

Arduino brainstorming

Cet article [EN] 8- EchoFab Fablab Artist In Residence Day Eight…Fluid Streets… est apparu en premier sur echofab.

Also, in one of the photos you can see that one of the legs when printing the ant broke off. The reason for this was that this leg was not attached to the base option that the print preparation Cura creates before a print. The solution to this was to go back to the model in 3dsMax and make a thin flat base on the model there making sure that all legs are attached to it. Tomorrow, will tell what will happen with the evolution of the work!…

leg breaks not attached to base

glowing light

arrangement of elements

Cet article [EN] 7- EchoFab Fablab Artist In Residence Day Seven… est apparu en premier sur echofab.

Tomorrow, I will start to develop the form of the final piece. Today, I wanted to investigate how my fluid line sketches will look edge lit on perspex. Basically, this process involves the laser cutter. It will etch lines on perspex and even glass. When lit from the side with a strip light for example, the etches will catch the light and become illuminated. You can convert your traditional work from a scan or photo in the free application Inkscape using bitmap tracer and then use this to print using the laser cutter.

This technique is often used in advertising and show displays and gives an exciting ‘city lights’ effect. In the final piece, I want to use this method for some aspects of the work as I want the ‘fluid’ elements of the work to be from my actual drawing work. I do not want to make a purely precision mathematical sculptural form. I want it to have rough and chaotic elements. I also am printing some ‘nets’ on paper of some cloud forms from 3dsMax. The nets can be created in 123dMake. Watch this space for how this will turn out!…

Cet article [EN] 6 – EchoFab Fablab Artist In Residence Day Six… est apparu en premier sur echofab.

end of day sketch and wooden triangles

failed attempt to print the ant

printing walking people

pushing wooden triangles around

Cet article [EN] 5 – EchoFab Fablab Artist In Residence Day Five… est apparu en premier sur echofab.

brainstorm

form development

form development 2

3ds Max shape investigations

Cet article [EN] 4 – EchoFab Fablab Artist In Residence Day Four… est apparu en premier sur echofab.

Today I embarked upon learning the Arduino. I thought, should I do this? Will it take me down roads that will take me away from creative artworks. Speaking to other Arduino users in the Fablab, I soon realised that this tool can be used for rapid prototyping of interactive artworks. I want to use it at this level so I decided that yes I have time to learn and incorporate it into the artwork I am making at EchoFab.

I also set about learning the potential of the laser cutter. To quickly make something ‘architectonic’ to test, I used OpenStreetMap to take a map section of Montreal. I then imported this into the 3d application Blender and rendered out the top view. This in turn was taken to the laser cutter. You can see that the result is interesting when I hold it up to the laptop as a quick lighting test.

Cet article [EN] 3 – EchoFab Fablab Artist In Residence Day Three… est apparu en premier sur echofab.

The process was simple –

1. Make a quick ‘cloud form’ in 3ds Max

2. Export it into 123d Make, the free application by Autodesk

3. Export the pdf plan for the cuts to be made to the laser cutter. Settings are important here, you need to ask someone who knows how to do this if you have no experience like myself!

4. Print using the material you want to use in the laser cutter.

5. Glue or secure the pieces together and your sculpture will take form.

Today was just a rough test. I have made similar sculptural forms as the ones that I am making now but I did not have access to the tools that the FabLab has. Therefore, 2 hours to make a simple form in the FabLab, the equivalent using old methods such as a craft knife, it would take half a day at least.

As you can see from the image below. The ‘cloud form’ when completed shows us new unexpected aesthetic discoveries. When we turn it onto its side, the corrugated cardboard lattice completely changes the feel of the object. From above it appears as a solid object. From the side, the lattice like construction of the sculptural form now takes on an ultra-lightweight almost ‘aviation’ feel. These accidental discoveries during the creative process are extremely important. Even if I do not use this effect in the final art-piece at EchoFab. The effect is now recorded for future work that I could do and also for you as well!

Cet article [EN] 2 – EchoFab Fablab Artist In Residence Day Two… est apparu en premier sur echofab.