Janine Bushey. Letter Design and 3D Type. Process Work

Transcription

1 Janine Bushey Letter Design and 3D Type Process Work

2 The Project Create a 3D object or objects using at least one of the designed letters below: 1 Empathize with the project The letters are futuristic, minimalist, angular, and inorganic so the 3D object should also encompass those qualities. The 3D object should be something practical for daily use. The 3D object should be long-lasting, resistant to falling apart, staining, or scratching. 2 Define the Challenges Ideally, the 3D object could be made into a series to fit multiple characters of the typeface. The strokes of the letters are unconnected, so to make the forms 3D they will need either a supportive structure to connect the pieces, use color to define the shapes, or the 3D form could be the shape of the negative space around the characters. 2

3 3 Ideate Solutions Sculpture - crocheted wire Figure 1 1. fits the futuristic feel 1. has no practical use 2. crochet is difficult to achieve hard lines with 3. material that is soft enough to crochet unlikely has the strength to keep the intended form Pillow - crocheted yarn Figure 2 1. has a practical use 1. straightness is hard to achieve 2. does not match sharp and futuristic theme of letters 3. crochet tends to fall apart and does not wash well (short life span) 4. difficult to switch between colored yarns Hardcover book - paper and cardboard Figure 3 1. has a practical use as a journal, diary, etc 2. easy to achieve sharp edges and proportions 1. Spine would impede on shape of the letterform Coaster - ceramic, wood, or acrylic Figure 4 1. acrylic or wood can be cut perfectly by a laser cutter 2. the character forms could be the negative space 3. coasters are often done in a series 1. ceramic is imperfect, laser cutting would leave burn marks on wood 2. wood absorbs moisture from cold/hot drinks and can splinter 3. wood does not match futuristic feel of the letters; feels old fashioned 4. acrylic is often only sold clear, clear acrylic will show scratches easily Ultimately, I chose to go forward with making acrylic coasters. These would be useable, long-lasting, and thanks to laser cutting, the exact shape of the letterforms could be replicated with the material. 3

4 Figure 1 Figure 2 Typographic scultpure made of crocheted jewelry wire. Small-scale test of a crocheted typographic pillow. White indicates negative space; the black yarn was meant to make the shape of the letter V. Figure 3 Figure 4 Hardcover triangular book made with the letter V as its front cover. Coaster was originally sketched with a circle silhouette, but after more thought a square shape seemed more fitting of the angular letterforms. 4

5 4 Prototype Cast acrylic resistant to long-term weathering, low water absorption, lightweight and rigid, comes in greater thicknesses, less likely to burn A vector file like above was sent to the RIT FabLab for printing To get to know acrylic and its challenges, I first made the coasters out of a cheaper material: Extruded Acrylic Sheet 1/8 inch thickness. Extruded acrylic can yellow if exposed to sunlight, less expensive than cast, softer and more likely to be scratched or dented I then tried the following methods of coloring/refining the pieces: Spray paint Figure 6 The bottom was painted, the top surface was left clear 1. neat effect of seeing the color through the clear top surface 1. paint was easily scratched and had a rough texture 2. paint drew attention to the imperfections made by the laser cutter on the bottom edge of the coasters Frosted Look Figure 7 All surfaces are sanded to create a frosted look 1. hides scratches well 2. highlights the typographic forms 3. intriguing frosted look reminiscent of an ice block 4. no paint or ink to be scratched off or applied unevenly 5. sleek look and texture, almost velvety, nicer texture than plain smooth plastic 5

6 Figure 5 Figure 6 What the acrylic looks like originally after being laser cut. Bottom of the coaster is spray painted while the top surface and edges are left clear. Figure 7 Sandpaper used to create a frosted look. 6

7 5 The Final Cast Acrylic Sheet 1/4 inch thickness Challenges: FabLab employee moved the vector shapes of the coasters flush to one edge of the acrylic sheet, resulting in one rough edge on some of the coasters, inconsistent with the others. Protective sheet was removed by FabLab employee before laser cutting, resulting in dark burns on the coasters Solutions: Learned that the nontoxic cleaner Simple Green helps remove heavy burn marks and hot water and baking soda removes the tougher stains The frosted look would hide the scratches on the material and resolve the issue of some edges being rough/not cut properly Figure 8 Figure 9 Scrubbing off the burn marks with water and baking soda. Sanding the acrylic to create a frosted look. 7

8 6 Final Design Cast Acrylic 3.75 inches x 3.75 inches x.25 inches Features durable, scratch resistent frosted look series of three 8