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Monday, November 18, 2013

For the Stage - New York Skyline

CARDBOARD CREATIONS: NEW YORK SKYLINE SILHOUETTE


WHY I DID THIS:
Our church was doing a "Night On Broadway" event and I was asked to dress the stage with little time and a small budget. I took on the challenge. One of the elements I chose was a silhouette of the New York skyline.

Materials and tools used:
Boat load of cardboard*
Black duct tape
Gray latex interior house paint
Flat Black spray paint
Pencil
Ruler
Straight edge
Tape Measure
Utility knife - sharp
Permanent marker
Wooden yard stick or other thin piece of wood
*FREE CARDBOARD HINT: Check with furniture and lighting stores.  Often times, they are willing to let you have what you want since they typically just dispose of it in one way or another anyway.  Be aware that it is typical for cardboard to be available on a first come, first served basis.  So, if they are willing, find out when their shipments come in and go get your cardboard!

PREPARING THE CARDBOARD:

I wasn't blogging yet when I made this, so photos were not taken during the process. Hopefully, the ideas will still come across with the photos I do have.

For my design, I needed to cover just under 24 feet across the stage with my cardboard skyline. Using black duct tape and several unfolded boxes, I assembled three 8' x 5'8" (approximately) sections of cardboard. Usually, the "lines" in the cardboard run flap to flap giving the box more strength when assembled. I took advantage of this and made sure the lines were running top to bottom to give my structure more support. You can see the positioning of the flaps in Fig. 1 and the lines Fig. 1A where the paint isn't full coverage on the bottom flaps.

Fig. 1
Fig. 1A



I managed to get a bunch of boxes the same size which made it easy to interweave the flaps down the center of my 8 foot pieces. Note the offset. They are not lined up exactly. This is to give stability and keep the piece from folding in half from top to bottom. Once in place where I wanted them I taped them in place with black duct tape. (See Fig. 2 - You can kind of make out the interwoven flaps.) Finally, I covered the gaps between the flaps along the top edge of all three 8 foot pieces with black duct tape to make them into a solid rectangle making it easier to draw on and remain stable while cutting. (shown in Fig. 3 drawing - Those pieces of tape ended up being mostly cut off in the end but were very helpful in the process.) Since my plan was to fold the flaps along the bottom toward the back to help with support and I wasn't sure if I would need to bend the skyline vertically after I folded the flaps back, I didn't bother to cover the gaps between the bottom flaps. I was now ready to draw my skyline onto the cardboard.

Fig. 2
Note the offset - fold lines
not lined up exactly so
the piece would be less
likely to fold in half.
Fig. 3












DRAWING AND CUTTING THE SKYLINE:

I found a picture online of the New York skyline that I wanted to use, printed it out, then transferred the outline of the skyline onto my large pieces of cardboard using a grid. The basics: draw a grid on the paper print out and draw a grid on the cardboard. Transfer what you see on the paper grid to the cardboard grid. (see GRID TRANSFER HOW-TO below for detailed instructions) I needed to add an extra piece of cardboard to the top of the 5'8" height to make that piece tall enough for the Empire State Building.

NOTE: I began the bottom of the image of the skyline at the fold above the flaps that ran along the bottom edge of my 8 foot long pieces of cardboard because of my plan to fold the flaps back to aid in stability. (see Fig. 1 above)

With a sharp utility knife, I followed the outline I had drawn and cut out the skyline.  Because I had a couple layers of cardboard in various places, I used black duct tape to cover the edges to make sure pieces would stay secure after cutting out the skyline.

GRID TRANSFER HOW-TO:

I determined how many feet I needed/wanted to cover with the skyline.  As I said, for my project it was 24 feet. Next I determined the scale I needed my grid to be. The paper with my selected skyline picture printed on it was 8.5" x 11". Because I was dealing with a silhouette, I could easily add another figurative inch to my picture to make my picture 12" long - easier to scale 12" to 24' than 11" to 24'.  So, I put a 1 inch grid (see detailed instructions below) on my picture and ended up with 11 squares wide by 8.5 squares tall.  Each square inch on my paper would be two square feet on my cardboard.

Then, in the same manner I had drawn the grid on my paper, (see detailed instructions below) I drew the 2 foot grid onto my cardboard using a pencil, tape measure and straight edge. Next, with a pencil and using what was in each square on my 1 inch paper grid as a guide, I drew my skyline picture onto the cardboard. The final step was to trace my cutting line with a permanent marker so I could easily see my cutting line against the grid lines as I cut with the utility knife.  NOTE: The paint will cover the pencil lines so no need to erase.  IN FACT, it is best if you do not erase any pencil lines as erasing can change the texture of the cardboard, creating blemishes that cannot be covered up by paint and may be noticeable in the reflection of stage lighting.

DETAILS ON HOW TO MAKE A GRID: 

Finished Grid

1. Using a pencil (shine of the lead shows up easier against the silhouette than pen or marker), starting at the bottom left corner of the picture, mark a dot every one inch along the bottom of the entire picture marking left to right. (see Fig. 1)
2. Starting at the top left corner, mark a dot every one inch along the top of the entire picture marking left to right. (see Fig. 2)  (NOTE: Always start measuring from the same side of the paper you measured for the opposite side of the paper so the markings will line up.)
3. Starting in the bottom left corner again, mark a dot every one inch up the left side of the picture marking from bottom to top. (see Fig. 3)
4. Starting in the bottom right corner, mark a dot every one inch up the right side of the picture marking from bottom to top. (see Fig. 4) (Again, measuring in the same direction across the page.)
5. Draw the grid lines by drawing lines between the corresponding dots from left to right and top to bottom. (see Fig. 5 and Fig. 6)

Fig. 1
Fig. 2


Fig. 3
Fig. 4


Fig. 5
Fig. 6

PAINTING THE SKYLINE:

Most of my painting I do in my driveway, weather permitting.  Weather not permitting, I end up in the garage.  However, being outside gives me more space, better ventilation and seems to make for faster drying times so, it is my preference.

Protecting the driveway from paint is important to me so I put some kind of protective covering between the piece I am painting and the driveway. Most of the time it is just scrap cardboard. It doesn't have to fit under the entire piece you are painting all at once, just under the edge where you are working since the scrap piece can be moved around as you work.

A WORD OF CAUTION: It does seem faster to roll the latex paint on, however, rolling paint onto cardboard can easily get the cardboard too wet and cause the surface to ripple and become deformed.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS
This is where you need to decide whether to go for a solid black silhouette or go for shading and highlights...or if you are like me, decide which method of coverage is most cost effective - money and time considered. If you're going for all black you can just use black latex paint, cover the whole thing - front and back, let it dry and you're done.

HIGHLIGHT AND SHADOW
I decided to use highlight and shadow to add a feeling of depth and texture.  I painted the entire cutout of the skyline, both front and back, with dark gray paint using a large brush. The gray paint was a mixture of a few buckets of dark interior house paint I got really cheap at Miller Paint. Once I mixed them all together I just happened to end up with a medium gray which was perfect. Painting full coverage with the house paint allowed me to use less spray paint later.

Once the gray was dry, I went to work with the flat black spray paint.

PERSONAL PREFERENCE: I've tried the cheap-o cans of spray paint and always end up regretting it; the spray isn't as even, it seems to require more paint to get the coverage I'm after, but mostly because the smaller style nozzle bruises my fingertip by the time I've finished my project. I definitely prefer the spray cans with the wider, finger-size nozzle.

[CAUTION: Before you begin spraying... Move vehicles out of the driveway or cover them up to avoid spray mist drifting onto your car.]

Beginning with one eight foot section, I began spraying the vertical lines for the individual buildings and down the sides so no brown of the cardboard showed on any edges exposed or not taped. When that was done, I stepped back, took a look at building placement and decided where I wanted highlight and shadow. Working in vertical lines, I continued to spray, keeping the lines closer together in places of shadow, sometimes to the point of almost full coverage, and further apart in places of highlight, blending with shots of spray paint to give the desired effect. See the shading effect in Fig. 4 below and in Fig. 1 above.

Fig. 4
New York skyline showing gray and black shading

REINFORCING THE STRUCTURE:

Supports
Because the silhouette was made completely of cardboard it needed a little stability help to keep it standing. As mentioned above, I folded the flaps back along the bottom. In a few strategic locations across the back of the silhouette, I taped some pieces of cardboard and yard sticks at a very slight angle to support the pieces. (See my primitive drawing.) I needed my skyline to stand up fairly straight so I put the supports at a very slight angle then used weights on the flaps to keep the structure from falling over.
NOTE: If using cardboard, make sure the "lines" in the cardboard run the length of the strip like the purple lines do in the drawing. For stronger reinforcement, use two strips taped together with duct tape.


ASSEMBLING THE SKYLINE

For this stage set I needed my silhouette to stand higher than it would if it were on the floor of the stage. I used banquet tables (3 - 8 foot tables) covered with a gold shimmery fabric I had.  It made a beautiful water effect in the lighting. The gold fabric was not long enough to drape over the top and sides of the table, so I taped it to the top of the table with painter's tape...sticky enough to do the job but not so sticky it would destroy the gold on the fabric when I took it off.

Gold shimmery fabric
Gold fabric along 3 - 8 foot tables with skylight on top












Starting at one end, I placed the skyline on top of the taped fabric, just slightly overlapping the edges of the pieces in the middle so it would all fit. I used cylindrical touch lamps for back lighting behind the silhouette which doubled as weights to hold the structure in place.

Cylindrical Touch Lamp

BACK LIGHTING THE SKYLINE

As I mentioned above, I used cylindrical touch lamps for lighting behind the skyline. The touch lamps have low, medium, and high settings for brightness.  I used red, yellow and blue colored light bulbs to create the look of the sun setting on New York.



Light placement from left to right went as follows: Red at high, Yellow at high, Red at medium, Yellow at medium, Blue at high - the blue being under the moon.



This was great fun and I loved how it turned out!  Watch for a future post on my creative storage of this set piece.

-Jill

Cardboard Creations - Broadway Stage Design/New York Skyline

"DIY New York Skyline/Broadway Stage Design"

New York Skyline/Broadway Stage Design

WHY I DID THIS:
Our church was doing a "Night On Broadway" event and I was asked to dress the stage with little time and a small budget. I took on the challenge. 

WHAT I DID:
Circumstances, as they were, gave me less than two weeks to plan and carry out this project so I needed to keep it simple. I began by looking online for images of "Broadway", "New York", or "New York Theater". The plan I came up with involved a large Broadway marquee style sign with "lights" all the way around and the New York City Skyline. I knew these were going to require a LOT of cardboard. Fortunately, I knew a local place where I could get an abundance of cardboard for free!  FREE CARDBOARD HINT: Check with furniture and lighting stores.  Often times, they are willing to let you have what you want since they typically just dispose of it in one way or another anyway.  Be aware that it is typical for cardboard to be available on a first come, first served basis.  So, if they are willing, find out when their shipments come in and go get your cardboard!

I also thought about trying to include a Central Park feel since I had a bunch of fake Christmas trees left over from a wedding reception I'd done. I thought they might work well to help fill the stage.  Lamp posts in Central park along with the trees sounded cool but I knew with the limited budget I had I couldn't afford to rent them like I had for the wedding reception. Instead, I asked around to see if others might have something I could borrow. Nothing was available so I ended up making them.


THE MAIN BACKDROP (scrim): "DIY SCRIM"


See my post at: http://jillscreativeumbrella.blogspot.com/2013/11/for-stage-diy-scrim.html



THE BROADWAY SIGN:





NEW YORK SKYLINE:



BACK LIGHTING THE SKYLINE:

I used cylindrical touch lamps for lighting behind the skyline - doubling as weights to help the skyline stay vertical. The touch lamps I used had low, medium, and high settings for brightness.  I used red, yellow and blue colored light bulbs in the lamps to create the look of the sun setting on New York.



Light placement from left to right went as follows: Red at high, Yellow at high, Red at medium, Yellow at medium, Blue at high - the blue being under the moon.




THE MOON:


The moon was made by cutting a giant circle of cardboard then covering it with white paper. (see my post CARDBOARD CREATIONS - PERFECT CIRCLES - coming soon) I used a large roll of craft/butcher paper. The roll of paper wasn't wide enough so I had to use two pieces seamed together to cover the entire circle. I taped on the backside of the paper since I would not be painting this piece and didn't want the tape to be reflected in the light and seen by the audience. I simply wrapped the excess paper around the edge of the circle and taped it to the back. The detail features in the moon were simply drawn in with pencil leaving them subtle.  I tried to shine a black light directly on the moon from the stage wing, but I didn't have a very strong light so the effect ended up being lost.


THE REST OF THE STAGE - THE FILL:


Christmas trees - I used six, three on each side nestled with the lamp posts.  I used boxes and other things I had to stand the trees on to get the height variations. Then I hid the bases by covering them with black and green fabric that would blend into the set.

Park Bench - Borrowed. It was the perfect thing for this set. I am always grateful for those willing to share.

I am grateful for opportunities to use my creativity.

-Jill





Monday, November 11, 2013

For the Stage - Broadway Sign

CARDBOARD CREATIONS: THE BROADWAY SIGN


Finished size: 3'3" x 10'3"

The Broadway sign ended up being in the way of the lights when hung at the location shown in the photo below. It was relocated; hung in line with the scrim suspended above the skyline and opposite the moon. Looked great! (Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture after the sign had been moved.)


WHAT I DID:
This 3'3" x 10'3" piece of cardboard was made by taping three fairly good sized pieces of cardboard together with clear heavy duty packing tape. Duct tape sticks better, however, I didn't want the bulk of duct tape for this piece because I anticipated it being close to the audience and was concerned the tape might be seen in the reflection of the light. NOTE: When I painted the clear packing tape the moisture from the paint caused the tape to peel back a little. After the paint dried, I just carefully pressed it back down again and it seemed to work fine.

Front of Broadway sign painted.
Back not entirely painted
(Notice: left side curling,
right side straight - see tip below)
Back side of cardboard
now fully painted
(Notice: You don't have to
go to the very edge.)

TIPS:
-When painting on cardboard, you will need to paint BOTH sides to keep it from curling. (see "The Science Behind Curling Cardboard - The reason to paint both sides" at the end of this section of the post.)
-I most often use a brush when painting cardboard as a roller tends to get too wet and can deform the cardboard. 


Broadway sign with "lights"

The white circles were cut with a 2" circle punch out of regular printer/copier paper and attached using an adhesive strip roller.

Letters were penciled in using a straight edge where possible then painted freehand with small paintbrush. No need to erase errant pencil lines as they cannot be seen from a distance.

PROVIDING LIGHT WEIGHT STABILITY:
To provide stability to the lengthy cardboard sign while not adding a bunch of weight, I attached a PVC pipe (about 8 feet long) along the back from left to right strapping it down with duct tape. I did NOT use this for hanging, just for stability.

HANGING THE SIGN:

I used duct tape, staples and a key ring to create 3 fasteners to put on the back side of the sign. First, I tore a piece of duct tape about 4 inches long and folded it in 3rds lengthwise to create the strip you see the folded around the ring. (Duct tape is pretty tough stuff, especially when used in multiple layers.) Next, I folded the strip in half with the ring in it, held it in place on the back side of the sign and stapled it in place, stapling from both the front and the back to make it secure. The staples cannot be seen from a distance. Once stapled, I taped it on the back with a piece of duct tape as shown. I secured a fastener in each upper corner and one in the center for a total of three. I then used fishing line through the key rings in order to hang the sign. DONE!

CREATIVITY ABANDONED:  I thought it would be cool to create "light bulbs" and actually light up the sign. My thoughts went kind of like this: Use small baby food jars for the "light bulbs" by punching a hole to match the diameter of the jar opening through the cardboard in place of each white circle. The jar would then be inserted through the hole from front to back and the lid, with a hole punched through the center and a small white Christmas light inserted through the top, would then be screwed onto the jar from the backside of the cardboard, hopefully holding the jar in place. (not sure it would actually work since I didn't get to try it)  As I thought about all those jars it occurred to me that it might be necessary to reinforce the edges of the cardboard to handle the weight of the jars. My mind then went to building a 1" x 6" wood frame, drilling holes the size you would for a door knob or close to it to fit the jars, painting the frame black... This was where I had to put a halt to my thinking.  It was getting way to extensive for my short time frame and tiny budget, not to mention all the other problems the weight of the new design would create. So, I had to abandon my lighted sign idea and stick to white paper "light bulbs".


The Science Behind Curling Cardboard - The reason to paint both sides
...in case you wanted to know.

Two things:
Paper is made from wood and expands and contracts when exposed to moisture just like wood.
AND
Paint generally shrinks when it dries (at least the kind I use does).

The Explanation
When you paint a large portion of cardboard, that portion (the front) of cardboard shrinks when the paint dries. It also prevents the painted portion from being exposed to moisture in the air, allowing less expansion to take place. The unpainted portion of the cardboard (the back) remains the original size (not shrunken with paint), as well as remaining exposed to the moisture in the air allowing the cardboard to expand. This is why you may notice that a piece of cardboard painted only on one side might have more of a curl on a higher humidity day than on a drier day.
So, to keep the cardboard flat, you need to paint both sides, thus keeping both sides of the cardboard equal in size and equally exposed to humidity.  It's that simple.

-Jill

Friday, November 8, 2013

For the Stage - "DIY Scrim"

DIY Scrim

Photo by: Hykel Eiche  -  http://hykeleiche.com/
Used by permission
For this production of "Annie Get Your Gun", the scrim was intentionally hung with a loose look to give the appearance of the side of a very large tent as would be used by a traveling show. It was hung about three feet behind the curtain line and functioned as the back of the stage. The different set pieces to be flown were placed on the floor along the front of the scrim until they were needed.
Scrim in the "Night on Broadway" stage

In this Broadway set, the scrim was hung three feet from the back of the stage and up as high as I could get it.






WHAT I DID
This scrim is made from multiple painter's cloths sewn together. There is a rod casing at the top wide enough for a 2" diameter PVC pipe to be inserted. The stage I was working with when I made the scrim was wide enough that I needed two lengths of PVC and a coupler to span the distance. The pipes were attached to the coupler on either side with duct tape so they would hold yet could be easily disassembled (tape sliced) and stored.

Small notches were cut in the fabric along the casing so short pieces of clothesline rope could be strung through the notches and around the PVC pipe. They were then tied with a square knot and hung on hooks attached to the ceiling.    (CAUTION: Be sure the hooks are heavy duty enough to handle the weight and are screwed directly into the trusses in the ceiling.)
Close up of top of scrim

ROMAN SHADE FEATURE:  This scrim was designed to function like a giant Roman shade using clothesline rope and pulleys. Unfortunately, I do not have any detail photos of this feature.  I'll do my best to describe it.

Five strips of twill tape with little plastic rings sewn every 12 inches were installed on the back side of the scrim from top to bottom; one on each end, one in the center and one in the middle of each side of the scrim. (Yes, I actually hand sewed on ALL the little plastic rings. It wasn't in the budget to afford the pre-sewn stuff.) [NOTE: If hand sewing rings in place, you may want to consider using button thread. It is a little heavier duty and may hold up better than normal thread.]

There was also a rod casing in the bottom, same as in the top, but only five notches were needed, one for each strip of rings. Clothesline was then strung through the notches at the bottom, tied around the PVC pipe, run through the rings along the 5 strips up the back of the scrim, through pulleys attached to the ceiling, then tied off in the wings for easy access. We did three lines off to one side and two off to the other. It required two people working simultaneously to hoist. This allowed the scrim to be raised and lowered, functioning like a giant Roman shade. (CAUTION: Be sure the pulleys are large enough to handle the load and are attached directly into the trusses) 

Feel free to comment with any questions you may have.
-Jill

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

RECIPE - Spiced Oatmeal

Perfect for a cool fall or winter morning

Ingredients (serves 1):
1/2 cup quick oats
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
2-3 shakes ginger
2 shake of cloves
1 shake of nutmeg
1 shake salt



Directions:
1. Put all ingredients into a microwave safe bowl. (see Fig. 1)
2. Add 2/3 cup of water - less if you desire thicker oatmeal, more if you desire thinner oatmeal
3. Stir to mix well. (see Fig. 2)
4. Microwave for 2:20 – 2:30 seconds.
5. Carefully remove bowl from microwave to a hot pad. (see Fig. 3)
    [CAUTION: Bowl may be hot.]
6. Stir to mix oatmeal. (see Fig. 4)
7. Add milk if desired. (see Fig. 5) (I add milk then let the oatmeal sit for a few minutes to cool.)
8. Stir in milk if desired. (see Fig. 6)
8. Enjoy!

For added variety, try adding some raisins or your favorite dried fruit or nuts.


Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Tasty!

-Jill

Creative Housekeeping

Almost Identical Socks

Women's and Men's Nike Dri-Fit Socks
My socks and my hubby's socks are identical except for the size. (Mine are the smaller ones...just sayin'.) It became a problem when doing laundry (not my favorite chore in the first place) and trying to sort socks.

So, I decided to try to remedy the situation by attaching a bit of embroidery floss to the backs of my socks. I couldn't see that great guy I am married to being keen about the idea of having something extra attached to his socks - not that anyone would see it, but still. He is not a fancy socks kind of guy.

I chose blue because it was still dark enough it wouldn't stand out, yet it wasn't black so I could see it well enough when looking for it to match up the socks.


One with embroidery floss - One without
(So fancy!)


I just threaded the floss through the edge of the sock
with a sewing needle and tied it off with a square knot,
(left over right, right over left)
leaving a bit of a tail so it wouldn't come undone through
washing and wearing.

Tada!! It worked! Sock sorting is a cinch!

-Jill

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Sometimes I Just Want to Color

Sometimes I just feel like coloring. When I do, I mostly prefer colored pencils over crayons. You can do some cool things with crayons, but I still prefer pencils...they smell better too. :D
My son and I found a few coloring books with great pictures for ages 8 to adult at Costco. This is the one we bought; "Color Me 3" - Illustrated by P.J.C.Smart.


Here is the picture I colored.
(looks better in person)

Girl with Flowers and Butterflies

Highlights and Shadow

I enjoy trying to color things with lighting and shadow.  I'm not always accurate, but I'm learning. I tried to create a bit of highlight and shadow on the arms, making them appear more 3-D, by coloring the sides of the arm darker and leaving the center (the part that would naturally be in more light) lighter.

Using this same concept I added depth to the face, hair and jewelry.

Up close
The flesh color is darker in
places to give the impression of shadow:
under the lips- above the chin,
under the jaw - along the neck,
beneath the cheekbone,
along side the nose, etc.
Added depth to the hair by coloring
first with golden yellow, adding orange
highlights and finishing with brown,
tracing in the darker lines.
Added dimension to the necklace and
other gold jewelry by coloring
first in golden yellow then edging with
orange to create the look of shadow.

Blending Colors with Colored Pencil

When layering and blending colors with colored pencil, I begin with the lighter colors first and blend in with the darker colors. You can always go darker, but you can't go lighter. So, I start with a soft touch, then darken as needed for the desired affect.

Here are some samples of where I used blending.

I added darker lines of pink color extending out from the center of the petal like you might see on a real flower petal in an effort to give a touch of realness.




I created the multi toned look on the petal by first coloring most of the petal yellow...leaving the very edge white so I could get the full pink affect when I added the pink. After gently blending the pink in and darkening it up at the edges I added a few stronger lines within the gently blended color to give a real feel to the petal.


Create texture by adding darker lines within and along the grain-line of the leaf.  Here I tried creating the look of a Hosta leaf.

Have fun with your coloring project!

-Jill