Coming to you yet again for advice!

[delle]

Yep, I'm back with another question, which of course (because it's ME and that's what I DO) will necessitate a wee (read mindnumbingly long) story with pictures:

About two days before I found out I was going to Burning Man, I got a call from a friend of mine for whom I’d made a couple of lawn ornaments about a dozen years prior.

Apparently I was PARICULARLY well seated with the universe that week, because I’d just been sitting there, thinking it would be cool to have something artistic to work on to boost my morale when he called out of the blue saying that the originals had pretty much rotted and he was wondering if I’d be interested in donating my time to making some more. (I gave him a resounding, blown away YES)

This guy is awesome.

His property abuts the regional bicycle path here, and at the time I’d made them, he just wanted them as a way of getting people to notice an area he’d set up as a chill zone for cyclists – two soldiers to herald folk in.

He had had a general idea what he wanted. Mentioned it to me, and I (naively, never having done anything like it before and having no experience with painting whatsoever) had said I thought I could come up with a plan to make it happen. I ended up just painting a couple of 4' logs.

Simple, yes. But surprisingly popular!!!!

Anywhoo he called me today to say he’s poured two concrete posts of the same dimensions as the originals which he’s already primed white for me.

And so….. I figured I’d make a pattern of the one survivor in order to aid in the transfer of the guys – since this time I can’t just line them up side-by-side on my diningroom table (given they’re already firmly planted where they’ll live).

Finally, here’s my question: I have the pattern all transferred to a thick clear plastic sheet. I now need your advice on how best to get this information onto the posts.

My thoughts so far have been:

1. Try using a sewing-transfer wheel over the main lines, which would hopefully poke little holes into the thick white paint already on the posts to give me just the basic outline; or, in the interest of not totally destroying the pattern in two passes

2. Same principle as above, but use an awl to poke the main reference points out; or

3. Use some completely different idea, which escapes me as yet (and am hence kinda fishing for here……)

Any ideas????

Pics of them in (barely) better days

[Elderberry]

No clue really, except that carbon paper popped into mind to be used with the sewing transfer wheel. Thought this because I didn't think the wheel would leave marks in painted concrete, but the carbon paper probably would. (do they even make carbon paper anymore?)

[delle]

I'd thought of carbon paper - and actually have a box of it. But it wouldn't be ideal for 2 reasons:

1. I'd need to tape together an enormous sheet-worth of them (being 8.5"x11); and
2. They're messy, and would sully the pristine white already painted on.

Given they're already painted with a rather THICK and seemingly rubbery surface, I thought that it would be possible to poke an image in there.

(really hoping he did his homework on the paints.... he's applied an oilbased basecoat and supplied coloured tremclad for the rest. I don't know what adheres best to cement, so don't really know if he did the right thing.)

[delle]

...tho now I'm thinking that a sewing store would have much larger sheets of transferpaper for dressmaking.... and those are NOT messy. Having been conceived for use with the wheel anyhow.... hmmmmmmmmmmm.

[FIGJAM]

Not sure I understand, but here goes.

If you have the patern already pre punched, set the patern against the pole and daub it with line chaulk.

This will put the patern of holes on the pole to guide the painting.

[delle]

Oooooh. Ooooh. Yes!!!

What your saying is go over the whole pattern with the wheel prior to positionning it then daub over the lines with the chalk?

Brilliant!

FYG!!!

[FIGJAM]

Yes!

We used to have couch patterns for the upolstery with all these holes.

Lay the pattern on a stack of fabric, then powder the pattern, and cut out 25 couches.

[delle]

Very cool! Thank you!!!!


I am unfortunately blessed and cursed with never having much more than 80% of any given idea, and find that I need to bounce my thoughts off folks to get the rest....

Cursed because I'm pretty useless left only to my own devices, but Blessed because I do so love to see where people go with stuff....

[theCryptofishist]

Very cool! Thank you!!!!


I am unfortunately blessed and cursed with never having much more than 80% of any given idea, and find that I need to bounce my thoughts off folks to get the rest....

Cursed because I'm pretty useless left only to my own devices, but Blessed because I do so love to see where people go with stuff....

Ah, high on the "perceiving" scale, huh?

[moonrise]

sign painters use a daubing charcoal in a little cloth bag; it leaves a faint dot pattern that doesn't mess the paint up when you brush it on.

[Drawingablank]

Not sure I understand, but here goes.

If you have the patern already pre punched, set the patern against the pole and daub it with line chaulk.

This will put the patern of holes on the pole to guide the painting.

Back when I used to make lots of lawn ornaments this was my preferred way to transfer stuff. A sharp pounce wheel traced the pattern then blue chalk line chalk in a pad or sock tapped over it. There is a Youtube video of a similar process at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYskYm8JrzE

[accordionMan]

I know that I'm coming in late on this but what I've done in the past is draw the image actual size on sturdy paper.

Flip the paper over and tape it to a large window or glass double doors and trace your art on that reverse side with a thick piece of artists charcoal.

Then tape the art, charcoal side down, onto the post and rub over your art lines. This will transfer your image onto the post.

Did this last year when I did a mural around center camp ( A giant devil's head) and will be doing it again this year with my Zombie art.

It's a great trick I learned in art school.

[delle]

What a sweet idea, Mr. Musical Slinky. I'm so glad you fought thru the thought that it might be too late and posted it anyhow, since I've finally decided not to even attempt tackling this until I return from TTITD.

Having already drawn it out flat, I'm half way there.

Although I have a hunch that by the time I return I'm going to find the original design completely boring, and the new one is going to be something WAY different!!!!

[Elorrum]

here's an answer. sort of. We did similar things with round garbage barrels. take the pattern, and get a scriber wheel, don't they use these for patterns still? spiky wheel that cuts tiny slots in the paper on all the lines you need to transfer over.

put the holey pattern around the post... the post being white would be very best.

Get some charcoal powder in a little gauze bag... pat it all over the lines on your pattern. This should transfer the lines well enough to use them for painting.

and where do you get these things? I have no idea... might start at an art supply store?

[Patsh]

Delle,

Now that you're back, and assuming this project is still in the works,
will we get to see pictures of the finished pieces??

[MyDearFriend]

What a sweet idea, Mr. Musical Slinky. I'm so glad you fought thru the thought that it might be too late and posted it anyhow, since I've finally decided not to even attempt tackling this until I return from TTITD.

Having already drawn it out flat, I'm half way there.

Although I have a hunch that by the time I return I'm going to find the original design completely boring, and the new one is going to be something WAY different!!!!

Bwahahahahahaha, I had the same thought about a David Hockney installation this evening! After Burning Man it was

booooooooooooooring............