Ideas on how to create an art piece dome cover

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vflytrap
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Joined: Thu Sep 23, 2010 12:17 pm

Ideas on how to create an art piece dome cover

Post by vflytrap » Wed Aug 24, 2011 3:58 pm

Hello!

My friends and I have a fabulously large dome that we have a big ol' sun resistant tarp to cover during the harsh playa weather.
We want to create a new cover for our dome, and we want it to resemble the planet Jupiter... maybe a sort of flaming red-version of the planet.

The thing is, I'm having a hard time figuring out HOW to make this dome cover. I thought I'd hit up people here on eplaya for some artistic ideas.
Here's what I am thinking/considering:

1. The method of dome cover - we have a couple options:
a) Having a dome cover that is 3-4 pieces - a sort of cap, and 2-3 big long stripes that wrap around so we can still pull up the edges on the bottom for entrances/ventilation. or b) A somewhat fitted, all one piece, slides over the top (and bolts and sharp metal edges)
But all that is related to how we attach it to the frame - what are we attaching it with?

2. What kind of fabric to use? Is it something we have to paint? It needs to be a bit strong, because the dome is rugged and could tear something light and delicate up. Where do I find this stuff?! But it also depends on how we light it up...

3. Lighting - we want this to look like the planet Jupiter is rising out of the horizon... Glowing at night, and still lovely colored during the day... We've considered lighting it from the inside (we currently have a cluster of lights that hang from the ceiling, but I am not sure that a single source from the inside will give it the full planet glow that we're going for). Do we find something perfect that is blacklight reactive? Do we hang blacklights around it? Do we light the frame? If the fabric has to light up from within, it needs to be even thinner (and how bright does the inside have to be?! Too bright for night-time chillin on a snuggle pad inside?).

This is our first somewhat large scale project and while we have the vision, we have NO idea the best way to go about it - so I thought we should tap the greater hive mind of all the artists and innovators on eplaya for any brainstorming ideas and possible solutions to our vision... I know there's a lot of questions, but if there's something that immediately jumps out at you - feel free to throw your 2 cents in... :) Thank YOU!

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theCryptofishist
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Re: Ideas on how to create an art piece dome cover

Post by theCryptofishist » Thu Aug 25, 2011 10:02 am

Don't forget the Great Red Spot. (Not to be confused with Clifford the Big Red Dog, or Spot, the Big Red Dog.)
I suggest a diffused lighting source as well--lots of led xmas lights? If you could get them in warm colors that would be nice. You could make the colors for the dome like that and just have one canvas or shade cloth type cover, rather than the multiple different ones.

Very much just tossing otu my ideas, and I don't have technical experience for actual advice.
The Lady with a Lamprey

"The powerful are exploiting people, art and ideas, and this leads to us plebes debating how to best ration ice.
Man, no wonder they always win....." Lonesomebri

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euthlogo
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Re: Ideas on how to create an art piece dome cover

Post by euthlogo » Thu Aug 25, 2011 10:17 am



I would attempt to do something like this but on a larger scale. Get a large piece of Cloth and Apply multiple coats of spray paint sprayed from a distance. The organic spread of the paint from the aerosol has a really great galactic dust effect, especially if guided with taped off sections or other stencil like effects. If you put a bright light inside the planet will seem to glow from the inside. Great idea! I hope to see it someday =)

-tim
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vflytrap
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Re: Ideas on how to create an art piece dome cover

Post by vflytrap » Thu Aug 25, 2011 11:07 am

I do like the spray paint effect - thanks for the input...
I'll hafta look into what kind of fabric would work with spraypaint and light...
Any other takers/ideas?

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