NEWS 2020

 

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November 2020

RESIN CASTING - CREATING AN ART TOY

 

Matt 'Lunartik' Jones is a multi-media artist, painter, sculptor, illustrator, curator, teacher, sticker fanatic, toy designer and long term customer of ours.

Matt has just finished his second workshop guide Plastik Surgery Handbook - Level 2 showing you how to make a resin Art Toy using the 'Split Tooling' method.

 

The book takes you through the process:

concept drawing > sketch modelling > master modelling >silicone tooling > resin casting.

All clearly explained and wonderfully illustrated.

 

The book is available here: Plastik Surgery Handbook - Level 2

 

 

 

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October 2020

WORKING FROM HOME

 

Many creative arts students will be model making from home more than ever this year to supplement any workshop time they can get. We have provided various University courses with the tools and materials recommended by their workshop staff to complete their coursework.

A typical example is the Manchester School of Architecture who we provided the following items to each student: A3 cutting mat, safety rule, scalpel,  scalpel blade remover, engineers square, PVA glue, masking tape, greyboard, foamboard, balsa sheet and clear PVC sheet.

 

We have gathered the common items from various requests to make up a Working from Home 'bundle' for £23.

 

We also have 4D gift vouchers if you want someone to allow someone to pick individual items.

 

 

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September 2020

BUILD-A-TREE

 

We have a new website service from our Scenics Team BUILD-A-TREE where you can create your own model trees from our stock of armatures and texture colours.

 

The simple website tool allows you to choose your: 

• TRUNK TYPE (standard - narrow)*
• TRUNK COLOUR (brown - dark brown - white - fawn)
• TRUNK HEIGHT (6-200mm)
• FOLIAGE (46 colours see our Texture Gallery or download our Build-a-Tree PDF guide).

 

This puts 3,236 model tree options at your fingertips!

 

PLEASE NOTE: There is a one off set up charge added to each order of £13.60 inc VAT

Trees will typically be made within 3 working days of the order.

*Standard tree shape is a generic deciduous tree shape, narrow is tall & thin like a Lombardy Poplar

 

 

 

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July 2020

1:12 - 1:50 ETCHED PLANTS

 

Standard Etched Sheets are one of our oldest range of 4D products. They are scale detailing photo etched on a brass sheet. The range includes figures, fencing, railing, chairs and plants.

We asked Alison, from our talented Scenics Team, to make up our 1:12-1:50 etched plants sheet. This is how she went about it.

• First the brass fret was carefully removed from the plastic packaging taking care not to touch the flat surface. The brass is sensitive to contaminants & may tarnish with fingerprints. It is best practice to use gloves, but holding by the edges is also fine.
• Next, Alison primed the brass with Grey Hycote primer to give a good base for the colour to adhere to. She sprayed in a well ventilated area after a good shake of the can from a distance of 20cm using short, light ‘dusting’ spray passes. After 15 minutes she applied a second ‘all over’ coat.
• Once the primer was fully dry, about 15 minutes, Alison removed the plants from the sprue using Photo Etch Scissors. She then started to apply the background colour ‘base coats’ using a range of green and red acrylic spray, namely Fern Green, PJay Green, Leaf Green plus she used Garnet & Amaranth Red from her own collection.
• Once dry, Alison started adding detail and character effects using varied shades of brush on acrylic paint to give shading effects to emphasise stem areas. A light spray from distance can give a speckled effect.
• Alison then used Fast Tack glue, a fast drying PVA, to create raised veins on the leaves.
• Lastly, she gently bent the plants into shape. Some touching up may be necessary if any flaking occurs.
• Use a PVA glue to adhere the plants to your model.

 

 

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June 2020

OTOKRAT

 

This film is a graduation project by Emine Oktay from the excellent University of Arts London (UAL) Production Arts for Screen [Technical Arts] course.

We supplied with various animation products for her film ‘OTOKRAT’ (meaning autocrat in Turkish) including the Anibild Two Intermediate Armature Kits required to make the puppets in the film.

Emine explains how she used the kits:

'While the half-sized characters need to remain static and the ‘birth mother’ needs to be bolted down for filming logistics, the other two need to be as flexible and accurate in movement as possible'.

This is why 4D Modelshop kindly provided me with their Anibild Two Intermediate Kits. Ball and socket armatures are industry standard, allowing for durability and precision while filming, so I was really excited to give them a go.

Although the kits arrive with standard human proportions, it only took a few modifications and making of new parts to alter them into my own design. Once modified and glued together with the thread locker glue, I could then start the build-up method of puppet making. Sculpting snip foam and attaching them to the armature with Impact adhesive, to then sew two layers of both felt and tulle.

The construction of all of these puppets took roughly 6 weeks and they are now ready for filming.'

Materials: Metal wire, Snip Foam, Black Felt, Transparent Tulle, Clear Resin.
Glues: Impact adhesive, Pacer Red Z-71 Thread Locker.
Armatures: Anibild Two Intermediate Kit.

Watch OTOKRAT

 

 

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March 2020

CONTROLLED ETCHING

 

Iain and his team in our Photo Etching Workshop have developed a way of controlling the depth of etching. This means we can achieve a much higher definition even on the thicker gauges of metal, where over etching is an intrinsic problem.

We took the same artwork and made 2 etchings in 0.9mm brass. The brass has to pass through the etching machine enough times to etch through the lattice areas. In traditional etching, the half etch areas start etching sideways with all the extra passed needed.

You can see the 'blurring' of the text in the first three images.

The next 3 images show how Iain has prevented further etching in the half etch areas, preserving the definition of the letters.

This level of definition was only achievable on the thinnest of metals before.

Iain & his team can also produce etchings without the need for tabbing, this is especially useful for small and intricate parts.

 

 

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February 2020

REASONS TOP VISIT OUR SHOP

 

With the trend to shop exclusively online, we'd like to make the case for taking the time to visit our East London store.

Our staff, carefully selected for their knowledge, are on-hand to offer advice. They can present the different options available to help you with your project.

You can handle & compare products, as well as discover materials you never knew existed.

If you are after model trees, all are unique, so you can select & see how different species look together.

Around the shop you'll find product displays, modelmaking guides & information downloads, model displays including our staff created 'Make a Scene' mini dioramas.

We have a noticeboard where you can find jobs, events & even put up your business card.

Lastly, you recieve a friendly, personal service.

... so, it you can make it down to our shop, we're sure you'll find the experience beneficial in many ways!

 

 

 

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