Longboard Final Review

Long board Final Review

Process

After practicing my design, and analyzing it at several angles I finally came to the conclusion of choosing this design as my finished product. The way I constructed this design was by first cutting out the outline of the owl. After that I made a cut out of the lines that I would later want to be black on the owl to emphasize the movement and feathers on the owl. It took 4 pieces of small acetate paper, and 1 large piece of acetate paper to completely finish the cut outs of my owl. The equipment used were small exact o knives that were easily handled in small spaces. After all the stenciling had been done I decided to start my first practice design, using the somewhat natural colours of a real owl. I proceeded to redo my owl with a different colour palette every time, and had amazing discoveries. I would start by placing the colours and value of the owl in the large cut out, then use the small cutouts to create the black lines. Once i had finished my 3 designs of the owl I decided to choose the blue one. I then painted the owl onto my actual board with ease knowing that I've painted it several times.

Changes

My final design was a lot different from what I intended my design to actually look like on the board. In my head I saw myself using the natural colours on my board, but after doing my second design and experimenting with some outrageous colours I came across the perfect design. I decided to bring in the red eyes from design one into design 2 because i liked the look of red eyes on the owl. Overall it was nothing like what I expected ,but it was a good surprise rather than a sad one. Colour was the major influence of my decisions when choosing a design.

Elements and Principles of Design

The principle of design that i struggled with the most during this design process was balance. It was very hard to fit the owl in the small narrow space and it required a lot of shifting of the acetate paper. The element of design that was a hassle to deal with was space. I left a bit of wood, but at some times it felt like it was a bad choice. Then after a few minutes I would look at my board again and think it was a good choice, it was a hard one to deal with, but in the end I got used to it and decided to leave some empty space. Colour obviously played a big role in my design, and so did value. I wanted to focus on those 2 the most because it captures my eyes when I see designs that are rich in colour. The black lines I placed personally created some movement in the piece. It made the design feel like it wasn't just taped to the board but rather be shifting a bit.

Equipment

Equipment used during this design process made things at times strenuous, but the stress subsided after a while. It just took a lot of practice to get used to the equipment . Using stencils to design the owl made the lines very sharp, but curvy at some parts if not done right. The sponge created a large surface area of paint and to get into the small areas it required patience and focus. The materials used to do this design job took a while, but in the end they produced positive results and I am happy to learn new ways to create art.

Conclusion

In conclusion I enjoyed this unit and I enjoyed the change of ideas from my original design. I appreciated learning the new ways of painting, and the chance to maybe ride my own board that I made myself one day. This is arguably one of my most favourite art units of all time and I wish I could do it again.

Longboard Design 3

Longboard Design 2

Longboard Design 1

My Hero Movie Link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvJpDw0IXOA

Longboard Construction

Steps

1. -Gluing-

To start our unit we were given 7 sheets of wooden panels that would in the end be our board. We glued the 7 wooden layers together and nailed the board into a thick Styrofoam replica of a long board. After that we placed them in an air tight sealed bag. From there we pumped the air out until there was no air inside the bag and the layers were compressed together. While doing this we were given the option to place the board on two stacks of books one stack on each end to create a curve in the board.

2.- Carving-

After the glue dried we returned to our boards. We started by carving the edges of the board to even out the wood levels of the sides of the boards. Also by carving

the edges of our board we were able to start what was supposedly going to be the curve on the sides.

3. -Sanding-

After the edges were carved we went on to sanding the bottom and the edges with a 60 grain piece of sandpaper. As we did this the edges started to form the curve and the bottom became s

moother, this was because we were evening the grain all around the board. Once we were able to get the board the smoothest it could be with a certain grain we advanced to the next level until we reached the limit of 400. The grain levels we had to work with were 60, 80, 100, 120, 200, 220, and 400.

Elements and Principles of Design Used

1. Shape -

This was an important element of design because our class wanted to keep the long board shape while smoothening and carving the edges of the board. Hardcore sanding for many days would cause the shape to be altered greatly.

2.-Direction-

Direction played a key role in our project because if we were to carve or sand against the grain usually there would be scratches, and chips made in the board. Therefore we had to follow the direction of the grain and stroke it a certain way prevent any damage done to the board. This was difficult because maintaining the proper stroke for many hours of sanding is difficult and can sometimes get frustrating.

3.- Texture-

This was maybe one of the biggest elements of designs that we had to co

nsider and achieve because the longest part of the project was actually the sanding. Staying at the 60 and 80 grain the longest really helped when we got to 400, which made the board feel like glass. The texture from before and after the sanding has an incredible difference and it played a big role in this project.

4. - Balance-

This principle of design was one that was difficult for me , but in the end it was still achieved. The carving of the board had to be consistent with both sides our else the board would seem a bit warped alternating its shape. making sure i was balancing the amount of sanding and carving on both sides of the board was nerve wracking , but in the end i believe i was successful with the process.

Tips, Pros, and Cons

1. -Tips-

Some tips that i discovered while sanding was to always follow the grain to prevent damage or scratches to the board. Also personally i found that if i was to stroke the board with sandpaper without putting to much pressure the surface would get smoother a lot faster and it would not wear out the board as fast. To me this was a benefit because i felt i was almost sanding through the board in the end and reducing pressure made it better.

2. -Pros-

Some pros about this concept of sanding and carving was that we had a lot of freedom in creating the actual shape of the board. Also it was our personal choice when moving on to the next level of sandpaper. The satisfaction in the end also is a benefit in doing this project.

3.- Cons-

Some cons about this project was the countless hours of sanding that can make one's arm tired, and cause cramps. The dust in the air can affect one's breathing. Also there was really no way in counting how many strokes we did on each side so the board may have been unbalanced sometimes.

Personal Reflection

In the end of this carving and sanding unit I can say that i did achieve a smooth surface. I was not expecting such a smooth feeling from wood, on something that was hand made. In the end I pulled it off and I am happy to have succeeded, but I wish i had spent a little more time on the carving because I personally do not feel my edges are curved enough. Overall i think it was a great start to the long board unit.

Compression Air Tight Bag

Glue

Carving

Sanding

My Hero Poster