Thread: Starting on 3D Wall Panels

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Been busy with planning what we'll be doing this year with the 3D ChromaDepth panels and finally started the painting. It's being filmed so look for video tutorials in about a month. Thought some people may like to see it in progress:



Here's the storyboards of the two rooms changing this year (out of five). One room is toxic spill with robot-zombies and the other is attacking robot-snakes. The theme this year was inspired by the movie Terminator: Salvation. I've changed up the terminators to be robot-zombies. Luckily, found a Terminator comic book that had lots of artistic ideas. Plus, the way comics are drawn is perfect for the ChromaDepth style. They have lots of action and they are bordered in black. So, pulled out Photoshop & tablet and went to town taking bits of the art and mashing it around and creating some more until I got the rooms I was looking for. Then, worked up a ChromaDepth color scheme that really makes them pop. In the picture above you see the .jpgs printed out along with B&W version. This is getting ready to now transfer the small 8" x 5" pictures to become 8' x 5'!




This is how it's done:



Hubby borrowed the projector from work and I'm projecting the image onto a wall panel about 20' away:















Here, starting to paint the gesso onto the panel. You need to block out the image with white gesso for a couple of reasons: First, I'm using landscape fabric and it likes to let liquids flow through. Need to stop that so you have to paint on gesso first (several coats). Then that leads to the second reason. Fluorescent paint really pops on a white background. You also save money so your expensive fluorescent paint isn't being absorbed into the fabric.







This gives you a good idea on how helpful it is to project the image. You just paint any light that's on the canvas.










Here's two panels with their first coat of gesso on it.










Here's that robot-snake picture.


Today, I'll be painting the second and third coats of gesso. Then... the fun begins! Pull out the fluorescents

Wow, Terra this is gonna be sweet. Can't wait to see more!

This is going to be a great how-to. Can't wait to see the finished product as well!!!!

Ooo ooo Terra!! I am saving my 3-D glasses from Avatar just to watch your tutorial when it is done!!

What a master plan!! And - as always - way to inspire us all! BOO!

Terra, don't know if this has been asked before or not, but "what do you do for a living?" You have so much talent girl. I love your storyboards and the large panels. BTW I've never seen anyone with such detailed preliminary artwork. I realize for what you are doing it's necessary and the best way to approach it, but man are you detail oriented. Everything looks amazing BTW and I'll be tuned in watching your progress. Thanks again for sharing your work progress. I can't wait to show my husband this thread later tonight. I hope the kids in your neighborhood realize how lucky they are to be living and ToTing where they do.

I just pulled out the airbrush and started playing with fluorescent paint the other day. I just want to do a UV clown room, or atleast at the moment my ever changing plans calls for one. I would of never thought of using white behind the fluorescent paint, but it makes alot of sense.

Wow! That is going to be cool!

Maybe this is obvious to some who build panels, which I've never done--yet, but could you explain how you built your frames so that they are structurally sound. I'm assuming you stapled or stretched the landscaping fabric over the sides of the frame much like a canvas print? Love to see a pic of the back side of one of the panels and would love to have you share any tips on this stage of the work. Thanks.

Chromadepth rocks! I stumbled on it at a Christmas Display. Found the classes online by the case and used them for another project. It went over great. Your skill far surpasses mine, so I know yours will be awesome!

What a great surprise to see all the responses to my thread. Thanks so much everyone

Originally Posted by HallowSusieBoo

Ooo ooo Terra!! I am saving my 3-D glasses from Avatar just to watch your tutorial when it is done!!

What a master plan!! And - as always - way to inspire us all! BOO!

Boo back Unfortunatly, the Avatar glasses won't work with this illusion. You need ChromaDepth glasses for this. ChromaDepth glasses are different from the movie 3D glasses because it uses colors to achieve the 3D. Red objects looks like it's hovering 2 feet from the panel and blue objects appear to be 2 feet behind the panel. So you get the illusion of four feet in depth. This whole thing is perfect for the saturated colors that you get when you use black lights and fluorescent paint.

Now, if you want to get a quick pair of ChromaDepth glasses, go pick up a pair of the glasses you get with Crayola 3D art kits. They use the same technology. Here's a link: http://www.crayola.com/products/spla...or/3dchalk.cfm

Originally Posted by Ghost of Spookie

Terra, don't know if this has been asked before or not, but "what do you do for a living?" You have so much talent girl. I love your storyboards and the large panels. BTW I've never seen anyone with such detailed preliminary artwork. I realize for what you are doing it's necessary and the best way to approach it, but man are you detail oriented. Everything looks amazing BTW and I'll be tuned in watching your progress. Thanks again for sharing your work progress. I can't wait to show my husband this thread later tonight. I hope the kids in your neighborhood realize how lucky they are to be living and ToTing where they do.

Hehe. Thanks, I learned from last year that I need to make better preliminary plans because it's much harder to change things on an 8' panel vs a .jpg in Photoshop

Originally Posted by Ghost of Spookie

Maybe this is obvious to some who build panels, which I've never done--yet, but could you explain how you built your frames so that they are structurally sound. I'm assuming you stapled or stretched the landscaping fabric over the sides of the frame much like a canvas print? Love to see a pic of the back side of one of the panels and would love to have you share any tips on this stage of the work. Thanks.

I use furring (1"x 2") strips all along the fabric panel. Two 8' ones (vertical) and three 5' ones (horizontally). They are all screwed into each other using wood screws. I then attach the fabric using Velcro (nine 1" pieces) that I help support with staples. That way, I can remove the panels and flip over and repaint or replace all-together. All I have to do is remove the staples. To hang, I take some string and hoop it around the top furring strip at both ends. That's what you see hanging off the end of the panel when the wall is laying on my workbench.