|
Silver Member Username: WestcottLeague City, Texas Post Number: 287 Registered: Oct-05 | http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2178551480080308535TVLxJQ http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2460643210080308535XyWatW http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2631230970080308535wYtnoW The painting is made up of four separate frames. Each frame is made from 3/4" x 3" MDF bisquited together for stiffness, plumness, and lack of warping associated with wood. Then canvas was stretched over the four frames using a stretcher from your local art supply. You can buy prestretched frames, but at this size, none were available. The canvas needs to be primed. Three coats were required. I painted small sample patterns on poster board and cut them out to determine orientation and final order of placement. The colors were chosen by my wife and I to add a splash of color and still coordinate with the existing colors in the room. I used acrylics and if you look close, the black lines include texture media to give it a more 3 dimensional look. The screens were hinged together using piano hinges. Magnets were installed on the inside edges to secure the painting to the hinges when open. When the painting is closed, small hooks attached to the bottom of the frames hook around some brass pins I put in the projection screen frame (drilled a hole and slid them in). I had some laying around from another project and bought them at a hobby\RC shop. This holds the painting frames firmly against the screen when closed. The outer hinges are secured to some 2x4s that were cut down to a height just proud of the projection screen thickness. I used wood because MDF does not perform well with screws constantly being removed and tightened again. The only way to get to the four main heavy duty screws that attach the wood strip to the wall is to remove the 25 small brass screws attaching the frames to the wood. This took several attempts since the weight of the frames do produce some sag. Four holes were countersunk into each wood strip and 100# wall anchors were used to secure them. I learned that their is art in itself to stretching canvas and it took me more than one attempt before I got the hang of it. Wrinkles become very obvious with 40 square feet of canvas on the wall. The MDF really held its shape to all the stress loading from stretching and made for crisp lines where the panels meet. It makes it look like one large painting instead of four separate panels. I thought about using some left over Owens Corning rigid fiberglass panels from the floor isolation behind the painting but some research seems to point to the air space between the screen, the wall, and the canvas create a very effective energy absorber, all by itself. BONUS acoustic panel! I may try it with both when I have more time to test with an SPL meter. Cost: $200 MDF = had some left over from another project. I guess about $20 Canvas roll = $35 Paint, Primer, texture media, masking tape, stretching pliers = $100 4 Hinges = $50 Time and satisfaction = Priceless! |
|
Silver Member Username: HuronPost Number: 139 Registered: Mar-07 | Very cool westcott, Im a sudent of art, I paint Acrylic on Canvas, and everybody looks at me weird when I tell them untill they see my paintings, I like yours very much. If the canvas gets stretched and gets loose in a small spot you can gently apply water to the back of the canvas and then use a small fan (no heat) and when it drys it will tighten up |
|
Silver Member Username: WestcottLeague City, Texas Post Number: 288 Registered: Oct-05 | Thanks for the tip. I have far more appreciation for artist now and how much work goes into a painting, especially one of this size. I also now understand why it costs so much. |
|
Silver Member Username: HuronPost Number: 140 Registered: Mar-07 | GOLDEN acrylics are the best, and a 2oz tube of cadmium red cost $12.00, brushes get insanely expensive if you want the real ones. I hope the braces and hinges dont give you a problem, Im thinking maybe steel braces might be more stable |