Casting in Bronze from a hand drawing!
This is an amazing process that Fine Arts instructor Devon Knowles has her students doing this semester.
It all starts with a hand drawing, that is scanned on the Langara photocopiers, imported into Adobe Illustrator and traced.
The next step is to prepare the file for the Makerspace Trotec Laser. The lines are the cut out of plywood on the Trotec. The wood pieces are then glued together to form the postive for the sand casting mold. The pieces are then used to make the sand cast and then poured with bronze.
Thank you to Priscila Chermont Daiha Moreira Souza for letting us use and publish her images of the process.
Here is the basic description:
Student’s will produce a multiple of site-specific sculptures that will be distributed in the public realm. These sculptures must be able to be carried on the body and will be no bigger than 4 inches in diameter and no smaller than 2 inches in diameter. Your intended audience and how these works are circulated are integral to the concept. A list of instructions, written, verbal, etc. outlining the circulation is required. Documentation of the work is also required (photo, video, audio and/or written).
This project was evaluated in 2 stages.
This is the steps of the process:
– Hand drawings
– Watching Maker Space tutorial
– Scanning the drawings
– Vectorizing the drawing/scan in Illustrator for the Trotec
– Trotec laser cutting in 1/8 door skin and 1/4″ and/or 1/2″ plywood
– laminating the wood components together
– Assessing and preparing object for greensand casting
– Making a green sand mold
– Pouring bronze
– Chasing and finishing bronzes
– Distribution of artwork.
