What? What is all this?
Ethan is casting a rock. Why is Ethan casting a rock? Any guesses? 😉
In other news, a new sword passes the reading test! As if we had any doubts that it would. Heehee!
Month: May 2016
What’s on Ethan’s Table This Week?
A new design? Yes it is! Does it look familiar? Hopefully it does! It’s based on Isabelle’s two-hander from The Mortal Instruments movie. It’s currently sitting at a 180 grit polish and should be finished either by the end of this week, or early next week. Woohoo!
That’s all for now. Stay tuned for more goodies from the Studio. Got lots of back-to-back orders in the queue for you to see as I bring them from the drawing board to glowing, angelic life.
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The Wolf Sword
Sorry I’ve been quiet lately! I’ve been a bit busy. I’d like to take a moment to share with you the sword I shipped out this week. It was an absolute joy to work on and let me put my skills to the test.
The pommel and crossguard are made from a polymer clay called Premo Sculpy.
This clay is sculpted, baked in the oven, and affixed to the sword with a combination of contact cement and matte Modge Podge. Then, it gets sanded, carved with the Dremel tool, sanded again, and finally, painted.
The Shadowhunter who requested this blade asked that it be made to look old, as though it had been handed down in a family line. To achieve this effect, I gave the paint on the wolf portions a tarnished look with dry-brushing.
The leather began as a simple dark brown: a perfect base colour to build upon. I painted it with scarlet leather paint and then added some darker colours where the grip meets the pommel and crossguard. This gives the impression that dirt and grime over the years has become packed in that seam where it is difficult to clean properly.
I then took a lighter rusty colour and added some “stains” where the acidic adrenaline-saturated sweat from previous Shadowhunters’ hands would affect the dye of the leather, bleaching it little by little over the years.
The Shadowhunter requested a frosted blade both for the shorter crafting time and the brightness of the finished product. I think her choice was spot-on for this blade.
I loved working on this and I very much hope that the Shadowhunter who ordered it enjoys it for many years.
Two of the things I learned from the creation of this sword: using a smaller LED allows me to make a more slender handle and is just as bright as the large LEDs.
The other thing was that the snaps I had were nice and robust with no danger of coming off the leather the way the Velcro tends to do … but they’re a little bulky. So I bought smaller snaps that will hopefully lie flatter against the grip.
Thank you very much to this Shadowhunter for the commission, for her patience, and her excellent feedback.
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What’s On Ethan’s Table This Week?
Yes, I know it’s Wednesday. I’ve been busy sculpting this beauty. I’ve always loved wolves and I’m absolutely stoked by this project! This week is devoted to the final stages of polishing and painting the polymer clay and leather. What colour will it be? You’ll have to wait and find out!
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What’s on Ethan’s Table This Week?
Once again, I tease you with the mystery project! Hmm, what do we know so far? It has nothing to do with Shadowhunters and it’s a science fiction weapon. It’s bright and shiny, crystal clear, and has designs on the blade.
What else am I doing this week? I can’t be engraving ALL week.
A sneak preview of things to come. WHAT? Ethan can sculpt? Yes. Yes I can. Give you any ideas? Hmmmm? Hehe. Well that’s all from me for now. Time to get back in the Studio.
Hey This IS My Job 