I carved a dinosaur head from styrofoam for our styrofoam carving project. After this I covered the dinosaur in plaster then sanded it down as thin as I could get it, I did this step about 15 to 20 times. My goal here was to make the dinosaur as smooth and even as possible while still keeping it as light weight as possible. After I finished with the plaster I dusted the dinosaur off and sprayed him with a clear coat before I finally used acrylic paint to paint him.

Our assignment was to make a weapon. I chose a sword from the game World of Warcraft. The blade is a cardboard skeleton with plaster on top, then painted silver and green. The base of the blade is styro foam covered in plaster then painted silver. The handle is PVC pipe covered in colored leather. Finally, the base of the handle is all plaster then painted silver.

Apple Pie

The assignment was to make an apple pie with a removable piece. I used flour, glue, and water for the "dough" then cut it into strips. I made the apples from pieces of foam which I painted.

Chair Reupholstery with Faux Red Leather

Part of our class was to help work on the production of "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie.  It was done in an Art Deco style and the scenic designer asked if we could turn two cheap round-back "tub chair" black chairs into something like this:

I purchased some cheap red vinyl,  some black trim (both a rope kind and flat kind), and some brass tacs and we went to work.  We used both a hand held staple gun and a pneumatic staple gun, but we ran into problems getting staples into the chair in areas where there was nothing for the staples to grip.  We ended up having to use a combination of staples and hot glue to get the fabric to hold.  In areas where the staples showed we strategically placed the black trim.  We also found the fabric to be extremely problematic because it was easily scratched and the staplers liked to shoot holes right through it.  We made wood panels to go on the end of the arms and screwed them on.  Then we nailed the tacs around the wood for decorative purposes.  It took longer than expected because of the problems we ran into, but they were ready in time for the show.  I like to say, "From far away they look pretty good."  The director, however, thought they were great and said that an audience member commented on them and even after seeing them up close said she would put them in her house.  I wouldn't go that far personally, but if the director is happy then I am happy.

Here is a process shot:

 Here is the finished product:

Welcome Prop Masters

Welcome Students,
Please start posting your assignments in any order you desire.  To begin a post, click the "New Post" icon at the top right corner of the screen.  Then begin adding text and photos.  To add photos click on the "insert image" icon that looks like a small photo in the icon bar.  It will give you the option to upload photos from your computer or you may choose the option of uploading from the Picassa Web Album where I have already uploaded all of my class photos.  Please just stick with the given font style and color that is already given.  Please pay attention to your grammar and spelling and try to give as thorough a description of your process as possible.  Show your research images and tell the materials you used.  If you have any trouble, please let me know.  Happy Blogging.