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TORT making attempt

graphics1988

graphics1988

Supporting Member
Oct 26, 2014
1,520
3,589
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Ontario Canada
#1
ok - so...i seem to be at a loss for finding 'nice' tort.
With a couple hours of research, plus with some 30yrs of graphics knowledge (think 'old school' hand painting back pre 1985)...i may attempt to make some tort blanks. Not sure i can vest the time in the shapes etc.,but i may do some various techniques and see where that takes me.
ANY trial and error or info from others who have ventured down this rabbit hole, would be welcomed.
Maybe with a culmination of ideas/ R&D, we can create something damn fine...without a $300 price tag per. (the only company that is creating them currently)

thanks guys :)
 
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#2
Your biggest issue when dealing with what amounts to 'painting technique' is that the real stuff has dimensionality and depth to it. That probably relates to how the different color materials 'sit' in the matrix of celluloid and how light passes through it or bounces off various elements.
 
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#3
BurningSkies said:
Your biggest issue when dealing with what amounts to 'painting technique' is that the real stuff has dimensionality and depth to it. That probably relates to how the different color materials 'sit' in the matrix of celluloid and how light passes through it or bounces off various elements.
Click to expand...
I would be using a variation of translucent epoxies done at differing times, i would assume that would allow the depth(?)...
..."painting technique" was just saying, i have an artsy background. :)
 
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#4
graphics1988 said:
I would be using a variation of translucent epoxies done at differing times, i would assume that would allow the depth(?)...
..."painting technique" was just saying, i have an artsy background. :)
Click to expand...

It will be interesting to see what you come up with. My wife went through a 'cast resin' phase...so be careful...can be really toxic.
 
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#5
BurningSkies said:
It will be interesting to see what you come up with. My wife went through a 'cast resin' phase...so be careful...can be really toxic.
Click to expand...
Right, i forgot about that. I've seen some of her art on IG - amazing work! I will give it a few days and see if anyone else has attempted it...then start ordering products to dabble at work. (we use lacquer thinner based inks fairly often - which requires big industrial fans and filters - eeek)
 
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#6
graphics1988 said:
Right, i forgot about that. I've seen some of her art on IG - amazing work! I will give it a few days and see if anyone else has attempted it...then start ordering products to dabble at work. (we use lacquer thinner based inks fairly often - which requires big industrial fans and filters - eeek)
Click to expand...

Thanks! Yeah, she's a bit of an artistic polymath though she's settled into ceramics lately. Her 'cast aluminum' phase was interesting too. :P

As long as you have proper ventilation...long term exposure while you're doing trial and error and all that. Don't want to see anyone suffer in that way for their 'art,' no matter how seriously people take their tort around here. ;)
 
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#7
BurningSkies said:
Thanks! Yeah, she's a bit of an artistic polymath though she's settled into ceramics lately. Her 'cast aluminum' phase was interesting too. :p

As long as you have proper ventilation...long term exposure while you're doing trial and error and all that. Don't want to see anyone suffer in that way for their 'art,' no matter how seriously people take their tort around here. ;)
Click to expand...
Thanks my Dingwall Brother. Appreciate that.

...cast aluminum phase ehhhhhhh???? hmmmmm
 
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#8
graphics1988 said:
Thanks my Dingwall Brother. Appreciate that.

...cast aluminum phase ehhhhhhh???? hmmmmm
Click to expand...

One birthday I received a vase that is a full sized lifelike cast aluminum baked ham that also has the requisite middle-american pineapple rings w/ maraschino cherry centers.
 
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#9
graphics1988 said:
..."painting technique" was just saying, i have an artsy background. :)
Click to expand...

brtort.jpg
 
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#12
graphics1988 said:
ok - so...i seem to be at a loss for finding 'nice' tort.
With a couple hours of research, plus with some 30yrs of graphics knowledge (think 'old school' hand painting back pre 1985)...i may attempt to make some tort blanks. Not sure i can vest the time in the shapes etc.,but i may do some various techniques and see where that takes me.
ANY trial and error or info from others who have ventured down this rabbit hole, would be welcomed.
Maybe with a culmination of ideas/ R&D, we can create something damn fine...without a $300 price tag per. (the only company that is creating them currently)

thanks guys :)
Click to expand...
I'd rock a ravioli pattern too, but I don't wanna start a whole point-counterpoint. ;)
depositphotos_20320721-stock-photo-tortellini-emiliani-italian-macaroni-pasta.jpg
 
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#14
graphics1988 said:
ok - so...i seem to be at a loss for finding 'nice' tort.
With a couple hours of research, plus with some 30yrs of graphics knowledge (think 'old school' hand painting back pre 1985)...i may attempt to make some tort blanks.
Click to expand...
Graphics knowledge? Have you ever done some old-school animation? Lots and lots of images on transparent paper? I suppose that would give the "tort" some depth... 10-15 layer of almost-identical, translucent paintings would make a killer pickguard, tort or not.

Good luck and share pictures of your results!

Diego
 
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#18
If you're trying to do stuff similar to Spitfire you need celluloid and not epoxy. Last I heard Spitfire is doing the whole process in-house now which is pretty impressive. Other than making it yourself there are still a few manufacturers of tortoise celluloid in Europe. From everything I've read it isn't an easy or cheap thing to get into so it isn't too surprising Spitfire pretty much as a monopoly on ultra high end pickguards.
 
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