Punk'd!
Airships and Aardvarks
As I write this, the summer is hammering at the door (quite literally, as there is currently a splendid thunder storm outside). And with the New Zealand summer, comes an influx of cheap and nasty summer toys from a certain country... You know where, ladies and gents...
In a previous life, I made models for Games Workshop. During that time, I spent a lot of time turning innocuous things into... well... less innocuous things.
Nowadays, things are a bit more random, like Mr. Along-for-the-ride here.
Water, water, everywhere,
And all the boards did shrink.
Water, water, everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink!
Punk'd
Every summer a multitude of cheap and cheerful water blasters flood into (every) country, and I thought it might be interesting to make use of them for my steam punk themed man cave. I'm now getting quite a collection!
If you don't have the time or the inclination, why not just purchase your very own Phineas Gideon Buckler!
Create Your Own
You will need:
- A water blaster: The cheesier the better!
- A tin of matt black spray
- A selection of metallic acrylic paints (gold, copper and silver).
- Some paint brushes
- An old rag
Step 1 - Undercoat
The first step is to spray the blaster matt black. Take care to cover the entirety of its gaudy colour!
Mitre 10 now sell spray paint that professes to stick to plastic, which is the one to go for.
Step 2 - Dry Brushing
Next, squeeze a small amount of metallic paint onto a palette (or in my case, a crappy bit of chipboard).
Load a medium sized paint brush with paint... and then wipe most of it off!
Using swift light strokes across the surface of the blaster. As if by magic, the remaining paint on the brush will pick out the relief, and the toy will come to life. Repeat this over an over to gradually build up the chosen colour.
Step 3 - More Dry Brushing
Repeat step 2 with various colours. I tend to use silver for the barrel, copper for fancy details like pipes, and gold for the main body.
Sometimes I add a smidge of other colours, like lime green just for effect. Careful though! Don't over do it!
Finished Article
I continued the dry brushing process, building up more colour along corners and protrusions. Notice how the body nearer the barrel is more golden than further back. I also added a splash of green in the vents for fun.
Finally, I cut and stained a small wooden mount, and 3D printed some brackets.
Buy one of our upcycled peace keepers
If you don't have the time or inclination to create your own, why not just get one of ours?
By Mark B
Mark has been drawing and painting since the late 1800s and has exhibited work in galleries and venues around the UK.