The first layer

I traced the shape of Queen Mary's head (from the scaled down sketch of the lid) onto thin card and cut this out.

Looking back at my mock up version of the lid, I realised that making Queen Mary's head stand out more would be more effective. I cut another layer of the card out, which will look much better on my final prop.

I then cut small leaves from this card to put around the centre circle. I chose to use cardboard for the leaves because it is thicker than paper or a doily (which I was considering using) so will give better definition of the leaves when covered in tissue.

I covered the whole lid in a layer of PVA and tissue and left it to dry.

I only realised after I had made this layer that I didn't leave room on the lid for the M's either side of the centre circle. If I was to try and put them in now I think the lid would look overcrowded, so I have decided to leave the lid as it is. I am pleased with how it is looking, also this prop is for theatre therefore not as much detail is needed as if this was a hero prop for film. 

Here it goes...

Right, here it goes... I'm making the final tin lid!

I started by cutting a piece of paper the same size as the lid and drawing the basic shapes onto it. (The lines, centre and small circles etc)

I stuck this to the tin lid and began making the raised straight lines by sticking down the thin wire (used in my mock up) with tape.

The wire was good to use for the centre circle as it gave a definite edge, but as with the mock up, the more fiddly smaller bits needed to be done with tissue. 

I took thin strips of tissue, soaked them in PVA glue and twisted them to make thin strips (like string). I used this to make the small circles either side of the tin, the shapes on the top & bottom, the knife at the top and the criss- cross pattern at the bottom.

I want to leave this to dry fully before I do anything else to the lid. 

My Boy Jack

Finally a film about World War 1 I've actually enjoyed!!!
My boy Jack is about author Rudyard Kipling (David Haig) and his family during the first World War. After his son Jack (Daniel Radcliffe) is refused entry to the army because he failed an eye test, Kipling uses his influence to gain his son entry.

I liked this film as it was more about family life and how a father who at first pushes his son into the army then deals with his death, rather than war itself.

The Kipling family were high class therefore the set of their home had wood panelling on the walls and grand furniture etc. so this wasn't useful for me in terms of my props based on a poor farming family. 

I did however find the costumes and tools used in the scenes where the mother and daughter go out to dig useful, as this is similar to what farming families would have worn/ used. 

This film draws the audience in so they begin to know and love Jack. They know what will happen but when he does die  it is still devastating to watch. This gave me a tiny sense of what life must have been like at the time and how families felt not knowing if their son would come back from war. I think this is why the film is successful in my eyes. 

I enjoyed seeing the different props and how they were made to fit the time period. E.g Jack's cigarette packet and matchbox. As with all the films we have watched, I've looked at the props and to the standard they are made, which I aim for myself with my props. 

Adding more detail to the lid...

I showed Andy my mock up today. He talked to me about adding slightly more detail and looking for alternatives other than tissue and wire to create the shapes on the lid.

Even simple things like a paper doilies can be used to create the leaves around the centre circle, so its worth me looking around for different materials.

I went and slightly changed my simplified sketch to give it slightly more detail:

Original sketch

Slightly changed

I added the sword at the top, the M's either side of Queen Mary's face and the cross pattern at the bottom. I noticed that from far away you can see these more clearly so I'm adding these features onto my design.

Andy also spoke to me about dry brushing once my piece had been finished, which I'll have to experiment with on my mock up.

Mock up of Queen Mary tin lid

I took an image of the Queen Mary tin lid and placed tracing paper over this. I then traced over the detail that would easily be seen from far away e.g the head, the sections of the border and circles.

I then scanned this simplified version into my computer and scaled it up to the size of my tin (10.9cm x 8cm). Using this smaller image as reference I then created a mock up version of how I want the lid to look. 

I cut a thin piece of cardboard the same shape as the lid to use as the base. I then used thin, bendable wire to give the shape of the circle in the centre and the border to the lid and taped them down. 

I cut the shape of Queen Mary's head out of cardboard and stuck this in the middle of the circle so that it will be raised. I then covered the whole piece in PVA and a layer of tissue.
After that had dried I started on the more intricate bits.

I couldn't get the wire to bend the way that I wanted it to, so I made this from twisting a thin strip of tissue and shaping it. I did the same for the bottom shape and the circles either side of the lid.

Looking closer at the image of the original lid, Queen Mary's hair is slightly more raised than the rest of her face...

I created this on my mock up by shaping a thick layer of tissue and PVA into the shape of her hair, which will look quite effective once painted. 

I then covered the whole thing in another layer of tissue and PVA to make it look like one continuous covering. 

I found this a really effective way to make the lid. However I did find trying to make small details quite difficult e.g I wasn't sure how to make the leaves around the centre circle. I was thinking of using small pieces of cardboard but wasn't sure how effective this would be so I still need to experiment with that. 

Getting advice on my tin lid...

I spoke to Simon and Andy today about my ideas and the props I want to make.
I asked Simon whether I should make a mould and cast the tin lid like how he made the biscuit he showed us a few weeks ago. He reminded me that unless I knew how to carve well, it would be better to try paper mache instead. (Paper mache hadn't even crossed my mind... which I can't believe!!)

I could then use foil over the top on that or paint so that it would blend with the rest of the tin.

I also should mark up an image of the lid onto the tin so that I know where I want to make my marks.

Andy talked to me about whether my props were for theatre or film and maybe simplifying the lid's embossing if for theatre.

I need to do some drawings of the lid and scale the image up later.

Moulding & Casting

Making the mould

• Using a hot glue gun, glue a dowel (little piece of wood) onto the end of a walnut and glue it to the centre of a small piece of plastic. 

• Cut a strip of plastic into 4, big enough to make walls around the walnut. 

• Place plastic walls one by one around the walnut. Use plastic solvent on the base of the walls to set them in place. (Paint base edges with paintbrush dipped in solvent.)

• Use hot glue gun to fill gaps showing between the plastic walls. 

• Mix silicone liquid with hardener. (Using 10-1 ratio) = mix 170g of silicone liquid and 17g of hardener. (1/3 - 1/2 cup full.) Wear goggles, mask and gloves for this!!

• Place this pot into the vacuum degassing machine. Place the lid on top and turn the handle on the left hand side. Wait till the dial goes to the 7 o'clock position and open handle slowly. 

• Pour mixture onto the side of one wall and let it run into the box with the walnut in. 

• Burst the bubbles at the top and leave to set for a few hours. 

• Break away the plastic walls and cut the mould so that you can remove the walnut inside. Cut 2 small holes inside the mould at the top, leading from the walnut impression to the very top of the block. This is where the resin will be poured to cast a walnut and the other hole will release air as the mould is filling up. 

Casting

• Mix the resin on a one to one ratio. Mix 60g of part A of Fast Cast (a polyurethane resin) and 60g of part B. Wear goggles, gloves and mask for this!

• Put masking tape around moulded block and pour mixture in through one of the holes. Leave for 20 minutes. Once set you'll have a moulded walnut! you can use the mould many more times to make duplicates.  

Making flat objects e.g a medal 

• Make your object from clay on a wooden board and leave to set. 

• Mix silicone liquid and hardener (like the walnut mould) and pour over. (Make plastic walls like walnut demo again before pouring on silicone!) Wear goggles, gloves and mask for this!

• Wait till it sets and remove mould. This would have picked up all the detail you made on the clay version. 

• Mix Fast cast resin (part A and B) and pour into mould. Spread mixture evenly with a stick, put something heavy on the top of the mould and leave it to set. Wear goggles, gloves and mask for this!