Dark spaces

So, I'm playing with some extra black paint from Culture Hustle. It's supposed to be 99% light absorption, so that should mean things - even in bright light -  are very dark.

Supposed to be the blackest black. One bottle of version three, plus a small tub of version one; which isn't as black. Initial reactions. How much does the V3 packaging add to the cost, which is already quite high. Fulfillment should Chech v1 before dispatch. Either the lid was slightly loose, or there had been a previous spillage. Pigment all over inside, not huge amount, just enough to get hands really dirty. 

Prototype automata in progress. Artists figure pulled apart and then wired. White stuff is glue just applied. This to test #culturehustle #black3 when finished.

So, the figure has-been painted with oneciat black 1 as a primer, two coats black 3. Dried with hairdryer as suggested. It's 85% successful. Figure is hard to see in normal lighting without moving box. Lid looks like flat area. Positive enough to try version two. This will be the flat version I talked about.

Designing the Ghost House

In the posting I did about the doll's house that we are building I mused about whether or not it could be automated to give the appearance of people or things living inside it.

Since then I thought a bit more and I think it's entirely practical that such a thing could be done and the diagram here gives an idea or two.

First up is using puppets - or automata - to give some motion to it. The mechanism can be hidden in the roof or floor - depending if they work by string or wire. Here you can see a ghost coming down through the floor and another skull making the same trip. Although these are shown using cranks, intact I'd probably use small servos or stepper motors to allow them two be moved individually. While the romance of brass cams and steampunk mechanisms appeals, using electronics gives more control and would allow interaction between the ghosts and the viewer in a less predictable way.

The last ghost, sitting bottom right in a chair is a variation on pepper's ghost a victorian illusion that I keep find now days being referred to as a 'hologram'  - it's not. It's a simple partial reflection that unless done live isn't even stereoscopic. In the use of the effect above, the originating image is a LCD screen built into the floor. You can see the reflective glass at 45 degrees and the ghost will apparently sit on the chair or move around.

I don't suppose I will ever build this, at least not in this form; but it was a good think through and design.I also quite liked the drawing that I did - at the moment I'm still into grunge and imperfection in a big way.

SS April 2015