WELCOME!


It is hard to believe that it was only seven years ago I witnessed a CNC router in action for the very first time. I was fascinated and simply had to have one! Although I had been in the creative end of the three dimensional sign business for most of my life I didn't really know what I would do with one - but I just knew it could do fantastic stuff.

Through extensive research I quickly found out that with the relative simplicity of EnRoute, CNC routers were capable of just about anything imaginable. This journal will chronicle that journey to date and continue each week with two or three entries as we continue to explore just what is possible with this wonderful software... -dan

Sunday, October 11, 2015

Working out ideas - part one

The reveal of the idea for my entry in the 2016 Sign Invitational will be drawn out a little more than usual. Firstly I don't want to tip my hand too much, too early. Secondly it's just fun to tease. :)

When I'm working on an idea the ideas generally come thick and fast. I scribble them down into my sketchbook as quick as possible, not worried about scale, drawing quality nor how they might fit together. I just want to get the ideas down as fast as I can. Some of these quick scribbles are used, some not. All will be modified as they go through the design process and again as I physically build them.

The theme for this project was inspired by the movie 'PLANET 51' although I chose an earlier time frame by about two decades - the 1930's instead of the 1950's. It's been a few years since I saw the movie but I remembered enough to know just the look I was going for. The vehicles are actually flying saucers, and round in shape. My designs would also feature green people but from a different planet.

After the quick sketch of the last post which was little more than a quick scribble I set down to work designing the individual pieces. The first was a 1930's pickup (flying saucer style). When I build it there will be a fully detailed undercarriage, complete with a glowing levitation device of course.


The quick sketch from my book was scanned into PhotoShop and I used it as the basis for a new detailed drawing of the truck, complete with the alien at the wheel.