Creating a pirate treasure map...

In one of my previous blog entries I looked at the many techniques used in ageing paper, in this one I will look at applying them in the production of a realistic looking treasure map. If you want some tips on how to create a convincing pirate treasure map then read on…

Can't Stop Painting

I can’t remember whether I’ve mentioned this before but I have, in the dim and distant past, worked as a professional artist and illustrator. Recently in an effort to relive my youth (and fund some of my more extravagant projects) I’ve accepted a few commissions and thought I’d take a little space on my blog to show you some of the artwork I’ve completed and how I go about putting it together.

Techniques for Ageing Paper

... or how to make my treasure map look old

As I mentioned in a previous blog entry, I've been working on some pirate related projects recently, and have had to produce a number of documents that had to appear appropriately aged. As a result I've been investigating how to make paper look and feel old. This entry is going to cover the techniques and processes you can use for convincing effect.

Faking Vigo The Carpathian - Research update

Quick update on the Vigo project, including materials I'll be using, ageing wood and craquelure techniques.

One of my experiments...

Faking Vigo the Carpathian (aka Vigo the Butch)

I'd been seeing a lot of inspirational prop work by extremely skilled people and it made me wonder: what can I recreate that showcases the skills I have? Most of my experience is as an illustrator, but the prop community is pretty sharp when it comes to making items that require only a high resolution JPEG and an inkjet, which meant I had to find an item that relied on a hand painted finish for its authenticity. Basically I needed a famous movie painting, something immediately recognisable and unique...

Which led me to Vigo Von Homburg Deutschendorf, Scourge of Carpathia, Sorrow of Moldavia... and star of Ghostbusters 2!