Opinions Wanted

[Ed McDonnell]

Found a big box of acrylic blanks while looking for something else. Decided to play around and see if I could make them more exciting. This turned our very different that what I had envisioned when I started. Anyone willing to give me an honest critique? Indicating you like, dislike or don't care would be helpful. Telling me why you like or don't like or don't care would be much more helpful.

I'm not sharing my own thoughts on these because I don't want to bias anyone, but I'll share my own thoughts later.

Thanks

Ed

 

[ericofpendom]

Really like them, any idea as to how they are cast?

Eric...

 

[Drstrangefart]

They're ridiculously cool. Excellent work!

 

[triw51]

I like them reminds me of scales.

 

[Linarestribe]

They look like fish scales to me. Maybe a little gimmicky but like anything some one could do something amazing with it.

 

[OOPS]

Personally, the blanks are a little too "busy" for my tastes. I can appreciate the scales, but with two colors underneath, there's just too much going on. Also, I think the black lines are too thick, which IMHO detracts from the beauty of the pattern that you're trying to create. Just my two cents.

 

[Kretzky]

Wondering if they would have looked better with a more subdued or subtle background? Maybe colours with less contrast than the Yellow/ Red or even a single colour? The weaving imo fights a bit with the Y/R background.
Not saying it's 'wrong' just trying to make suggestions that may look better, love the cross weave effect though.
Hope that helps.
David

 

[Jim Burr]

What about smaller criss cross pattern...or thinner black lines is what I'm trying to get out

 

[Monty]

I like the basic look, sorta like a basket weave. Can't say I care much for the red mixed in with the yellow.

 

[BKelley]

Nice design and pattern. I am not overly fond of the colors. The lines might be a little thick, but could live with it. Try a solid black with white lines, maybe dark blue with white lines. Overall it is a great concept. What I like doesn't amount to a hill of beans, this is just my humble opinion.

Ben

 

[DestinTurnings]

I agree that a bit more subdued colors would probably look better with that design. That being said, I would be extremely interested in your process for making that blank. If it was just making a ton of 45° cuts and gluing everything back together, you did an amazing job keeping everything straigt! I have make something similar before with a fishing rod reel seat but I decided I would never do it again because I just couldn't get enough money out of it for the time put into it.

 

[Ed McDonnell]

Thanks for all the great input so far. Keep it coming.

I wish I had taken a before and after picture. I'm going to still with hold my comments. Not being a tease, but I really don't want to bias things with my thoughts (not that they are that significant, but knowing why I did some things might change the way you think about those things....or not).

I'll do the before and after for what I'm working on today.

To make my thanks a little more tangible, I'm going to put the name of everyone who posts to this thread in a hat. When the thread winds down I'm going to draw a name. I'll send a blank (free free free!!) to that person if they want it. I'll keep drawing names until I either run out of names or find someone who wants a free blank.

Ed

 

[OKLAHOMAN]

Ed, as you and I have talked thinking outside the box is always good. Not everyone will like everything, I have customers on Bella-Penna that won't have a pen made from wood no matter how exotic, others that will not buy an acrylic. I have found out a long time ago I can't buy for my tastes, I have to look at the complete picture and make sure that I'm not falling over in love with everything I sell (I'll end up eating half of it), now back to your question I do like the concept and it will work on some and not on others, you just keep doing it till your satisfied with the out come as you first thought of it and if along the way it changed it possibly did for the better.
Now do not put my name into the hat for obvious reasons.

 

[RetiredJake]

I would go for thinner lines and subtler color shifting in the background.

Don't get me wrong, I do like it

 

[bobjackson]

I like em.

 

[jasontg99]

That is pretty cool. I like it just the way it is.

Jason

 

[Brooks803]

I like the fish scale aspect, but not the red and yellow. It's way too busy like it is shown. Maybe only have the scales on the ends or in the middle.

 

[BlackPearl]

Sorry I am lost trying to figure out how the one has arcs in each "scale" I wish the black was thinner, but I would love to know the process.

I would carry a pen made from either one of them.

 

[Glen Schumann]

Like them but in my opinion they would be improved with finer black lines and more of the colors showing through. I expect I am in the minority with this opinion.

 

[ironman123]

Hello Ed.

Like Jake said as well. Thinner lines and maybe another choice of color combo on the blanks or just a row or two of the scales on the ends.:biggrinmy 2 cents)

Bet these lines were with the DOL.

Ray

 

[Ed McDonnell]

Thanks for all the input. Here's my thoughts on the blanks.

I found a box of acrylic blanks in my shop that I forgot I had. They are all different types. I decided to experiment with them to see whether I could turn them from kind of ordinary blanks into something special. The first one I grabbed out of the box was opaque red with translucent pearlescent orange and yellow swirls.

If I was starting completely from scratch, I would create very different color schemes. But I'm grabbing blanks out of the box (some crazy color combos in there) and trying to make them special (hopefully in a good way). So I don't have any comments on the colors of the base blank (red / yellow / orange in this case). Some people will like it and some won't.

In looking at my completed blanks there were a couple things feel I need to experiment with.

The first is the type / color of resin I use for the details. Opaque black seemed like it would offer a great contrast. But I think it somewhat overwhelmed the blank in this design. It's possible that making the lines thinner or reducing the number of lines would give a more balanced look. But I also think that switching to a translucent complimentary color could be an even better solution. At least on the blanks that have translucent swirls. A solid color blank would not have the detail color (black in this case) telegraphing through the translucent parts and the color separation would be better.

Taking the translucent detail to an extreme, I also wonder what a clear detail inlay would look like giving a 3D effect to the blank.

I'm also wondering what a metal inlay (brass, aluminum, steel or copper) would look like as a detail. I've been doing a lot of work with metal details on other projects and I'm tempted to explore that with these blanks as well.

I look at these sitting on the deak and they look really good as they are. I pick them up and I think "what if I tried X". So my feelings on the blanks pictured are that I learned a lot from doing them, and I've got all kinds of ideas on what I want to try next. Stay tuned.

I'll pick the winner of the free blank tomorrow morning.

Ed

 

[KenV]

Looked to me like your underlying colors are what you had to work with - and you added the black and then "clear coated it" --

Perhaps airbrush in a manner that fish mounts or lures are painted with a net pattern - and then overcast with clear resin.

That or similar give choice of the underlying resin base, the airbrushed color, and the pattern/stencil used to generate the pattern.

Interesting effects -- and I can see some ways it can be used to create or highlight portions of a pen barrell.

I like the idea and hope to see more variations on the theme.

 

[corian king]

I like them just as they are.I am very curious as to what the finished product will look like.

 

[firewhatfire]

Heck I like em. Look like a carp in the water. Or a bass plug in the making.

 

[Glenn McCullough]

Very nice, I like the depth in them.

 

[IPD_Mr]

It looks like Koi. Or you could call it yelow and orange carp.

 

[Ed McDonnell]

I'm reaching into the hat (ok, it's really a wooden bowl) and the name that I picked is................



bobjackson


Thanks again to everyone for all the great comments.

Ed McDonnell

 

[sbell111]

Rather than choosing a color for the 'lines' that offers maximum contrast, you might consider choosing one that is only a few shades away from the primary color of the blank. I find that in doing this, you draw the customer in to the coolness of the blank, rather than slapping them in the face with it. I think that the resulting pen will look less gimmicky while retaining it's uniqueness.

 

[sbell111]

Sorry I am lost trying to figure out how the one has arcs in each "scale"

I think that it's just a result of the angle of the picture and the semi-transparent blanks.

 

[Ed McDonnell]

Responding to some of the comments from yesterday:

In the picture I showed yesterday, there were two different patterns. The left was a diamond pattern and the right was a scale pattern (with arcs). It wasn't a camera angle thing. They really were different designs.

Some of you were curious about how I made these. I had thought of 4 different ways this could be done. I could have painted them, but I didn't. I could have used a decal, but I didn't. I could have segmented, but I didn't. KenV thought up a clever variation on the painting approach, but that's not it.

I decided I had too many variables to really make progress on the design, so I've eliminated some of the variables in my latest experiment. I am using only the scale design (which I'm calling Koi now (thanks IPD_Mr)). I have also simplified the color issue by using a solid color blank (one of the scrap plugs I cast from resin leftover after a pour). This experiment focused on line thickness.

Looking at the picture you see dark blue resin with a cheapo cast aluminum inlay. The "fat" lines are 0.063" and the skinny lines are 0.031". In this case I clearly prefer the skinny lines. I'm not ready to give up on the fat line design yet. I think a translucent inlay may still look better with the fat lines. That will be my next experiment.

What do you think?

Ed

 

[Jim15]

I like both of them.

 

[BlackPearl]

I am using only the scale design (which I'm calling Koi now (thanks IPD_Mr)). I have also simplified the color issue by using a solid color blank (one of the scrap plugs I cast from resin leftover after a pour). This experiment focused on line thickness.

Looking at the picture you see dark blue resin with a cheapo cast aluminum inlay. The "fat" lines are 0.063" and the skinny lines are 0.031". In this case I clearly prefer the skinny lines. I'm not ready to give up on the fat line design yet. I think a translucent inlay may still look better with the fat lines. That will be my next experiment.

Ed

Ed I think the thin lines on this blank http://http://www.penturners.org/forum/f13/another-button-filler-100376/ would cause me to have to make another pen for my wife. Her totem is the carp .

 

[Rick P]

I think you put far too much weight on what we think!

You are obviously on to something now run with it!!!!!!

 

[Rmartin]

I'm not impressed. The blue one with the thin silver is awsome no doubt, but you don't say how it was done. I don't have a problem with you not giving away how you did it, any magician should keep his tricks secret. But without knowing, I suspect it was done with a laser machine and to me, I prefer a handmade poorly segmented pen than a machine duplicated one. That's just me and with that said, it's an awsome looking pen that I would love to have.