Toy photographer Johnny Wu stops by our studio to demonstrate another of his practical effects for miniature photos. This time, he shows how he uses sparklers to create fiery action behind his subjects, evoking battle scenes to dramatic effect! (Sparklers and fireworks are inherently dangerous and we do not recommend attempting this at home. Flour is also extremely flammable!)
Model Behavior: Miniature Smoke Effects
Kayte and Norm experiment with a technique for creating smoke effects for our miniature model builds, using simple cotton batting and some paint. For creating smoke at this scale, we sculpt the cotton and trim it to work with our models and give it some volume. It’s a fun effect that we’re going to keep on using!
Show and Tell: Clockwork Dreams Automata Kits
Our love for mechanical automata and wood-cut kits combine this week as we assemble two Clockwork Dreams hand-cranked animated toys. Each uses a system of cams and gears to animate a simple story, and the CNC pieces easily come together without glue. They’re a delight!
Offworld: How Would Space Politics Work?
Once humans start colonizing other planets, how will politics work between Earth and those who live offworld? Ariel is joined by author Annalee Newitz and linguist Nick Farmer–who works on the show the Expanse–to discuss science fiction’s portrayal of realistic space politics!
Let’s Build: Wargaming Fallout Shelter, Part 4
We’re starting to the get the hang of these kits! Now it’s time to finish the ARK fallout shelter with its final module: the vault door. We’ve had so much fun putting this together, and would recommend it even for non-wargamers. Now to think about the painting and weathering possibilities…