(PROJECT) Photo booth backdrop

Charissa Wright and Justine Griffin in costume for the night 

flyer from the event night

Opportunities to help out your local community should never be taken for granted. The pottsville community preschool was holding a fund raiser in august, the theme was Heroes and Villians and they had requested a photobooth backdrop and props in the theme of gotham city. With a time frame of one week to complete.

For this event two backdrops were to be made:

1. Smaller police lineup backdrop for the entrance of the event

2. Large backdrop for group photos of up to ten people. The backdrop was to be a city scape, with a street going into the distance. 

The execution

Backdrop 1 

material/media: laminated MDF panel, wire hooks, marker pen

techniques: projection

scale: H120cm x W80cm

installation: suspension

Step 1: Digital creation of the police lineup image

Step 2: Place the laminated MDF panel on an easel, set up a projector.

Step 3: Measure lines onto the board using a pencil, then project the digital image. The purpose of the digital image is to resolve the composition and to proved the numbers. Note that this template is for adults, hence the height range.

Step 4: Fill in the pencil lines with marker pen, for this project use a POSCA PC-17k chisel shaped 15.0mm or similar.I chose to take the board off the easily to fill in the line work and to place it on a flat/firm surface. 

Step 5: This board was attached to a standard door at the entrance of the venue by drilling two holes in the top corners and using

ABOVE: door hooks

 

ABOVE and BELOW: the finished results

Brian Griffin ( DAD ) doing his best villain face

With an event that involes dressup its important to start the night with a bit of silliness. Some people felt a little subconsious as they approached the door but when asked to stand and have their mugshot taken before then entered the venue, you could see them really let their hair down. Many people commented that it was a great way to start the night. 

Backdrop 2

material/media: canvas, wire hooks, acrylic paint

techniques: projection

scale:  2(two) panels of  H3m x W5m

installation: wall mounted

Step 1: Digital create the image for the backdrop

Step 2: Lay the canvas out on the ground, with dropsheets laid first, and prime the entire surface with gesso. For a canvas 3 meters by 5 meters in size approx 3 ltrs is required for 2 coats, watered down 50%.

Step 3: Suspend the canvas from a wall ( keep im mind that the paint will go through the canvas onto the wall, so place dropsheets behind it). This is done by stapling the canvas to a timber rod.

Step 3: project the digital image onto the canvas and draw in the major lines using charcoal

Step 4: Paint in using black the darkest sections of the painting

Step 5: Block in the major areas of color (This painting was monocromatic making it easier to block in )

Step 5: This stage is now refinement and normally the longest, but by this point I only had 2 days left to complete the painting and I had to complete a floor panel for it as well. 

 

Step 6: using a second sheet the same size as this one prime it again as before

Step 7: using a large brush scuff the surface with the same colors as found in the bottom (road) of the image covering the entire sufrace, it is particularly important how it is laid out as people will be standing on it and props will be place on it as well. 

On the night :

Props used below:

Letter box (in shot)

Street lamp (in shot)

Lamps to provide light to the scene( top left and lower right)

During the evening group shots were taken infront of the backdrop/props.

The event committee

As a part of the fund raising, teams were given the opportunity to purchase their group photos and mugshots. As part of the event I digitally created a mock newspaper with the teams name and their group photo ( BELOW )

Conclusion 

While this backdrop sold on the night of the fund raiser, I would not consider it a completed artwork, time was just too limited.   I was travelling an hour to get to the venue to paint the artwork while also travelling 5 hours to my studies which greatly reduced the time available to work on the painting. But in the end what was important was that it aided in raising funds, kick started the frivolity and brought a little joy to people on the night. I dont think that there is any greater reward.