When I was assigned which pieces of set I would be painting, I set out to find out what material it was made of initially. This would help me to work out which methods and materials I would be using to paint it. The columns and frescos were made of a type of plastic while the rest of the arch was made of wood. This meant that we could easily use water based emulsion for the main part of the arch, but we had to use some glue in the paint for the frescos and columns, to help it adhere better. This didn't cause many problems, as I was aware that I would have to before I tried to paint it.

When it came to the colours we needed, I closely examined the model we had been given and realised that everything had a base coat of two different shades of grey. We mixed together some black emulsion with a bit of white emulsion to create a grey we wanted, and then we created another slightly darker shade, by using a bit less white than we used last time. This meant we could create tonal differences across the set.

After examining the model, we also noticed that many of the elements had green and yellow tones throughout. We decided that the best way to get these tones on was to use a green and yellow wash. The wash was a mixture of glue, water and a bit of Rosco Acrylic paint. This wash was watered down a lot, so that when it dried, it was translucent. The water down wash also made it easy to blend with the two different colours, making sure there wasn’t just a patch of yellow that went immediately to green as that would look out of place.

We also had to apply some masking tape over where the plastic met the wood on the arch. This was so that we didn't have a sudden drop when the material changed. This also meant that we could use the same paint for the masking tape, as we did for the wood, which meant that we could easily camouflage it into the background.

Emulsion

Emulsion paints is a paint that is water based. The paint material is mixed with a mostly water liquid to create the paint. This has many advantages, which include: fast drying, cheap, easy to apply, easy to clean off tools and not much toxicity. 

Pigment

Pigments are solids that are broken down into grains. They are incorporated into the paint to create the colour. These can be dangerous, depending on the pigments used, as some are toxic. They are also normally considerably more expensive. 

Glaze

Unit 73 C1

Preparing a scenic element is essential for painting so that the set will be what has been planned and will also give a professional look to the set once it is handed other to the actors. For this particular show we designed a rake and decking area throughout the whole of the stage area with access into the audience.  The top of the decking is wood, once all of the set was in we went over each piece of deck checking for screws, staples, holes or lumps. This is to ensure that the surface is as smooth as it can be. Any lumps should be taken off and any hazards removed, depending on the wood and the use it might be recommended to sand the wood to give smooth edges. Once we removed or filled any holes we then swept the stage removing any dust or dirt. The tools used in this process would be ranged as you might use an electric sander to smooth the wood but then a screw driver to remove screws or staples. For the staples you would also need pliers to pull the staple out of the wood.

   The deck will then be ready to paint, before we paint the designs on to the stage we base coat the floor therefore giving a better effect as we was trying to create a wood effect floor, we used yellow as it was the most effective in the model box and would bring more wood effect out from the mix of our colour pallet we was using.

For this particular show we have not painted on metal but to prepare that you world smooth out rough edges and remove all the lubricate off of the metal. Depending on what’s on the metal sometimes you can just rub it off with an old clean rag or you have to use mentholated spirits. Again before you would paint on the design you would use metal paint primer because emulsion would not work on metal as it is water based and would sink into the metal like wood so it would run before it had chance to evaporate .

Although we did not paint on metal we painted on cloth which is slightly different to wood and metal. You can use emulsion on cloth but before you paint on it you need to base coat the whole cloth your planning to use because as the paint dry’s it shrinks the cloth. Depending on how much cloth, what type of cloth, and the thickness of paint it can reduce the size of the cloth between !0%  and 20% which can be a lot depending on what you plan to do with it. We based our cloth white so we can see how much it reduces by before putting the final designs on.

Today we had a late call of 4 pm so that we could get in a prep all of the paint that would be required for the painting tonight. Today we had planed to spray all of the platforms to their final colour, paint the pier in its final colour and then base the floor ready for the over night paint call. 

I started of the night by painting the pavilion, whilst the rest of the group either sprayed the platforms or started work on painting the ramp. To paint the pavilion I used two different shades of brown which I applied to the metal and them blended together to give a wood look. I felt this was an effective technique because it not only gave it the look of wood, but it also helped to make it look old and ruined. Doing the blending was mostly easy, however in the tight corners it was hard to get the correct blend, but that won't be a problem because in theory the audience will not be able to see that. 

Here is a picture of the pavilion painted brown; 

After I had finished the pavilion Alan then asked me to paint the stairs from the pier onto the pavilion in a similar way blending both the browns together. I started doing it on top of the pier, but then realised that it would be easier to remove them from the pier to stop myself from getting brown paint on the already painted pier. I felt that again painting the stairs in this way was good because it gave the set a flow and it also helped them to fit on top of the pier, because it look wood like. 

Here is a picture of the stairs; 

Once I had completed the stairs I then helped the sprayers finish of spraying by raging off on the side structure legs in order to stop them from having a running paint look. Once all of the side structures and the ramp were painted we moved on to start basing the floor. To base the floor we used a mixture of three grey emulsions that had been mixed in the prepping session earlier. To make it easier for ourselves we used rollers. We started at the back of the auditorium and worked our way back towards the seating bank. In about an hour we had based the entire floor in grey ready for its final paint job tomorrow. 

Here is the set in its current state with all of the structures painted and the floor primed; 

Strengths 

Today I feel my team work skill have been a strength because I have been able to work within the design team happily with no dispute to successfully complete all of the jobs we had set out to complete. I also feel my knowledge of paint techniques has helped when I have been independently painting parts of the set. 

Weaknesses 

The one weakness I feel I had was the speed at which I painted the pavilion. I feel I could have done that a lot quicker and I could have then gone on to assist other people in the team with jobs that required more people. 

Plan of Action 

Today we were called in at 3 pm to continue work on The Beano set. When we got in we were asked to draw up another list of things that needed to be completed before Friday. Once we had drawn up the list we went and started to prep for the night. We had decided that tonight would be spent priming the metal and basing the wood of the side structures as well as priming the pavilion ready for there final paint job tomorrow evening. 

After the actors had left we moved into the auditorium and started work. Myself and Harry degreased all of the metal on the side structure, with the Meth Spirit ensuring that for safety reasons we wore masks to stop the toxic fumes getting into are body. Once we had degreased all of the side structures we started priming them with the white primer. We started on the stage right side and worked are way around all of the structures priming the metal. Whilst we were doing this Jake and the Fermors were basing the wood and the scrim on the structures with the white emulsion and Tom and Luke were working on priming and basing the ramp and the stairs. 

Once all of the metal on the side structures had been primed I moved on to prime the pavilion. Before I primed it I had to degrease it because it had not yet been degresed. Whilst I was degreasing Alan started priming so that it would get done quicker. After the pavilion was completed and went and assisted the basing of the ramp. Once the ramp was completed and all of the paint brushes were washed we were finished for the day. 

Strengths 

I feel I have been able to use my painting skills learnt when we the did the scenic paint theory to help base and prime the set. 

Weaknesses

I don't feel I have had any weaknesses today. 

Plan of Action 

Today we continued to work on the set for The Beano. We were in the main space in the morning, which gave us enough time to finish of the gauze's, start adding detail to the back structure and base coat the pier. 

I worked with Tom to finish of the gauze's. We continued using the Rosco Off Broadway Black which we had discovered last Friday took a long time to dry but today we had a longer so we were able to complete the black. Again like Friday I suggested that we lay out the gauze's how the would be hung so that we got the curve in the correct place.

After we had completed one of the gauze's Alan asked me to go and assist Evie and Harry who were adding the detailing to the wood on the back structure. To do this I had to stipple brown onto the wood starting thick on the outside, and getting less and less as I got into the middle of the wood. This would make it look a bit like mud. Once I had done that Evie then came along and stippled in different shades of green in a similar way as I had been doing with the brown. I found this easy to do and I had completed all of the brown in no time at all meaning that Evie could quickly go around and add the green in. 

Here is a picture of the brown I stippled in to the path on the back structure; 

At 1 pm we finished in the auditorium and we were asked to go and help construction. Once the actors had finished off in auditorium we went back into the auditorium and we carried on work. We were all given the task of scrimming all of the side structures. Scrimming is were you place a piece of fabric over a material, like polystyrene. You then paint over the fabric with glue, making sure that you remove all of the creases. When the glue dries it makes it easier for us to paint on. Most of it was easy, but in some cases it really annoyed me because there were some bits of the scrim that would not tick despite using a lot of glue. We managed to finish off all of the scrim, which meant that tomorrow we could start actually painting them. 

Strengths 

Today I feel I have been able to work autonomously to complete all the tasks I have been set despite them on some occasions annoying me.

Weaknesses 

I don't feel I had any weaknesses today. 

Plan of Action 

Today we continued to work on the set for The Beano. In the morning I was in construction assisting the in moving all of the side structure into the auditorium, and securing them to the wall. Once all of the structures we in myself and Jake then used the ground plan to guide the construction team in were to place the structures. Once all of the structure were in place Cooper then went around a secured all of the structures to the wall. He did this by attaching them to the wall.

In the evening after the actors had finished in the auditorium the design team went into the the auditorium to continue basing parts of the set. Like yesterday I carried on spraying onto the gauzes that were going to be placed on the walls of the auditorium. Yesterday I had finished spraying the blue onto the cloths and I now had to starts on the yellow. To spray the yellow I used Rosco Super Saturated Yellow Ochre which I water down 1:4 (1 part paint 4 parts water). After I had sorted out the paint I poured it unto the spray gun, ensuring that I sieved it to remove all of the pigments and stop the nozzle of the gun being blocked up. I then began spraying. Again like yesterday I ensured that I walked from left to right I. Order to keep the paint I spraying going in a straight line. I also had to remember that when I was spraying the big cloths to fade the colour when I stopped at each section so that I didn’t had just a big line of thick paint. I also did this to ensure that I had plenty of layers which helped to make it look more like a horizon. Alan started it, to shoe me were I had to start from and were I had to stop, and then left me to it. Whilst I was spraying the rest of the team were working on priming and basing the back structures and the pier. By the end of the evening we had all to the back structure primed and based, ready for its final paint job on the overnighter.

Strengths

Again I was able to independently spray the yellow on to most of the gauzes before we finished for the night.

Weaknesses

I don’t feel I had any weaknesses today

Plan of Action