SPN_J2_BigBang 2015 Artpost

[beelikej]

This year's spn_j2_bigbang was right in the middle of one of the most intense times in my life. As some of you know, I lost my job of 19 years and I will officially be unemployed on September 1st. Doing arts & crafts in my rare spare time provided a wonderful distraction, but it was rather difficult to focus in between looking for jobs, applying for jobs and my current job getting increasingly awkward. Fortunately I claimed an inspirational story and got to collaborate with a great author, which turned this into one of my most creative paperprojects:)
I proudly present:



Title: Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun
Author: crimsonepitaph
Artist: beelikej
Medium: Papercutting
Pairing: Jensen/Jared, sidepairings Jared/Jason Momoa, Jensen/Danneel*
Genre: RPS AU
Story Rating: NC17
ART Rating: G! (Okay a bit of clothed snogging, so maybe PG?)
Wordcount: ~26.100
Warnings: graphic depictions of violence, alcoholism, mentions of drug use, infidelity*
Summary: Jensen's a cop. Jared's the bartender at the bar across the street from his precinct. They fall in love. Only, it's not that simple. Jared 's still running from his past, and Jensen's a man who doesn't know how to accept the present.

Artist's Notes: * See more detailed explanations in the Fic Masterpost!
Not going to lie: I picked this story not only for the enticing Cop!Jensen/Bartender!Jared combination, but very much also for the inclusion of Jason Momoa *grins* Besides my superficial reasons I truely love how serious this story is and how these guys are definitely real men and not simply boys in love. These are complicated relationships! I tried to show that specifically in the endbanner with all the main players connected and the spiral behind them symbolizing life's ability to spin out of control.

All the artwork!
In the storybanner up above I incorporated Jared's tattoos and Jensen's favorite colour (I know police-blue is really darker, but that's my artistic choice;). I feel these represent the two of them. After I settled on the style, I tried to use that concept on the rest of the artwork as well.
Here's the whole set, starting with the end-banner:




View from the top and an alternative folded version of Jason and Danneel with black silhouette background.
There is a very extensive photoset about this design in the Making of session:)

CHAPTERHEADERS
I made two ribbon shapes: one for short numbers, one for longer ones.






DIVIDERS
The Previous/Next buttons come in a separate set and one that can be combined



These are two images right next to each other (no link button here, but check them out in the story)!



ICONS
No set is complete without icons/userpics;)




EXTRA: TWO SCENES
I also tried to visualize two scenes from the story, maybe you want to skip those if you haven't read the story yet. I put them behind a spoiler-cut together with their making of.
These were an experiment in perspective and I ran out of time to fiddle with them any longer, but hopefully you'll get the idea;) Click to zoom!

Jason and Jared smooching in the hallway & Jared and Jensen in the hospital

A little peek behind the scenes....
A set of progress pictures of the hospital scene. It was a race against the clock to finish the hallway scene with Jason and Jared, so I didn't stop to take photos of the process;)

First pencil sketches


Final pencil sketches


I copied those drawings on blue and white paper (mirrored!), painted the white paper black on the back and started cutting the puzzel pieces.


Putting the puzzel together. I had to number the floor tiles to keep track:)

Speaking of the work in process, below I'm sharing how I made all the other pieces...
Seen enough? Click HERE to go straight down to the end:)


How it was made
A story in pictures... (Click to zoom in)
STORYBANNER

First pencil sketches of storybanner and portraits


For papercutting I draw a mirror image, it's hard to see if the text flows atractively


Set up and lettertest


Trying to create depth with two shades of blue


After test sketching by hand I made the definite text with much tighter lettering prints


I painted the back (front) black




Transferring the ribbon to a final background. Now play close attention to where I'm fucking up here...


... and not just with the story title either... /o\


I didn't notice my mistake until weeks later, when I was about to mail the art to my author!!
(I had been working on all the other pieces in between)


Fortunately I used rubber cement which you can rubb off to replace layers


This time I triple checked dear crimsonepitaph's name before grabbing the marker. Literally minutes before midnight last Sunday I finally got it right, pfew.

CHAPTERHEADERS

I made two types of ribbons; one for short numbers, one for longer ones.


Because I used the same base, I didn't use glue and I had to take a lot of photos because of shifting bits.


I also tested the effect with and without flash

DIVIDERS

Testing the tattoo look: I used two fonts that I mixed together. Set up the text in Illustrator, printed that and then traced it with marker for that handwritten tattoo feel. I also liked the subtle bleeding of the paper; I tried three different markers to get the perfect effect (Click to zoom)

Next: another long babble session about how I made the fold out portraits.
Seen enough? Scroll down to the end


3D FOLD OUT PORTRAITS

First sketch. On the right a more detailed traced sketch of Jared's face.


Measuring the lay-out.


Cutting the spiral (I made a computer print and traced that)


First cut of the front with Jensen and Jared. Checking the lay-out again.


I use my light table to see if I cut through the paper.




Made a black silhouette cut out.


Jared's done, Danneel's next.


This portrait has tiny details, see how big that knife is? If you click on the cut out eye you can see the paperfibers!


After Danneel, I cut Jason's face, with even more tiny details, so no time for WIP photos;)


I resketched Jensen's face and couldn't tell if that was the right choice until I turned off my lighttable and saw his eyes "pop". \o/


Adding blue and black backgrounds.


Tadaah: finished back and front.


First 3D phototest and adding the end banner


Photoshoot time!


Effect with and without flash

Last but not least:

My favorite shot of the fold out design: taken standing up, so it reflects in my black dinnertable.
THE END :-p

THANK YOUS
Thank you, crimsonepitaph, for that awesome story, for encouraging my unconventional artdirection and for making me research Jared together with Jason Momoa;) More about that exploration and credit to other references in my sourcepost!
Also thanks to wendy for organizing this wonderful fandomevent.
As always a thank you to all visitors of my journal for stopping by. I'd love for you to leave a comment, however short or long. Concrit is also welcome:)

J.

Want to see more papercutting posts? Check the tag!
My masterpost of artsy fiddling from 2010 an onwards