In today's video, I decided to throw caution to the wind and break all the rules of wood staining. As we all know, no DIY project is complete without a few unexpected twists and turns. Join me on this artistic adventure as I transform a digital image of an Australian Shepherd into a tangible piece of wall art.
The Double-Edged Sword Digital Canvas
AI image generation is a fantastic tool for sparking creativity. However, it's important to remember that it's just the beginning. The real work lies in refining and editing the image to make it suitable for laser cutting. In my case, it took a solid 8 hours of meticulous editing to prepare the image for the laser cutter.
While AI can expedite the creative process, there's still a significant amount of manual labor involved. But the beauty of digital art is its reusability. Once you've perfected an image, you can use it repeatedly in various projects.
A Laser-Cut Adventure From Screen to Wood
The next step was to bring the digital design to life using a laser cutter. This project had a few more intricate pieces than usual, which made the transfer process a bit more time-consuming. Unfortunately, the initial outline proved to be too delicate, so I had to scrap it and engrave the outline directly onto the backing board.
Staining To Bring Color Into The Project
Now came the fun part: adding color! I mixed and matched different wood stains to achieve a color palette that closely resembled the original image. While I couldn't perfectly replicate the exact hues, I'm quite pleased with the final result. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the stained colors. Would you prefer a painted finish that more closely matches the digital image?
The household had a strong opinion about the original blue color of the dog, so I toned it down to a more subdued grayish-brown. And yes, I did use my workbench as a makeshift stain palette. It's a bit unconventional, but it works!
To ensure the black outline stood out, I painted the background black. This should provide a nice contrast once the piece is clear-coated.
The Finishing Touches: Gluing and Clear Coating
To assemble the pieces, I opted for a quick and easy approach, using B7000 glue. For the final coat, I chose a diamond coat wood finish in a glossy finish. I usually use a filter to remove debris from the spray can, but in this case, the filter was too fine and would have clogged the filter. So, I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best.
As I was spraying the clear coat, a small mishap occurred. The cap wasn't securely tightened, resulting in a small spill. Luckily, it was just on the edge of the piece and was easily cleaned up. However, this incident reminded me to always double-check my supplies before starting a project.
A Few Unexpected Challenges
Despite the initial hiccup, I continued to apply the clear coat, aiming for a thick, even layer. However, I encountered another issue: the clear coat seemed to be wicking away from certain areas, leaving behind a slightly uneven finish. This is a common problem with this particular gloss finish, but I've never had this issue with the satin version.
To minimize the appearance of these imperfections, I dabbed the affected areas with my finger and applied a second coat of clear coat. While the final result isn't perfect, it still has a nice glass-like finish, which I believe adds to the overall aesthetic of the piece.
A Lesson in Patience and Perseverance
This project was a valuable learning experience. It taught me the importance of patience, perseverance, and embracing unexpected challenges. While the process wasn't always smooth, the end result is something I'm proud of.
I hope you enjoyed this behind-the-scenes look at my creative process. If you're interested in learning more about the digital design aspect of this project, stay tuned for a future video where I'll delve into the specific steps involved in creating the image in AI and editing it in Canva and Lightburn.
Until next time, happy crafting!