FF14 - Bard- For Malinda

I will be completely honest I have admired Malinda's work for a VERY VERY long time and to be able to work with her on a project was something that I have always wanted to do. Great person, and if you ever get the chance to talk to her you will not be let down.

Here is the start of the process:

Challenge was to make the thing come apart for transport and to transform from bow to harp and back again.

Reference photos provided by Malinda:

I started by isolating the bow and making a template to work from

Using this template I cut the rough outline of the bow/harp. I had to use a nice plywood so that it would be able to tolerate the stresses it would need to take during the swinging of the bow handle.

The hook would slide into a channel and pin in. The channel would be covered by details later. Channel on the left is cut to allow the bandsaw to pass through. Jig saw was not an option here due to the precision necessary.

Started adding PVC details. Layers of PVC were added and carved to give more depth. Pins made from acrylic added to allow the thing to rotate into position to transform.

Added cosmetic details using PVC to stack. Stack 3mm PVC, carve and glue it down. 

Wound up conceding and cutting off the spike at the top to work on it separately.

Added carving and fluting details to the bottom of the bow. Carved with a utility knife.

Added mounts for the strings to slot into as well as some metal pieces at the bottom for the string.

Primed and sanded using Rustoleum Filler Primer

Base coats painted with spray paints. Hand painted with Testor's enamels.

Malinda finished it prior to con. I provided feathers, string and a bell.

She also did some painting improvements as well as added even more depth to the piece. 

Photo by Koisplay

Photo by MissMalloPhotography