How to build a brick wall, without using bricks

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Here are some photos from the show we've been painting. Since I've been sick, I have been coming into the shop in the mornings, getting my painters set for the day and then going home around lunch time. I could not be more pleased with the work that everyone has done!




We start with a wooden structure. Since this show, like everything we build, has to fit into a truck for transport to the theater, the locations of seams are very carefully chosen.




The carpenters apply sheets of molded plastic bricks. We caulk the seams between the sheets of brick, and then we paint everything with the color of the mortar. Based on the research provided by the set designer, we mix a variety of brick colors. Foam rollers are cut to the width of our bricks, and the paint is rolled on in a comesy-goesy manner. To avoid a cartoony appearance, we apply many layers of paint.




Right now, the bricks are all painted, but everything looks too clean and new.




We apply all sorts of dirty colors, in order to make the walls look like they have a lot of history. It is tricky to find the balance between getting a nice patina of age (good), and making your scenery look like a haunted house (bad). Our goal is to match the designer's model as closely as we can.

Once this set is loaded into the theater, we'll adjust the colors and textures as needed.

Comments

i swear, what yall do is amazing!
Anonymous said…
I really think the bricks should have more of a yellowish tint to them, in honor of your illness.

How about that idea? After all, why not match your work, eh?

Annalisa
Anonymous said…
looks very nice. great work.
condo

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