Three Dimensional Signs – From 2D logo to 3D Sculpture – Part 1

One of the other services Custom Wood Carvings & More offers is custom three dimensional signs. I just look at it as another type of sculpture. This post will show you the creative process of taking a web page logo and turning it into a 2 ft. tall 6 ft. wide three dimensional sign.

I began by creating the sign in Photoshop to scale and printing out on outline on paper that could be traced and transferred to High Density Foam.

After cutting the letters out on a band saw and running them through a router table to put a 45 degree angle on the edges, the letters are sanded smooth with sandpaper and other tools.

The HDU foam letters are dunked in water to get the foam fuzzies off.

Next, the letters are painted with 3 or 4 coats of paint until the surface is fairly smooth for gilding.

Next, a sticky varnish called gilding size is applied to the fronts of all the letters. We used a slow size so we had plenty of time to work.

When the size is dried enough and tacky, it is time to apply the gold leaf.

The gold leaf is applied in very thin sheets and pressed onto the size. When you pull away the backing, the gold stays on the size.

Then we take a cotton ball and gently rub the gold to give a smooth and consistent surface.

That’s it for now, part 2 will show the background details. Thanks for looking! If you are interested in having a sign made, visit www.customwoodcarvings.com to contact me for a quote.

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Kris