To say I love this AU and Jax design would be an understatement, Kalpeavaris is honestly such a goat with their style and creativity.
The handmade button was harder than expected. I tried to get him to be more purple toned, but it kept drying more blue. For the sake of my sanity I had to stop and move on. Then in the Digital I was trying out some newer shading and coloring.
Had to make a fun Pompuppet one, lol (totally not obsessed with her). From @thenumber1superspecialguy 's "I Wish I Could Talk To You". The other one is just a fun take on the abstracted eyes.
Below is my progress on the IRL Jailbreak/Jax button- I need smaller brushes for that one, so it'll be a hot minute before I continue it :/
This one was inspired by the art used in for the song Malevolence by HandfulJake, which is such a good song. I think it definitely deserves more listens (it does have a hard rock/metal like part a little over half way through- so it will get a little loud. )
edit:
Original thumbnail art made by @antisquare, check them out!!
With photos! - WARNING - Sharp pieces and ground metal, use proper PPE and supervision if needed!! If you use Epoxy, please have the proper PPE for that.
Need- Aluminum Can, Hand Towel, Paper Towels, Sandpaper, Acrylic Paint, Hot Glue or Epoxy, Safety Pin
Optional- Modeling Paste
First, drink your favorite canned drink and clean the can once empty. The bottom of the can is going to be the button. Create a small pinch cut with some smaller scissors. I then create a slit up to the bottom of the can for easier cutting.
Some bending and crushing of the can may need to happen to allow the scissors around the bottom. You want to cut out a rough circle to trim down later. Turn over the now separated bottom to have the "inside" part face you. Coming in at an angle helps get close to the edge of the circle. You want to get close to where the metal bends out to make the dome.
Next, I use a hand towel, paper towels, and sandpaper. The grit I use is shown here, but you can experiment with alternative grits. I will hold the piece CAREFULLY in a pinch like position and grind out the sharp pieces that could not be cut earlier onto the larger piece of sandpaper. These edges are still going to be SHARP, but you should have a more uniform shape. While sanding be sure to occasionally wipe done the button and gently shake out the sandpaper to keep the ground metal from causing issues.
Taking the smaller strip of sandpaper, I will pinch it around the edge and more aggressively grind the sharp edges down to become smoother. The edge should still feel a bit sharp, but not have any pieces sticking out that could catch/cut. Then grind the front face to create a rough surface for the paint and backing to grip to. Regularly wiping down the front face and feeling for roughness helps guide how much you much you still need to sand off. You want to be able to feel the scratches be somewhat prominent; essentially you don't want it to feel smooth. I also recommend washing your hands after all the sanding if you chose not to wear any glove, the ground metal can irritate the skin.
Lastly, I mix together some modeling paste and thick acrylic paint to create a better base for later paints. I use about a 1 : .75 of paste to paint ratio. If you use this know it WILL dry exactly how it is laid out with a lot of texture. Try to smooth out any hard points or globs as the paste will not allow the paint to self-level like normal. I will do about 2 thin coats before I even try to paint. This paste layer allows for easy sketching with pencil. after sketching or letting the paste mix dry FULLY, apply a thin primer layer and begin painting your design!
After painting I will use nail polish top coats to seal them. I love having texture, so using Matte, Gloss, or a mix will make the button pop!
Now, I haven't been able to make the backing for them yet. I have seen other tutorials use hot glue to keep safety pins in place to make this work. However, I have noticed the cans I have are really dramatically shaped, so the backing is really deep. I have gotten some epoxy to experiment with, but have not been able to use it yet. This post will be updated in the future with how I do this part of the process.
If you have questions or concerns let me know! Have fun creating!
God, this was so hard with how tiny these buttons are, but I'm happy with it. I'll seal it tomorrow, but the finish won't change much. I love this franchise so much <3
