In order to laser cut my test character I had to vectorise the image. This required me to completely re draw the shapes in Adobe Illustrator, using 1pt lines (the only width a laser cutter will read). As the laser cutter cut my design into a sheet of 3mm purspex I was impressed by the line quality, the laser cutter cuts a very clean line that I wouldn't be able to achieve cutting the stencil by hand.
Success with the laser cutter led to disappointments when it came to paint. I was hoping for a clean and well defined line and even with marking tape it made a complete fuzzy mess, this is not what I had in mind for my resolved work. I want the lines and bold shapes to have clarity and defined details as they do on screen and in print.
In an attempt to save the day with spray paint I thought to experiment with the off cut from my purspex sheet. This gave an inverted effect that, while interesting did not meet my demands. Spray paint / stencil is decidedly not a medium I plan to work with, however my experience with the laser cutter has given me some ideas. I could cut my images in a more permanent material (perhaps MDF or ply) separately on the laser cutter with the aim to hang the as a massive woodcut - perhaps arranging a large woodcut mural sized piece.
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