Steampunk Bunny by Krisy Podolak

Hi Colour Blast Lovelies.

Krisy back again today to share with you a project that I started back in November but then I put it aside and finally found time to finish it.  This project is a KMart hack.  It started as a $5 cheap looking money box and I think it ended up pretty awesome.

Here's what it looked like in the beginning:

And this is what it looks like now:

 So how did I go about altering this little bunny? 

First, I applied a base layer of colour.  I used Colour Paste in Leather and a paint brush.  I applied quite thick layer and then over the top I applied a rough layer of Bling.  Then I set it aside to dry.

Once it was dry, mark out some armour lines with a white marker and glued on some modelling clay in long "snake" rolls.  This was to become the welding of the armour.  I didn't wait for it to air dry I just glued it on and carried on with the next step which was gluing on bits and bobs. Steampunk is a style that incorporates all things mechanical.  The definition as defined by Wikipedia "Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction or science fantasy that incorporates technology and aesthetic designs inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery."  

So, I set about gluing on cogs, metal pieces, wings, clocks, letters, a bottle cap.  At this point I am not concerned at all by colour.  I will be applying more layers over the top.  At this stage this is what it looked like from all sides.  I am not concerned by the hot glue showing either.  This will add to the "welded" look.

Then I started adding more layers of colour.  

I started with Dusty Charcoal Colour Paste and began focusing mainly along the welds.  Then I applied a layer of Leather focusing mainly on highlighting and covering any raw chipboard/wood veneer pieces.  Over the top of that I added some Deep Water Colour Paste.  The idea of the Deep Water is to create an oxidised effect. The same process as when copper is exposed to air over time.  It is only light and rough.  All these layers are applied with a really stiff old brush.  I am looking for texture also and the stiff brush helps achieve this.

I should note I applied colour where it was required without any concern for what I was covering. Colour Paste sticks to everything.  So I didn't need to prep anything so that it would "stick".  I just painted it on.

Next I added more layers.  I added some Steel Colour Paste because frankly Steel is a metal so the colour would be required and it is a nice contrast to all the dark colours.  Finally, I added some Bling Colour Paste.  I didn't dry between any of these colours.  It was a hot day and plus I wanted the colours to mix a little bit and blend.  As a final colour step, I added some Colour Mica Powder in Espresso randomly over the whole piece to give it a little shine and a tiny bit of Polar.  I added it with a dry brush and loosely brushed it on the tacky Colour Paste. I mainly focused on areas that needed a highlight like inside the ears and under the arms.

As a final touch, I added some more embellishments keeping them raw so they are a nice contrast to the ones covered in Colour Paste.  I added some old copper eyelets, a clock, some old watch cogs and a chain for his monocle.  And that is it.  Once it's fully dry in a few days I am going to apply a layer of Matte Spray varnish to seal it. Here is what the finished piece looks like from all angles.  The shine of the Colour Paste and the Mica Powder make it hard to photography properly but it is pretty awesome.

Thanks for looking today.  I hope I have inspired you to look at cheap finds a little differently.

Krisy xx