random thought of the evening

[egypturnash]

I should attempt to make some light-up dragon wings to wear at Burning Man this coming year. Or at any other venue where light-up dragon wings are at all appropriate.

Work is not an appropriate place for such adornments, just in case you were wondering.

Comments

[revar.livejournal.com]

That sounds like a killer idea for BM. How were you thinking of lighting them?

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

I was thinking EL wire, kind of like the ones oCe made a while back. Except membranous dragon wing sketches rather than feathery bird wing sketches.

If you've got any other suggestions for methods, suggest away - having the whole membranes glowing in some weird, shifty manner would certainly fit in with Burning Man aesthetics.

[riose.livejournal.com]

EL wire would look good. Perhaps you could have several silhouettes of wings in motion, that sequence. Some group used that effect to produce galloping horses on their bicycles at BM over the last few years... probably my favourite night-time effect.

[revar.livejournal.com]

EL was my first thought as well. I'm not sure how to get it cheaply nowadays, though.

[mcgroarty.livejournal.com]

Work is not an appropriate place for such adornments, just in case you were wondering.

I'd wager that (a) not only could I get away with it, but (b) half the people there wouldn't even ask!

[doodlesthegreat.livejournal.com]

Working the Main Street Electrical Parade again?

[barberio.livejournal.com]

You could probably get enought square feet of the foam sheeting used for packing if you looked for it. That would make a nice 'translucent membrane' which you could thread light through.

This is the stuff - http://www.packessentials.com/packaging.asp?p=3009

You *will not be able to dye it* however, so it wont do if you dont like white.

[barberio.livejournal.com]

Reading everyone elses comments more atentivly... It apears everyone else thought of drawing dragons wings onto something.

While I thought of actualy making glowing membrane dragon wings.

See... I'm an engineer at heart...

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

In my mind, I see the wing struts outlined in lines of light, and the membranes as thickish plastic with light shining in from the hidden edges, faintly illuminating the whole surface, seeming brighter when the membrane flexes upon itself to afford a sidelong glimpse across more of the surface.

I suppose this implies that I might want some arrangement to make them able to flap. But that's best left for the second version.

[barberio.livejournal.com]

Balsa wood dowel painted white and wrapped in white EL wire? But you'll want to test to make sure it wont colapse under its own weight. Then stretch the foam wrap around each segment of stut, making 'cell pannels' of light...