Help With Ideas, PLEASE!!!

[Hasey]

Hi guys 'n' gals need help coming up with some ideas. Got a call today from a fireplace manufactuer asking what could be done on them to make them different, you know, stand out from the usual marble, stone effects etc. I did tell him, as you do that pretty much anything can be put on them but he wants me to come up with some ideas. Said to give him a call back after the weekend to arrange a meeting. I'd be very grateful for any ideas any of you may have that would be apropriate, I've only come up with floral and fire upto now lol. I'm guessing he's after something unique, by the way they're made of good old MDF. This could be (fingers crossed) the thing that gets me off the ground. Any input grately appreciated.

[Guns]

Gears, bio-mechanical, skulls, tru-fire, blue fire, green fire, purple fire, water droplets, clouds.

I'd ask him for a sample fireplace to work on as you will need to see what state the materrial comes to you in. If it is bare, untreated MDF you will need to seal it as it will suck the moisture out of paint in a flash and leave a really dull and patchy finish.
I'd be inclined to give the whole surface a coat of watered down PVA glue, leave it 24 hours in a warm place then at least one coat of white household Gloss paint as that will leave you a sealed, smooth surface to work on. YOu can scuff it with a green scotchbrite pad to give it some key, paint whatever you want on top of that and seal it with a waterbased clear.

As it is a fire surround, stick with waterbased paints as the heat could affect solvent based paint badly i.e. make it give off flamable vapours!

Hope it works out for you mate

[Hasey]

Cheers Ian hopefully I can meet up with him next week and see what state or finish they take them to. I'll only use waterbase on anything anyway as I'm working from home, just have to look into the clear. I'm liking the gears/cogs and the biomech ideas.

[airblast]

Celestial designs like stars, moons, planets, comets

Mystical beings like unicorns, gremlins, gargoyles, faeries

Vines

[Sam]

the concept that buyers could have their own unique ideas designed and painted...don't limit yourself to particular ideas...but also explain the number of hours involved in designing and then painting

[Zaragon]

The shape and style of the surround could also point the way in terms of what is painted. If it is a victorian style then perhaps carriages and horses or Sherlock Homes, Tudor could be cottages and farms. More modern could be steam trains and ocean liners.

How about some imitation fireplaces with talking heads in them a-la Harry Potter style

You may want to think of commercial designs though I'm not sure that skulls would be a common preference for a fire surround but they are not going to want them to be £1,000s so somethings which can be done quite quickly but look more expensive are likely to be preferred.

[Mr Pid]

How about good old marblising - always looks good!

[Artspray]

take a look at mike learns guiters over on his site ,if its not available publicly some kind person may let you know thier password

he uses some funky techniques that would trasfer over to most any object

[Hasey]

Paul I've seen those guitars and like you said, some good effects, only thing is he's not divulging his methods, seems it's gonna end up on another DVD.

[Artspray]

ahh didnt realise he was keeping it close to his chest

Paul