Decorative Elements

Pre-finish. I wish I had taken more pictures to show you.

My general intention was to imply that the trident was made from natural elements without fine craftsmanship. These are the things I used:

• Foam covering - I covered everything except for the tines themselves in this foam. I think it turned out great. It wasn’t smooth, as the components underneath created bulges, etc, but I like the way that looked. After I applied the foam I lit up the LEDs and marked each spot with a sharpie, then cut it out with an Xacto knife. One thing I regret about applying the foam is that I didn’t fully consider where the seams would end up. With more foresight I think I’d have had a front and back, at least on the shaft, with seams running up both sides that I could then cover with some ribbon. I don’t think the seams were visible on stage but it would have made for a better finish close-up. I applied the foam with hot glue.
• White electrical tape - I used copious amounts of tape. All the LEDs were held down by tape. The tines were completely covered with tape. I used an entire roll of 66 feet!
• Liquid Leaf Paint - After wrapping with tape I painted the tines with gold leaf. A little goes a long way so one small bottle is far more than enough. The paint I used was a bit darker than I would have liked but it still worked well.
• various ribbon - for finishing edges and adding some detail.