'Getting lost in Laser Cut'..

As predicted, i've dived all the way in with this - everyone's gone home for xmas and the laser cutter room is dead, so i though it'd be a perfect time get some experimentation time under my belt without being rushed out of the room by other people wanting to use the machine. Despite it being a relatively simple process, as a rookie trying to work things out for himself and getting it exactly to my liking does end up taking a fair bit of time.

I had all the finished mask icon designs finshed, i just needed to decide on what form it would take when it came to laser cutting - so i played about with cut-out shapes and simple engraving onto 12x12cm plywood squares. 

As i discovered, the laser doesn't replicate gradient fades very well so i had to incorporate fades using halftone dots. Also engraving at different depths on different woods creates a number of outcomes, mainly a very, very scorched one. Thinner 4mm plywood was the ideal choice in the end,but it was still trial and error at this point

Obviously once i've left uni for xmas my laser cut playtime will have to end, so i'm making sure that whatever i want to with this medium it is done by then - as fun as it is, i know i've still got a whole load of essay writing to do sort out before Jan12th.