Welcome to this week’s Epic Gamer Artist interview. Tim from the Team Epic Gamers here, sitting with Matt from Minnesota. He’s a Gears of War fan and a designer. We’ll be showing his awesome Gears of War weapons — made from corrugated cardboard!
A: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
M: Well I’m 20 years old, Live in Minnesota and have always loved making things myself. I have always been so impressed by all the cool different guns in Gears Of War so I figured why not make some to hang in my entertainment room.
A: Seeing that you’ve gotten inspiration from the weapons in Gears of War, how long have you been playing the game?
I have been playing since the first Gears, after watching my brother play I would tag along sometimes when he was playing. I have been a fan ever since.
A: So you work with corrugated… as in, corrugated cardboard paper? What is it that you do exactly?
M: Yes I am I Structural Package designer, I design the big video games displays along with some over head displays and thing like that.
A: You have a really good sense of how the weapon should feel. Do you have a background, or general experience with sculpting, if any at all?
M: No I don’t really have any background sculpting or anything like that. Information is key when doing things like this, I read a lot before I began to start making these.
A: Could you fill us in on how you created these awesome replicas? Surely it’s more than just good old paper and glue!
M: The way I go about making them is pretty simple with the help of a couple modeling and CAD programs, some generous people and the 405th-Infantry supply 3-D Models.
I start with a 3-D model and convert the model into a useable file in Google Sketch-Up. I use a plug-in called slicer to make the correct size pieces the same thickened of the corrugated I would use.
After that is done, because I do not have the full version of Google sketch up I set the view to perfectly flat on the X or Y axis to see the pieces perfectly flat with no Z axis. I export them go to print and save them as a PDF.
From there I go about taking the file into a Vector editor such as Illustrator or Inkscape to clean up some little things that may cause problems on the CAD Table. Then export that into DX-f and send it to myself at work.
I use a corrugated packaging software called Artios and make sure they are all complete and clean looking to make for easy cutting. Then I lay them out in Artios how they lay on top of each other and and holes to line everything up. After all that I cut the pieces out of double wall corrugated to make them strong and that is the stage they are at as of now.
A: Have anything you’d like to say to your fellow Epic Gamers in the community?
M: I hope you guys enjoy the weapons so far, my brother is going to take some time to paint and maybe model one to make it look more realistic!
And remember, if you have awesome work to share, tell us! Head on over to the Epic Gamers forum, or let us know at the Epic Gamers group on deviantART.
Posted by Flak
Apr 25, 2012
Last week, Epic Gamer of the Month Alvaro “Sanyaca” Stuardo sent us his drawing of Epic Games Art Director, Chris Perna as a member of the COG Army. The likeness was amazing and Chris was really touched by the gesture. Along with the prizes Alvaro won for being Epic Gamer of the Month, we will also be sending Alvaro a print of the image signed by Chris.
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