We need an Upgrade!

Building Ashe’s quiver was the next piece I would have made for my original Ashe if I had the time. I think one of the reasons why I didn’t get around to making it sooner is that I had purchased a blueprint rather than a pattern. At the time, I didn’t know the difference. Basically, a blueprint is a flat outline, while a pattern has pieces you can cut and piece together. With a blueprint, you’re on your own with figuring out how to turn a 2D drawing into a 3D object.

This blueprint could be printed out to scale by taping several sheets of paper together.

Learning a new skill

This was a good place to start learning how to work with blueprints. It was a relatively simple structure (just a tube with some layers on top, right?). I’ve referenced this 3D model website many times for this project and I did so for this piece.

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/league-of-legends-wild-rift-ashe-for-uefn-7897482297fc4bf6b7fd168ff037253b

Making the base

I started with the tube. It wasn’t just a straight tube, but had a curve to it. Here’s the tricky part. I could trace the shape from the blueprint, but forming it into a tube wouldn’t shape it correctly. You need to account for some extra width for the circumference of the tube.

Let’s think this through…or not

This was all trial and error for me. I’ve been described as someone who is determined, enjoys a challenge and pays attention to detail (they aren’t wrong). Did it occur to me that I could use math to figure out the size of an oval given its diameter? Of course I did. But I chose not to. This was art, not a piece of engineering.

What I learned

I cut pieces of paper for each piece and adjusted them until they fit close enough. Foam is a bit forgiving; it can be stretched and squished, within reason. The tricky part was accounting for the thickness of the foam. A flat piece of paper might fit all the way around, but once you cut it out of foam, it might not work as intended.