I researched how crowns sit on the head, as well as researched the scene this specific crown is for as mentioned in the design description. I also researched what crosses look like.
I complied parts of the different designed provided, especially parts I noticed themes of throughout to create a design that would fit within the vision. Below is the process. I wanted something light with emphasis towards the front of the crown. I struggled in effectively drawing what I visualized.
2/7/26
After some experiments with different hard plastics, the best material I found that fit the shape and wasn’t too brittle was cardboard. I made the crosses out of cardboard and used papermache to secure it to the crown. I also used papermache to cover the holes left by the gems and to make it fit in the world of the play I used the same technique around the bottom of the crown, as such any difference in texture after the painting will be more believable to the audience and stand out less.
2/8/26
I then painted the crown back and began putting the findings onto it, seeing what fit where and experimenting with different pieces before finding what I liked the best. I changed the design to not cut the spikes(?) off, and instead kept them to incorporate into the designs. A big worry was weight, and I tried to figure out what pieces to use which would add depth without putting too many on top of each other. I did use E6000 to glue the metal on, as sculpt-a-coat did not stick the metal effectively and some of the pieces were wobbly, as such I worried about integrity while on stage. E6000 is a commonly used jewelry glue and is safe once cured, necessary precautions were taken to take into account toxicity while using it.
2/10
I redid the crosses to give them a more polished feel, using a template to cut them out and thinner cardboard which makes them look less bulky. I also secured some of the loose metal findings and did a test swatch of my gold paint! I did a drop test to ensure they would survive falling from an actors head if the worst occurred, and it did!
2/11
I painted the metal findings black, and once that dried I painted the entire crown gold, purposefully flaking off some of the black paint on the metal to make it noticeabley textured and add depth, as well as not trying to make the paint completely even.
2/12
I added the gemstones, re-secured the foam, and added some more texture to the paint to help create depth. I did later remove the foam and attempted to add felt, however that proved fruitless as due to the size and shape of the crown it would not stay on, so I reattached the foam.
Overall I am really happy with how the metal findings look on the crown, I was extremely worried a significant amount of texture would be lost or that they wouldn’t stay on. I also think there is significant improvement in my papermache technique from this project to the last. I am unhappy with being unable to use felt for the crown, and in the future or if I had more time I would find a way to redo the size and shape to remain on my head and still be comfortable without the foam. I also would likely do the texturing with the paint differently. I’m really happy that I can drop the crown and nothing has popped off (so far) as that is what I was most worried about.