Halloween Witch How To

Secret of the Witch

Last week I invited all into the Witch's Cottage. 

I got several emails asking me about the witch. 

What was she?

Where did she come from?

Was she just an image photoshopped in?

No...she's real...she really is in my living room.

Here is her secret.

I did photoshop her a skirt in some of last weeks photos.

I made her about four years ago. 

I found a vintage photo of a prim and proper victorian woman online.

I added a witch's hat to her using illustrator and photoshop.

I then enlarged her to life size and sent the file to what was then, Kinko's,

which is now FedEx Office.

I had her printed on their large format black and white banner printer.

They also have a large format color printer which I could have used

but I was trying to keep cost down. 

The black and white paper print of her cost me no more than $15 if that. 

I then had them mount her to foam core, another service they offer.

I then brought her home and cut her out using an exacto knife.

Total cost was probably about $65.

I can't remember exactly because it's been awhile.

The black and white banner printer prints 3 feet wide and really as long as you want. 

I've done as long as 12 feet.

Her nasty little secret...she's very shallow or thin depending on how you look at it.

My plan was to do a different witch every year till I had a group of them to sit around a table.

But I haven't gotten around to making others.

Now, there are digital printers and sign companies that you can send your file to 

and they will print to a heavy plastic board and they will cut it out for you.

Cost would be $100 - $150.

Not really in my budget this year.

But that printing is nearly indestructible. 

I've done several large projects for work using the process and it's really fantastic.

But for the money, you can't beat the black and white banner printer at FedEx Office.

You could easily and cheaply create a wall similar to this using the black and white banner printer.

Find a spooky old photo and blow it up.

It's best to use the largest photo you can find....but actually even if the image is pretty pixellated, 

it still looks good from a distance. Same way billboards look bad close up but good from a distance.

That witch photo was actually only about 12 inches at 72 ppi and yes upclose she's a little rough 

but from a distance she looks just fine.

On Halloween night my witch will be sitting at the window looking out with a 

strobe light flashing on her. She always scares the little kids...they think she's a real witch. 

They always jump and scream when they see her.

If I had the budget I'd make lots of ghosts and monsters to haunt my house in this manner. 

Maybe next year. 

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