Lim Keychain Prototype

For quite a while now I've been interested in moving some of my art into the physical world, but there are a lot of things to consider about how to do so, which has trapped me in a world of theory. Finally one project did get a clear path ahead, which was to emulate an acrylic keychain, and Lim was naturally chosen as the guinea pig brave adventurer to take on the task.

Despite how simple this keychain is, it took a surprising amount of work to produce. I had to draw her, carve and sand a clay pattern, cast a rubber mold, cut out the printed drawing, cast clear epoxy with the drawing embedded, sand off the flashing, drill a hole, and finally attach the chain. The whole process ended up taking about 20 days, though cold weather delayed both casting steps. You could produce something similar in one day using shrink film, heh. (Most homemade character keychains use shrink film.)

Being the prototype and my first time casting, there are naturally some issues, but it gives me a better idea of what to expect. Next in mind is a Kathryne Keyron version, then I'll probably make the step up to a more ambitious project.