Steampunk ATC Revived

For this swap you will render a living piece of art as an ATC inspired by the Steampunk culture/movement.

How should the ATC look? A traditional 2D background, rendered however you want it drawn, collage, painted, etc., and done with a Steampunk theme, then include extra elements which are raised from the background. These can include, but are not solely limited to: Cogs, machine parts, piping, small pieces of clockwork from a watch, brass (real or made to look like) and so on.

Subject: You can do a landscape (dirigibles in the air is one), humanity, a scene, an object or whatever. As with all my swaps I give you artistic license to create and forge a mini masterpiece from the depths of your imagination.

Here are some links that you may find useful:

Steampunk Workshop

Steampunk Fashion

Steampunk on Wiki

Steampunk Lab

• What is Steampunk? Steampunk is pseudo Victorian. Have you seen The Golden Compass? That's a recent movie example of Steampunk. Steampunk was influenced by, and often adopts the style of the scientific romances of the 19th century, by Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, Mark Twain, and Mary Shelley.

The term comes from an age when steam power is widely used (commonly 19th century Victorian England) and usually follows an alternate time line. That time line being one of if we had progressed into the 20th century with steam technology rather than the way we did with coal, gas and electricity. Therefore, you will find dirigibles, steam trains and carriages as opposed to modern equivalents. Guns are steam powered and it's an age of invention and right now you would be using an analog computer instead of digital.

Steampunk Laptop

Materials: Generally items introduced after the 1930's are not applicable (ie: plastic). A common list of materials for you to use (or replicate) are:

Natural materials such as felt, leather, twine, shellac, mica, hemp, ivory, and glass are used prominently, as before synthetic replacements were found.

Mechanical systems are often exposed, bare, and unshielded, with gears and levers capable of tangling loose clothing or tearing off flesh, as it was before worker safety became a concern in the 1930s.

Where equipment does have covering, it is wrapped in bronze, brass, or steel sheet metal plates. The exposed seams, rivets, and screws are often highlighted as decorative accents.

Fashion: "Steampunk fashion" has no set guidelines, but tends to synthesize modern styles as filtered through the Victorian era. This may include gowns, corsets, petticoats and bustles; a gentlemen's suit with vests, coats and spats; or even military-inspired garments. Often, Steampunk outfits will be accented with a mixture of technological and period accessories: timepieces, parasols, goggles and ray guns. Even modern accessories like cell phones or music players can be found in Steampunk outfits, after being modified to give them the appearance of Victorian-made objects. Aspects of Steampunk fashion have been anticipated by mainstream high fashion, the Lolita fashion and aristocrat styles, Neo-Victorianism, and the romantic goth subculture.

In film: Some films that have been classified as Steampunk:

The Fabulous World of Jules Verne, Time After Time, The City of Lost Children, Princess Mononoke, Wild Wild West, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Howl's Moving Castle, Steamboy, Van Helsing, The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello and The Golden Compass.

So, stiff upper lip and chip chip cheerio, time to get inventing and get your Steampunk groove on.

If you have any questions or queries, do ask. If you are unsure as to what is plausible, do pm me and I'll brainstorm it with you, if need be.

Swap bits and pieces:

1 partner, 1 ATC in total, senders choice but if you want to emulate an interest of your partner and fuse it through the Victorian genre then please do, but it is NOT necessary.

Example: Make them a Victorian i-pod or Steampunked-up Hello Kitty.

Again, artistic license is given to you freely.

As many of you know Jay will is no longer hosting this swap, but he has given me permission to do so. I know I had it on my Watchlist and if you had it on yours as well, then I hope you will still sign up. If you are new to the group or were thinking about it, I hope you sign up as well. This should be a really fun swap and I am looking forward to exploring the world of Steampunk with you all. Please contact me with any questions you may have or leave a comment and I will do my best to answer them!