Activity apparatus and method for compressing pliant translucent material to generally instantaneously create a lithophane-type pictorial work

Abstract

Activity or craft apparatus and method for simply, inexpensively, and generally instantaneously creating a thin lithophane-like pictorial work that provides a picture or image when light passes through the work from the rear. The work is formed by compressing a formable translucent material. The illustrated apparatus includes a contoured forming surface that is a reverse image of the contoured recessed picture-providing front surface of a desired lithophane-type pictorial work. The translucent material is compressed against the forming surface to form the material into a thin panel that has, at the interface with the forming surface, the contoured recessed picture-producing front surface. In one form the forming surface is mounted on a stamp. The stamp may be hand held or maybe mounted on a press or the like. Thickness limiting stops may be provided to control and limit the final thickness of the compressed finished work. The material may be supported on a suitable surface such as a non-opaque wall of a light-box so that the picture provided by the finished work can be seen by the user as soon as the work is formed and the stamp is removed. In another preferred embodiment, the contoured forming surface may be transparent so that the picture of the work can be seen as soon as the work is formed and backlit, without having to separate the work from the forming surface.