Fabula Mechanica
At Katya Ironworks, we depend on blueprints to produce interchangeable parts. While parts become machines and leave our shop for new adventures, blueprints stay behind. Over the years, we collected quite the entrancing blueprint archive. We find it pleasing to flip through them and daydream what those machines we helped build may be doing right now. This gave us the idea for a new kind of blueprint. Not just the profile of a machine but the story of its life, not just a plan but a narrative. We call these blueprints The Fabula Mechanica. And we would like to share their beauty with you.
HOW WE MAKE THE FABULA MECHANICA
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Blueprints have one intended meaning and generally speaking not subjectively interpreted. This distinguishes them from visual arts because they are not considered expressive drawings. We wanted to change that by adding a narrative to a blueprint. All our Fabula Mechanica are born as a blueprint, and first painstakingly hand-drawn using old-world methods, and digitized. We use only the primitives as codified in ISO 128. The principle is poetry with geometry. We produce professional, OEM accurate, fabrication grade engineering drawings. We then take it a step beyond a blueprint by adding our artistic flair. We use axonometric projection, and sometimes combine multiple blueprints, creating the narrative of a fabula mechanica. Finally we have our pen plotter draw it for you.
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OUR PEN PLOTTER
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While pen plotters are nothing new, what we have in our shop redefines what a pen plotter can be. Exclusive to Katya Ironworks, with a massive 500 kg all metal frame and full ARCH-E paper capacity, ours is Optimus Prime with a Sakura drafting pen. Four-axis movement, 64-bit resolution, pressure sensitive pen holder, our machine draws with precision and grace. It can draw a V6 engine, and a lactobacillus-acidophilus next to it, both in 1:1 scale. You could not see the bacteria with naked eye but we have the incredible resolution to draw it. And that resolution makes organic drawings indistinguishable from human hand. When you hold the luxurious paper afterwards, you can feel every nuance of human touch. Even the minute physical indentations left by the tip of the pen are perceptible. ​
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OUR PAPER
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Our paper is made by Carson in France. The finest art paper you can find, our incredibly durable 98 lb sheets are made from 50% cotton linen, specifically designed to provide a supreme surface for masterpieces. Their are archival grade acid-free surface is recommended for displaying finished artwork in galleries. Buffered, acid-free, pulp-dyed, light-resistant, it has excellent protection against aging. Exceptional pigment adhesion, unlimited layering, designed to withstand layers of wet strokes and maintain fine lines for decades to come. Our paper has two surfaces and we can draw for you on either one of your choice. One side has a honeycomb grain, contributing to its personality, that easily retains the pigment and has a bold look. The other side has a fine grain, ideal for finest lines of fine ink. We decide which side to draw based on the unique artwork, but you can make requests.
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OUR INK
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​​Our drafting pens as well as their fine ink are made by Sakura in Japan. This is the same grade ink used in blueprints (duh), tattoos, calligraphy, and comics. As opposed to the common inks which are transparent and require white paper to work, our ink is opaque, creamy, colorful, and the pigment is legendary for its vivid color. It is archival grade, waterproof, fade resistant, chemical proof, lightfast, vibrant, permanent, odorless, acid-free, and pH neutral. Not only it is never coming off, it will also not ghost, smear, nor bleed through your drawing. ​​
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HOW TO ORDER YOUR DRAWINGS
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If you share our blueprint passion and enjoy our Fabula Mechanica, this is your chance to have your very own drawn! Choose from our extensive database of machines. There are over 2000 in aircraft alone to choose from. We also have iconic cars, motorcycles, guitars, and everything in between. As a machine shop we have a library of thousands of factory specs. Combine it with decades of experience making technical drawings. If you cannot find what you are looking for you can simply imagine your own favorite machine and we will draw it for you. We can customize it with your license plate, nose art, tail number, or other identifying features. Choose from 8.5"x11", 12"x18", 19.5"x25.5", 22"x28", or ask for a custom paper size. Our machine not only draws but it can also cut paper to any precision size.
GET IT FRAMED!
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Optionally, you can order your Fabula Mechanica with one of our premium quality cast-acrylic frames. These are machine-shop grade acrylics, not sold in stores. They are made in Japan. The same acrylic we use to make precision machine parts with. They are very heavy, thick, with a brilliant crystal clarity, military grade strength, and will not yellow or dim even outdoors. We can machine or engrave the frame also, to add even more depth to the artwork.
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WHERE TO ORDER YOURS
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Please navigate to our store page and purchase a Fabula Mechanica of the size you wish. Then send us an email with the artwork title and/or number you wish us to draw for you. We will, after your approval of the design and revisions, draw it for you and mail it to you. If you like, you can also have a video of your drawing being made for free.