In 2008 we extended the popular Dr Who section from 2007. More pictures of the Doctor with his new sidekick Donna were added, along with new monsters such as the Oods and the Sontaran, plus some three dimensional models of the Tardis and the Daleks.

The 2-D images of the Dr Who characters were supplied by the BBC, but it was my job to find suitable backgrounds for the images and create the finished designs.

These designs were then projected onto the fibreglass shells and the outline drawn on, before spray painting commenced. As you'll see from the gallery, I painted the feature showing the Doctor and Donna. I have included several photos of the work in progress to give a better idea of how the feature was created. The characters are created using the lightest colours first and masking tape where a crisp edge is required. This type of work is one of the more challenging types of painting that I do, as it is very hard to correct any mistakes once the paint has dried, which can be in a matter of seconds!

The 3-D models were made from polystyrene, using some shop bought toy models of the Tardis and a Dalek for reference. Each measurement from these toys was carefully scaled up and then created in polystyrene. This is then plastered, sanded down to gove a smooth finish and then fibreglassed to make moulds. This had to be done in several pieces to prevent undercuts in the mould, allowing the casts that are consequently made to come out of the mould without breaking it.

After all the pieces of the mould have been cast, they are fibreglassed together and the model is handed over to the Illumination's talented fitters who fit out the models with a steel frame so that they can be hung from lamp-posts. The Illumination's experienced electricians then add all the fancy lighting effects and the models then return to the artists (me and my colleagues) who begin the painting process.

The finished product is very impressive. The Daleks have moving heads and the famous "EXTERMINATE!!" sound effects, while the Tardis has coloured spinning lights and doors that pop open to reveal the Doctor behind. There are four of these in the display which light up in turn, to create the illusion that the Tardis is travelling through time and space along Blackpool's promenade!

Photo Gallery

Dr Who and Donna Road Feature (1 of 9) - Skintones added - Dr Who 2008 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough

Dr Who and Donna Road Feature (2 of 9) - Face and hands started - Dr Who 2008 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough

Dr Who and Donna Road Feature (3 of 9) - Faces completed - Dr Who 2008 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough

Dr Who and Donna Road Feature (4 of 9) - Clothes started - Dr Who 2008 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough

Dr Who and Donna Road Feature (5 of 9) - Clothes completed - Dr Who 2008 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough

Dr Who and Donna Road Feature (6 of 9) - Nearly complete - Dr Who 2008 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough

Photo Dr Who and Donna Road Feature (7 of 9) - Finished product - Dr Who 2008 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough

Dr Who and Donna Road Feature (8 of 9) - Lit up finished product - Dr Who 2008 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough

Dr Who and Donna Road Feature (9 of 9) - Sarah Myerscough (me) with finished product - Dr Who 2008 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough

Sarah Myerscough (me) with Dr Who Road Feature - Signed by David Tennant (© F Price - Many thanks!) - Dr Who 2008 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough

Dalek Road Feature (1 of 7) - Polystyrene base used for mould - Dr Who 2008 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough

Dalek Road Feature (2 of 7) - Polystyrene body used for mould - Dr Who 2008 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough

Dalek Road Feature (3 of 7) - Fibreglassed Dalek with creator Shoichi Yasuda - Dr Who 2008 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough

Dalek Road Feature (4 of 7) - Painted and fitted with steel frame - Dr Who 2008 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough

Dalek Road Feature (5 of 7) - Paint detail - Dr Who 2008 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough

Dalek Road Feature (6 of 7) - Head before fitting - Dr Who 2008 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough

Dalek Road Feature (7 of 7) - Completed with electrics fitted - Dr Who 2008 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough

Tardis Road Feature - Doors not fitted showing painted Dr Who - Dr Who 2008 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough

Tardis Road Feature - Doors fitted - Dr Who 2008 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough

Tardis Road Feature - Sarah Myerscough (me) with completed feature showing inside doors - Dr Who 2008 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough

Tardis Road Feature - Sarah Myerscough (me) with completed feature - Dr Who 2008 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough

Tardis Road Feature - Completed feature lit and showing steel frame - Dr Who 2008 - Blackpool Illuminations Gallery - © Sarah Myerscough

What are Blackpool Illuminations?

If you have landed on this page from Google or another search engine or from a link on a website, you might just be wondering what you are looking at.

Dr Who 2008 is a feature within Blackpool Illuminations, the greatest free light show on earth, where Sarah Myerscough (me) works as an artist. The Illuminations are an annual event that takes place from late August / early September to November, along six miles of the promenade in Blackpool, a seaside resort in the North West of England.

Blackpool itself is the most visited seaside resort in Europe and provides family entertainment throughout the year. It has three piers, the 518ft Blackpool Tower featuring an excellent circus, miles of golden sands, a huge amusement park (Blackpool Pleasure Beach), a waxworks (Madame Tussaud's), a Sea Life Centre, a Ripley's Believe It Or Not, a zoo (Blackpool Zoo), two major theatres (Grand Theatre and The Opera House), dozens of amusement arcades (including Coral Island), a water park (Blackpool Sandcastle) and much, much more...

Where should you go next?

If you have landed on this page by chance and are wondering where to go next:

• For more behind the scenes photographs of the Illuminations, select another page from the Blackpool Illuminations Gallery menu.
• For information about my life as an artist, take a look at my Timeline pages.
• If you are interested in purchasing artworks, take a look at my For Sale pages.
• If you're not sure what you want, why not try my Lucky Dip?
• Finally, if your appetite has been whet for a visit to Blackpool, take a look at my About Blackpool pages for links to Blackpool attractions, accommodation, events and more, but don't forget to bookmark me and come back some time!

Disclaimer

Doctor Who, the Doctor Who Logo and the TARDIS name and image are Copyright © by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) 1963, 2004. The Dalek name and image Copyright © Terry Nation 1963. No infringement on any of these Copyrights (or any Doctor Who BBC Licence Holder Copyright) is either implied or intended.

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© Sarah Myerscough 2009-2024