We were asked by the Royal New Zealand Navy to create a realistic replica of the inside of one of their frigates, HMNZS Te Kaha, for a training auditorium at the Devonport Naval Base. At the front of the room is a recess that was to be transformed into an authentic representation of the ship’s bridge.

 

In order to create true-to-life artwork, we engaged photographer Greg Bowker to capture high quality images of the ship’s controls. We were given special permission by the Navy to come aboard the ship for the four-hour photoshoot. Due to the confined space and need for straight-on imagery, the photos were taken in a series of shots down the length of the bridge, in an effort to avoid any warping or fish-eye distortion. We then had a giant jigsaw puzzle to assemble digitally. It was an enormous task to collate all of the high resolution photos and stitch them together. Additionally, all of the photos needed to be edited and colour corrected for the light and shadow shifts that had occurred during the prolonged photoshoot. Many of the drop-shadows were fabricated in Photoshop for continuity, which required editing out the ones in the photos and replacing with a consistent effect. The artwork build files alone took a solid three weeks / 120 hours of work for the design team.

 

The recess in the auditorium has flat walls and a bench with cupboards beneath. The entire mural is digitally printed, besides the last computer workstation on the right-hand side (look for the cupboard handles to understand the deception of the illusion). For the most lifelike outcome, it needed to have impact both from a distance and up close. We captured and reproduced every last screw, dial, screen and device in the finest detail. We manufactured the horizon outside the windows to emulate being out on the open sea. The upper section of the image was blended into black to make it disappear.

 

Meticulous work was put into the preparation of the walls for a level 5 plaster finish before the graphics were applied, to ensure there were no bumps or blemishes in the surface. We used a satin over-laminate on our digital prints to match the real finish onboard the ship.

 

Health and safety regulations required a handrail to be installed behind the computer workstation – or perhaps it’s for those who are prone to a little sea sickness.