Introduction: Cool Spinnin' Art/Wallpapers

About: I like to make stuff and have alot of ongoing projects. Hopefully I'll come up with some great things to share!

I wanted to make something cool out of these European Capital Landmarks from Creative Market (https://creativemarket.com/bhj/20869-European-Capi... So after a quick look around my room, I stumbled upon the motor from a DVD (could also have used CD) player I just took apart a couple of days ago.

Here's the trippy pictures I took, and they make great wallpapers for phones or computers.

Step 1: ​Materials:

9V battery

Switch

Motor from DVD/CD drive

Blank sticker sheet

DVD/CD

Tape

Alligator test leads

Resistors (for different motor speeds)

Step 2: Tools:

Scissor

Phone or camera

Powerful lamp

Printer

(permanent marker)

Step 3: Set Up the Spinner!

Salvage the motor from an old DVD/CD drive.

Now we're going to connect the battery, the motor, switch and resistors together. And while you do that, start printing the Landmarks (the file named: European-Capital-Landmarks-01.png).

Take the motor and fasten it down with a piece of tape on either side.

Now take your 9V battery, and follow the (very simple) schematic:

Wire one of the battery leads to one terminal on the switch with test leads (or solder, if you want it to be more permanent), then from the other terminal to the motor and back to ground. Make space for resistors in the circuit (crude speed control).

As you can see in the last picture I'm strangling the black test lead, because it broke on me. Keep things like that in mind.

Step 4: Art Approach 1.

Now on to the fun part (it's going to get even more fun towards the end): Taking the pictures!

Cut out the landmarks that you prefer, and peel the plastic film off the back. Now they're armed and sticky as F*CK!

Take one and center it as best as possible on the motor, press the button and spin away! Oh, and remember to point a lamp at the motor, because that enables your camera to focus on the fast moving sticker and not just show a bunch of motion blur, but it'll instead distort the picture in wonderful ways. To get even wierder pictures, get closer to the spinning action. Look at your screen and it should start showing lines like the ones you get when filming a screen (for me atleast). Thats a sign that there'll be good distorsion when you snap a pic.

I'll show my results at the end of this 'ible.

Protip: Experiment with camera flash

Step 5: Art Approach 2.

Now on to som blingedy-di-bling-bling!

Get your DVD/CD and place it on the motor (shiny side up), and check if it spins steadily. If it doesn't, change it out or try to balance out weight differences with something (tape maybe?).

Now get four landmarks and place them on the disc like shown in the pictures. Flick the switch, and let the whirring fill you ears.

Take pictures from different distances, angles and speeds. Also, don't forget to angle the light, because it works great when the light is reflected from the DVD directly into the camera.

Step 6: RESULTS!

Here are the quite amazing pictures i managed to take. The first ones are the 1. Art Approach and the rest are the 2., but I took 2 of them with an LED strip in a ring around the motor for added effect, which I think gives an UFO-like look. My favorite is the one used as the thumbnail, and if you were wondering: NO, I didn't photoshop any of the pictures, they already look that amazing. But feel free to use photoshop and create an awesome wallpaper which combines all of the pictures into one (or with your pictures if you decide to try this 'ible).

Step 7: Quick Fun Thing to Do!

Take an unprinted sticker sheet, and cut out a small piece. Put it on the motor, and make it spin. Now take a permanent marker and quickly touch the paper at different radii, and you'll see circles appear. Keep the marker on the paper for a long time to get more pronounced lines, and use a light touch to shade different areas.

Thank you for reading my first instructable and maybe making it yourself, or atleast getting inspired!

And if you liked it, consider voting for me in the Graphic Design Contest.

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