You guys are all correct. Although I dont do many pictures I know how it is done. Im not sure if Shane used the (wire) EDM for the dragaons but pictures can be done that way with upmost presicion and detail. if you are lucky enough to know someone with one. They cost a fortune. The most common way and easiest is in a cannister with pure nickel and various steels including various powder metals. Make the picture you want from the sheet nickel, remember to always look at mosaics from the end view. Lets say for example 2" x 2" x 4" Cannister of mild steel. place it in the cannister and fill the remaining voids with anything else you want to place into it. Leave some room for powder metals to finish filling it up to the top, place some cardboard in to burn trapped oxygen (the killer of welding) and weld a lid on the cannister airtight. Forge weld and draw it out keeping it square as you are drawing it so the picture doesnt distort very much, Remember we are only concerned what the end view looks like so far. When it is approx. 4 times its original length I cut it into 4 equal lengths, grind off the mild steel canister and restack them and forge weld them. Now there are 4 pictures 1/4 their original size and in a nice square shape (from the end view) This billet can be drawn out to about 1 1/2 inch square (end view) and accordian cut and flattened into a blade. Now the end view is on the side of the blade along with some interesting stretch patterns thanks to the accordian cutting. Very dramatic at times. This is why I need therapy. Its way too habit forming for the man with other responsibilities and loved ones to attend to.
Note the billet doesnt have to be drawn out and cut into 4 pieces unless you want everything smaller and more of them. Many call this the "dry method of forge welding as there is no flux used insde the cannister. I donot use a cannister the second weld when welding the 4 billets together although you could especially if you wanted to make more pictures or add more steels and/or powder metal.
This may sound complicated. There are so many variations to make it even harder to understand but once you ruin a few and learn from your mistakes it all starts to make sense.
A forging press with squaring dies and drawing dies is almost mandatory to keep the billet square and prevent the picture from deforming too much.
OK I will stop rambling,
