Haunt Forum banner

Time to start breaking ground

23K views 189 replies 43 participants last post by  WeirdlyGruesome 
#1 ·
Too many meetings today, but boredom got me kick-started for the season and inspired a sketch for some ground breakers I plan on making this year. Initially I was going to make two more pumpkin heads to go with my Sawtooth prop and my back-story, but seeing all the amazing ground breakers on this site has me rethinking that approach. So now I plan on making some skeletal things hopefully pretty close to my rough sketch...of which I've only completed the head-hey, I had to at least look like I was paying attention today. I figure posting the sketch will pressure me into getting something started this weekend! More to come soon I hope.

 
See less See more
1
#54 ·
Thanks F!

Touched up a rib that got lost in the layers of tape and mache, added some knuckles too! Also managed to start adding the wrinkled skin texture today. About halfway through it at this point, but my fingers are looking like prunes, so it's time for a break! The look will not be this pronounced in the end, as it will probably tighten up some as it dries. :jol:

 
#56 ·
At first I was afraid the wrinkles would hide too much of the ribcage shape, but the added texture is a lot of fun and much needed for this guy I think. Only a little more to add as of this afternoon.

Just for fun I lit him with some blue LEDs last night. My iPhone camera did not do justice to the detail-I don't think it could handle the vibrant blues-but this guy looks like he is going to do well out on the front lawn.

 
#58 ·
:jol: Wow Sawtooth, this little guys is going to be too gruesome to believe! Thanks for sharing so much. I wanted to make some groundbreakers for my graveyard this year and your tutorial is such an excellent source. I do want to find out how to make them rain-proof though because last year all my props got DRENCHED! I would hate to put so much time into a prop only to have it get soaked and ruined. Your original drawing is reaching realty, you must be thrilled! Excellent in every way from the teeth to the head, to the hands to the ribcage. Seriously cool! :D
 
#59 ·
Thanks guys, he's getting there...can't wait to start painting in another week or so.

Pumpkin5, here are two links to waterproofing. One is to a discussion here on the boards where I was provided with many solid answers to waterproofing by mache artists with years of experience, and another is to an experiment a paper mache artist did in the UK trying many different waterproofing techniques-it's a worthwhile read.

I won't get into a how-to in this thread, but the materials I use in order are an acrylic matte medium, acrylic paints, marine varnish and clear matte spray finish. My first and only mache piece from last year survived days of pretty good rains and morning humidity, and it had many areas where rain collected or pooled on it and all was fine. I'm sold on mache for limited outdoor use now. Check out the links below and feel free to contribute to the waterproofing thread I provided.

http://www.hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=26321
http://www.papiermache.co.uk/articles/waterproofing-papier-mache/
 
#60 ·
:jol: Thanks for the links Sawtooth! I am definitely going to try some paper mache projects or celluclay sine I have used that before. And I will surely read up on the best ways to waterproof. My graveyard ghoulies don't usually go in the graveyard until a couple of days before October 31st, so minimal water-proofing should work.
I loved your groundbreaker with his eyes though. Even though it wasn't fitting your vision, I thought he looked great with those soulful eyes. Can I be dense and ask, what is the roller-ball eye method? I am definitely going to 'borrow' your ideas. They are superlative!:D
 
#61 ·
Thanks for the good words, but I'll admit that most of my techniques have been borrowed from folks out here or other places! I just occasionally modify them a bit for my needs.

The roller-ball eyes are just that, the round rollers from a roll-on type deodorant or other such device—you can buy just the balls in bulk from ebay or other places. I'm sure Allen H has a supplier on hand! I got my roller-balls from the little bathtub wall paints they sell for kids. We had a bunch left over as they have outgrown the stuff, so I took the balls out of them. They are great because the are dull like a dead eye, but also semi-transparent, so you can light them too.

They may still make an appearance on this guy. I just need to see what I can work out towards the end.
 
#67 ·
Okay, last gratuitous post before I start painting! :D

Mache-work completed all round, the base is now solid, mached together and filled with celluclay textured to look like dirt, just waiting for it to dry, which should take at least a couple of days given the weather forecast-fingers crossed the celluclay doesn't shrink up too much or crack too bad requiring more touch-ups. Base-coating sometime Sunday I hope and then on to start the next two!

 
#70 ·
:jol: Wow Sawtooth, he is just beautiful! (in a haunting, creepy sort of way) I just love how you did everything, the woeful pose, the skin texture, the stance of his arms and body. Without even paint on him, he already illicits such emotion. You are a true artist in every sense of the word. I really just can't wait to see your other ground breakers and this first guy completed. ;)
 
#72 ·
Thanks all, I'm glad you like him! The celluclay "dirt" is taking forever to dry, and all my dirt texture is just shrinking into celluclay texture...which is basically the same thing, so no worries there I guess. Painting the first one is going to have to be put off though, due to the slow dry time.

That said, I started on the second ground breaker of the three this afternoon. I used the second foam ball for the skull from the initial pics in this post. This one I am trying to make look a little more menacing-learned some lessons from the first one, so far so good.

I guess I'll just keep the progress of all three in this thread, so without further ado, on to Round Two! :jol:

 
#78 ·
Lol, thanks guys. This second ground breaker has certainly got a different vibe than the first in the post! :D

I don't know if it is the weather-my "dirt" on GB number one is still pretty damp-or if it was the paper clay I bought this time around-kinda dry-but I had a ton of cracking and separation on this version. All the grooved tooth holders split apart and the cheeks and the forehead cracked as well. All was fixed by making a little slip out of paper clay and water and smoothing it all back together. Either way, it will be covered in mache by tomorrow!

All fixed up and ready for sanding!

 
#79 ·
Not much of an update, but the weather has kept me from work on this as it has stayed wet for so long. Anyway, here is a before and after of the head all sanded up and ready for mache this evening. The angle of the second photo is a bit more head-on, but it retained most of the look from the rough version, maybe a touch less menacing, but still more so than my first ground breaker in the thread. Again, as you can see, the paper-clay really takes sanding well. You can do a lot of manipulation at this stage.

 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top