# Grave Digger



## GhoulishCop (Sep 25, 2009)

I've begun a new grave digger prop for my yard display this year and wanted to try my hand at sculpting. Rather than use Celluclay or similar products, I'm going to try using a paper clay mixture based on Stolloween's recipe.

Below are a few work-in-progress pictures showing the process. I'm starting with a paper mache skull base and adding the paper clay to that.

The pictures show a rather lumpy surface, and that was one of the concerns I had with this, but I've been smoothing it out a bit by using water after its applied. In the future I'll try making a smoother "clay" to start with but this is what I had on hand.

Rich


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## FRIGHTGUY (Sep 1, 2010)

I like it Ghoulish! I am actually doing a similar technique with my mini clown greeter prop only I am using Claycrete to cover the mache. I posted pictures on my blog http://grimlockmanor.blogspot.com/2011/02/clown-head-sculpt.html

I am much further along now and need to repost some updates on him. I am not sure how the celluclay dries but with claycrete you can sand, grind and chisel details into it. For and large gaps or cracks I use wall spackling paste to smooth our rough areas.

Can't wait to see this guy further along!


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## TheOneAndOnlyKelly (May 7, 2009)

Any thoughts on how you are going to do his eyes?


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## Dark Angel 27 (Sep 11, 2008)

this is an awesome start!


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

I rather like the lumpy look. It gives the face tremendous character.


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## TheOneAndOnlyKelly (May 7, 2009)

very scabby


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## Rahnefan (May 1, 2009)

I'm a very big fan of the lumpy look.


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## GhoulishCop (Sep 25, 2009)

Thanks all! I have a few more pics I'll be posting in a bit. I've filled out some low areas, trying to give a more fleshy look, and have mached over the entire form, neck and all.

MacabreRob, for the eyes I have a pair of "sticky eyes" I got a Wal-Mart two years ago. I will then create lids using a sheet mache technique used by Dan Reeder. I used it on a prop last year and it gives very natural looking folds of skin. If I ever run out of those sticky eyes, though, I'll probably make a paper clay one, but continue to use the sheet mache technique.

Frightguy, the texture does indeed look very similar to your Claycrete. However I found that squeezing the paper clay mix tightly first before applying helps smooth out some of the lumpiness, and then after it's applied, I dip a chip brush in water and dab it on the clay. Then patting it with a finger, it makes it more pulpy and thus smoother.

What does the Claycrete cost? A fairly large bale of blown insulation goes for $11 at Home Depot. And it lasts a real _looong_ time. I haven't even begun to make a dent in it the bale I bought last year.

There is something to be said for the corrupt, lumpy look the regular paper clay gives and I may incorporate that into another character. I have a few props in mind for this year.

Thanks again, all, for the comments.

Rich


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## GhoulishCop (Sep 25, 2009)

The updated pictures, and now I just have to work on ears. I had originally attached a pair, but he looked like Dumbo. Ears generally lay against the head for the most part (unless you're like some Presidents) and mine looked that. So I removed them and will rework them and attach them in the future.

To attach this head to the frame of the prop I'm building, I'll be inserting PVC into the neck and was thinking of securing it with Great Stuff. I'll then stick that through a hole I'll drill in the armature of the frame.


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## niblique71 (Dec 2, 2009)

Looking GREAT Rich!!


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

He does look a little like this president










Or those masks from the Twilight Zone episode, too.

I'm liking this guy. He has personality already and he isn't even finished.


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## HalloweenZombie (Jul 22, 2007)

Keep going. I want to see this guy finished. I like what I see so far.


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## playfx (Mar 10, 2007)

Nice start.


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## GhoulishCop (Sep 25, 2009)

He's drying right now, but what I've decided to do to smooth out some of the lumps is to coat him in Monster Mud. So far I've applied two coats, and after the second dries I'll give him a light sanding.

A third coat would probably be optimal, if I wanted very smooth skin, but I'll leave it looking a little mottled.

The pictures don't show the effect well enough -- probably because they were taken with my cellphone -- but I'm liking the effect. Obviously still need to do the ears and eyes.

Rich

After one coat of MM:










After the second coat:


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## GhoulishCop (Sep 25, 2009)

Holy crap, playfx! I just went to your website. Awesome sculptures! 

I just saw your "How to Sculpt" tutorial and I'll be using that as a guide the next time I start one of these projects. I already see how I could have improved this one (and I see how to make ears!). Really great stuff. Thanks!

Rich


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## GhoulishCop (Sep 25, 2009)

I've completed some additional work on my gravedigger prop's head. He's now ready for a coat of spar varnish as a base layer of protection, and then for final painting.

What I've done to bring it up to this point is fill the neck with Great Stuff to hold the PVC pipe in place. This will be used to attach the head to the body frame.










The head was then sanded smooth. I actually used my palm sander because using a sanding sheet was long and laborious.










I then made ears out of paper clay and once dried attached them to the side of the head. A thin third coat of Monster Mud was applied over everything.










In the next post I'll show what I did with the eyes.

Rich


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## GhoulishCop (Sep 25, 2009)

As I mentioned previously, I'm using two "sticky eyes" I bought from Wal-Mart a couple of years ago and combine them with a cloth mache technique to make the eyelids.










I cut four pieces of an old sheet into small squares and used my paper mache "pancake batter" to dip them in.










Each piece is wrapped separately under and over the eye. I like to think the cloth makes for an interesting skin fold.


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## GhoulishCop (Sep 25, 2009)

After the cloth mache is dried you have a head which looks like this:










I then covered each iris with a bit of masking tape and painted the cloth mache with a layer of Monster Mud for protection.










I ended up with a head that looks like this:










I was going to sand the head down again but I found it is just a heckuva lot easier wiping it down with a damp sponge. There's no dust cloud created, and it smooths down any ridges while not aggressively taking off any off the MM.










Again, a protective coat of varnish is needed and then paint.

Rich


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

This is really looking like a person now. I use the same technique to shape the eye area on my pieces (with paper, not cloth) and it's excellent for adding character to the face.


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## playfx (Mar 10, 2007)

Thanks GoulishCop.


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## SuperCreep31 (Nov 22, 2009)

wow fantastic job- i look forward to seeing the finished prop


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## Spooky1 (Aug 25, 2008)

You're making good progress, I like how he's looking so far.


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## trishaanne (Aug 20, 2005)

That looks great Rich!


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## Joiseygal (Sep 3, 2008)

Looking really good so far!


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## Beggars Alley (Apr 14, 2011)

WOW Looks good! I am to chicken to try my hand at sculpting yet. I bought clay a couple years ago from a mask makers site but it is so stiff that I lost interest real quick!

Great job!


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## tot13 (Jul 25, 2007)

This is looking really great! And thanks for showing us the eyelid process - I'll definitely use that in the future.


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## GhoulishCop (Sep 25, 2009)

Thanks again, everyone. I've pretty much finished the head though I may go back and do some touch ups later on. For now, the next phase will be building the body. What follows is what I did to bring it to this point.

When I last posted, I had completed the eyes and smoothed out the form. I put on the protective coat of spar varnish and once dry I put on a base coat of primer.










The next photo shows a completely unnecessary coat of dark brown. I guess I had been thinking of using a dry brush technique but I quickly abandoned that. So at least I have an extra layer of paint protection.










I then painted on three coats of a flesh tone paint to give it a deep cover.










Next I painted on some details: I tinted his lips, added some age spots, and put on some thin spider veins. In certain areas, particularly where I wanted deeper shadows, I used a brownish wash to highlight the crevices (around the eyes and the fleshy cheeks). I watered down the paint and then blended in the edges of those dark spaces so it wasn't such a distinctive line. Last, I used a somewhat less watered down brown wash and covered the entire head with it then used an old sheet to wipe away the excess.


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## GhoulishCop (Sep 25, 2009)

The final stage was to add hair. I went to my local dollar store and they had this long black "jumbo braid" (for just $1.29).










I brushed contact cement to the eyebrow area and snipping off a small half-inch long section of the braid I stuck it onto the brows.










My intention next had been to blow off the loose hairs that were not in contact with the cement and I used my heat gun to do so. I'm not sure how anyone could actually wear this braid because the heat from the gun (which I was moving back and forth rather vigorously) actually melted the strands of "hair." Fortunately, I liked the result!

I then made sideburns using the same technique and starting low where they would end I made my way up alongside the ear layering it as I went.



















I then melted them as I did with the brows.


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## GhoulishCop (Sep 25, 2009)

Then it was on to fill in the rest of the hair, just as I had done for the sideburns: small sections of braid were cut and placed on the contact cement. All the way around and up the back of the head.

Since my yard display is slowly morphing into a 12th century monastery, the gravedigger will be part of the monastic scene and so he has a tonsure of sorts (fortunately for me, otherwise I'd have had to go all the way with the glue, stick, and melt method).




























I then repainted the iris of both eyes and gave it some highlights, along with a couple on the lower lip and voila! Madog, the gravedigger, is done. At least his head is. Though as I said, I may go back for some touch ups later on, adding a little more hair in spots.


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## SuperCreep31 (Nov 22, 2009)

wow looks great! nice idea with the heat gun! i would have never thought of that


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## GhoulishCop (Sep 25, 2009)

SuperCreep31 said:


> wow looks great! nice idea with the heat gun! i would have never thought of that


Heh! Thanks. Me neither!

Rich


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

An old man with hair that black, he's getting that color from a bottle

The freckly age spots and spider veins are a nice touch. I like the tonsure look, too.


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## PumpkinBrain (May 7, 2009)

Nice work man!


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## GhoulishCop (Sep 25, 2009)

RoxyBlue,

_"An old man with hair that black, he's getting that color from a bottle"_

Good point! Here he is with a more wizened visage.










Thanks all. We'll see how he looks after I complete his body!

Rich


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

I like that better - color more in keeping with his age, and it proves he isn't vain


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## sharpobject (May 7, 2008)

Great job!! I'll definitely have to try that - you make it look so easy.


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## playfx (Mar 10, 2007)

Nice detail work!


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## Dixie (Feb 18, 2009)

I have been commenting on your blog about this as you have been going, but am just now getting caught up on the blog posts, and just wanted to publicly proclaim here too - just how much I like this guy! I have loved seeing the updates on him, and learning new ways to do some things. Great work, really!


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## darklady666 (Apr 4, 2011)

This is great! I'm working on a witch head for my main prop and I've also used Stolloween's recipe. I thought I'd done it wrong because of the lumpiness so I was glad to see yours is exactly the same! I decided to go with it, hoping it will kind of look like warty witch skin or something. Well what the heck, she'll be sitting in the dark anyway! I thought I might do blind eyes using the hot glue in a spoon method. She'll be looking into a crystal ball and I like the idea of her 'seeing' the future, even tho she's blind. Might not bother with ears, her hat and hair will cover them and she's deaf anyway..... hehe


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## Devil (Nov 10, 2008)

OK now just put him a nice box and mail him right to me..! Thanks for all your hard work


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## niblique71 (Dec 2, 2009)

Man that is COOL rich, Great Job


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## bentneedle (Sep 6, 2010)

Looking great! I love when I hit page down and saw his hair line grow with each step....wish that worked in real life....*sigh*


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## morbidmike (Sep 11, 2009)

I like the hair idea very cool...nice work on the mache and celuclay!!!!!


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## pennywise (Aug 5, 2008)

I didn't read all the posts in this thread yet, but first I have to say that this guy looks great. I use paper pulp to sculpt as well, but I use it for stone textured props. For a smoother texture, I use something called salt ceramic. I technique I've been playing with is to build to foundation out of paper pulp mache, then smooth it out with salt ceramic. This stuff dries really hard. The recipe I use is here: http://kidsjozi.wordpress.com/2007/01/17/salt-ceramic-dough/


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## MorbidMariah (Mar 28, 2009)

Nice work! He turned out really great!


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## craigfly06 (May 11, 2012)

I like the way you applied the hair, came out real nice


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## Dr Morbius (Sep 21, 2004)

Looking great GC! Looking forward to it's completion.


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## The Watcher (Sep 13, 2008)

He came out great. You put some time in this guy. He is a nice prop.


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