# Groooooouund Breeeeaaaakeers! The How-To



## Sytnathotep

*The Great Ground Breaker How-To!*​
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As promised, here is the how to for crating my latest version of ground breakers. As always, use this how-to at your own risk, I'm not responsible in any way or form for any harm or fatalities that may befall you while attempting this. Any likeness of the final result of this how-to to any celebrity or other persons is not intended and purely coincidental. That being said, lets jump right in!

First off, materials needed.


About 2 feet of ½ inch pvc pipe.

Roll of 'rebar tie wire' also known in some parts as 'bailing wire'

Box of BLACK cheap garbage bags. The cheap-o thin ones work best, black saves us trouble later on with painting.

A roll of ½ abs drip irrigation tubing. This stuff can be found at Home Depot or the like, and is pretty cheap. About 100ft for $10 in my area. You'll need about 20ft for a ground breaker.

And a skull. I have been using foam casts of a skull (*as I shown in this thread here*) But the Walgreens/ Biglots skull (the one I cast, also in linked thread) will work great. If you use a larger or smaller skull, you will need to adjust proportions to match.

Ok, so first off, lets cut out the parts needed. I cut one piece of abs to a length of about 28in., and then , cutting each shorter than the first, cut six more. This should leave you with seven pieces ranging from 28in to about 16in in size. Also, cut out one piece about 3 feet long and set it aside for now.

While we are cutting, cut your pvc pipe. It needs to be at least 2 feet long. Better to have this too long as you can trim it down later if need be. As a guide, mark on the pipe from one end about 2-3 inches (what will be stuck in the skull) another about 4 inches from that mark (the length of the neck) and another a foot from that mark (height of ribcage)

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Cut off lengths of tie wire, double it over, and run it through each of the abs pieces, leaving a couple inches sticking out each end. Take the abs pieces and in order from smallest to largest, space them evenly apart between our 'ribcage' marks on the pvc pipe, and screw them on with a short drywall screw.

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Now, Few living humans have perfect posture, so why would our corpse? Take your trusty heat gun, and use it to soften and bend the pvc spine. Give its back a somewhat believable curvature, don't worry if it isn't straight, or goes off to one side or the other. That is what gives these guys character.

You can use the following image as somewhat of a guide.

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Your result should be something like this.

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*More to come!*


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## Sytnathotep

Next, we mount the head to the pvc, and the pvc to a board. Since my skull is foam, I just jabbed it down onto the pipe. You may have to do something different. For a base, I took scrap 1"x12" cut to about a foot long, and drilled a 7/8" hole OFF CENTER ( as shown in pic) to stick the pipe into. Note: the hole is slightly larger than the pipe, it will move around easy, for now, this is what we want. Niether the Skull, or the base, is glued in any way at this point, so we can take them off and out of the way if need be.

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Now, the fun part, or pain, depending on your outlook. LoL What you need to to do is now bend all the abs ribs around to the front of the body, and while maintaining space between, while the ends together and then wire the ends to the nest set and so on. The abs doesn't want to bend well, instead, it will try to flatten and kink. This is actually what we want, ribs are flat, not round. So kink the abs and let the wire inside hold the shape. Also please do note, real ribs not not come straight from the spine around to the back, then curve downward, then up again. If you were to draw a line, most ribs touch the sternum almost two rib 'widths' below where it left the spine. See the example below for reference. The art of making these guys too look so good is trying to simulate realistic body form with the ghetto materials and tactics we are employing.

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Your result should be something like this. And at this point, you can really get a since of the body language of the guy.

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And from the side.

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Now, you will find that the ribs, because they are mounted by only one screw each, want to twist around and either touch those next to them, or leave large gaps. Will will fix this and start adding depth by lightly corpsing it with a garbage bag. The point is to but some sort of nasty blobs inside the chest, and to keep the ribs in place. So open up a trash bag, and stuff him in it. (Remove the head First, and poke the neck pipe though the bag) and stuff the ends up into the corpse from underneath. Take trusty heat gun once again, and melt the hell out of it. We want to coat the ribs with plastic, not create skin at this point, so melt and blow the bag though the ribcage, maintaining our gaps in between. Once the plastic is cool, its rigid and will keep the ribs where they belong.

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More to come!
*http://www.orestesgraphics.com/images/stories/how-to/IMG_2029.jpg*


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## Bone Dancer

You are doing a very good job on this how-to. Good directions an good photos. Looking forward to the rest of the story.


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## Sytnathotep

Alright, Next up, remember that 3 foot piece of abs we cut off? Well we need it. Double up and run wire through it like you did the ribs. Take about a foot or so of the abs from each end, bend it in thirds, and tie it off to itself. Do this for each end. Then bend them over, and bend the abs in the middle. This will make his shoulder blades and collar bones to be attached next. Now, while this isn't easy to explain, the picture does it best.

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Set this around the skeleton, and wire it on. I put a wire through each shoulder blade and around a rib on back, and around the center of the collar bones and the first rib on front. See here from the front.

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Also, take a doubled up loop of wire, and form a loop from one side of each shoulder blade to the other side, standing out away from the body. A real human scapula isn't flat, this loop of wire will help give the illusion of the Acromial Process and spine, the ridge of bone which muscles are attached to. See the figure for a reference.



While what we are doing is a lot simpler, it sells the effect, and should look like so.










Now, to make this gob of pipe and wire look like bone, tear off some chunks of garbage bag and with several layers, wrap it around each scapula and tuck the edges around behind it, between the ribcage and it. Hit it with almighty trusty heat gun. This time the point is to 'shrink wrap' the form underneath, and avoid blowing holes in it. If you get holes, re layer it again. All this under lying work will pay off once we get to the skinning part, as these early on corpsing steps creates thicker, more rigid plastic that will support the skin layers in a believable way, and are a lot less likely to melt though like the skin will.

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## Sytnathotep

Now, for the arms. I didn't do full hands on these guys. (I've done it before on other props, and wasn't that interested in doing it again on these guys.) I also wasn't interested in these guys being posable. I figured I'd just have the arm stubs either hanging there, or cover the ends with dirt and leaves like they are still in the ground. If you want hands though, you can go about it *like I did here*.

Take a foot long piece of abs, double up some wire and feed though it, and then poke one end of the wire though the plastic of the shoulder blade and tie it to it. Like so.

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Use a chunk of trash bag and wrap around the top of the abs and melt it with the trusty trust-able heat gun to create the top of the humerus. Take about a two foot piece of doubled over tie wire, loop it around and it and tie it off around the other end. Keep the ends of the loops separate for now. These will become the radius and ulna.

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Now corpse it. Wrap a fair amount of trash bag around it, and really shrink it down. It helps having the radius and ulna separate at the end to spread apart to do this. When done, tie them together.

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If you haven't by now, wrap some trash bag around any remaining bare pvc (likely the neck below the skull, and the lumbar spine) and corpse it so no bare pvc is showing.

That is basically the skeleton part done. We now move forward and create a few muscle-tendon forms to add more realism to the guy, so he doesn't look like a shrink wrapped skeleton. Now while we don't need to recreate every muscle mass, some have more effect than others. This really applies to the neck. The sternocleidomastoid muscle in the from of the neck, and the Trapezius muscle on the back, really help create realism. So we are going to fake them. See reference below. ( Notice how much I like reference lol)










Take a strip of trash bag, around 18 inches or so long and twist it up into a rope. Attach the ends to the skull just behind where the ear would be, and the other to the collar bones, toward the center. As my skull if foam, I created staples to hold the ends out of wire. You may need to use glue. You want them limp and not too tight, so really heat them, just don't melt them though. Mine below are still a bit too tight.

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More coming soon!


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## diablodeebo

More!!!


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## Sytnathotep

And for the trapezius muscles, the same thing, just a thicker rope of plastic. Attach from the base of the skull, and down toward the shoulder blades.

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Most other muscle masses can be built up while corpsing. So, that's next up! You can take bunched up trash bags, and using turbo trust-able trusty heat gun, heat enough one end of the plastic so that it sticks to the corpse, and then lay it in the shape and direction in which you wish to form. Strips over the arm-shoulder to the middle of the chest form the pectorals . From the top of the shoulder blades along the ridge we built, down over the top of the shoulder can create deltoids. A couple strips down the middle of the back help form the multifidus. You can really go as far as you like with this. See the ref.










If the trash bags are in bunched stripes, some will melt though while the bunched parts will form long saggy filaments, remnants of muscle tissue. It's all about the direction in which you apply them. Once you have built up some underlying form, then a couple sheets of trash bag over the top, wrinkled up and holes blown though it, will create what is left of the skin. Also, do this over the head was well.

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And back..

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## Sytnathotep

Now, this last bit is somewhat optional: the eyes. I find however that having eyes changes the guy from a corpse to a zombie, and that it can then enact an amount of empathy upon the viewer. And depending on the use, could even convey emotion or personality!

I know that the best way to go is to order the 'monster eyes' plastic deodorant stick roller balls from Monster Guts for about a dollar a dozen. But the shipping cost is what gets you. So, I found an equally cheap alternative, which I find humorous as it is typically an annoyance for me. So, head over to your nearest dollar store, and to the Christmas isle that they put up 2 months before Halloween (grrrrr) and get some of these!

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They are just the right size, there are about 15 of them and they are a buck. I'm like, 82% sure these are plastic too, since I dropped one by accident from table height and it bounced across the shop. Pull the hanger loop and shiny dilly-bopper off of them and stick them in the ghoul's eye sockets.

Now, this next part is by far the most messy and the biggest pain. I have yet to figure out a better way. I take a very small ( I mean small!) piece of cheesecloth, and after dipping it into some black paint/ elmer's glue mix I keep laying around the shop, I insert it around the Christmas balls to glue them put. You'll want to use a craft stick, or if you're like me, your nearest screwdriver to smush it down in there, as it will stick to you much more than what you want it to. ( Why is that always the truth?)

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After this, all that is left is paint. Take the guy out back and go over it with some flat black spray paint. Now since we used black bags to begin with, most of this is already done, and you dont have the headache of trying to get paint into every little wrinkle now. Mostly just the skull, and any exposed pipe. It also helps that we didn't glue the guy to the base board yet at this point, You can hold him buy the stick while you paint.

Once this is dry, we paint. Now, I didn't take any photos of this part, but it is pretty straight forward. Its mostly just drybrushing at this point. I start with a dark dull green. I really work it over, and while I don't get it right into all the wrinkles, I do cover it pretty well. Next is a layer of dirty yellowish, and I drybrush it over the green, but I don't attempt to cover nearly as much, leave plenty of green showing through. Next up after that is a dirty light tan, to touch up only on the highest areas to create highlights. I then take dirty white, and paint it on with a smaller brush on any areas that might be seen as exposed bone, mostly around the face and skull, but also ribs that might still be poking though.

Now, take note, let each layer adequately dry before adding the next, or your muddy it up with the previous coat. And for the love of Pete, *don't get your colors too bright*!!! He'll look like a Loony Toon! Keep your colors desaturated. This means mixing paints and not using them straight out of the bottle. Most of the time (really cheap paints can be contrary) mixing complementing colors together will dull them resulting in grays. This is what you want. For example, adding just a touch of red to your green will really dull it down. A little purple to the yellow, with some browns, the same thing.

Another thing to do is grime him up. Once the drybrushing is near dry, I splatter darker colors onto him by whacking my brush against my arm over it. I also have some watered down black paint in a spray bottle that I stand back and hit them with.

Once that is done, then the final, all important touch. I find that the drybrushing alone feels flat and lifeless. So, once all is dry, I completely wash the guy in watered down black paint. I mean soak it. Do this outside, your have paint puddles everywhere, and he'll drip as he drys for a while. But I'm telling you this totally makes it. Other than that, you my clear coat the guy in your favorite manner. I like to use flat clear spray paint. If all went well and if it didn't chew off any of your appendages, you should have a zombie like this.

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To see more of this guy, and his friends, check out this *Showroom Thread*!

And your done! Go out and create your zombie horde to take over the world! &#8230; or at least your neighborhood....ok maybe just your yard but can't say you didn't try. XD

Thanks Everyone!


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## Bone Dancer

Bravo,

You have done an amazing job in creating a easy to follow how-to. Thank you for sharing this with us. 
In going over this I have found that one of my mistakes is worrying about details that don't really show and not enough about those that do. The muscles and later the painting method are excellent and bring this prop to a impressive level . I am sure this prop will take its place with the other masterpieces here. Thanks again.
(by the way, your work area is amazingly clean, how do you do that? )


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## Pumpkin5

:jol:Oh my God Synathatrhrop, I absolutely LOVE you!!! You are amazing and thank you for the tutorial.....I love, love, love it!!! Your step by step instructions are amazing.... and even someone like me could follow them and get great results.....so amazing!


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## craigfly06

I might have missed it, or I mis-understood you. I didnt see how tocare the skulls like you said you were going to show. Is that another post?


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## Copchick

Awesome tutorial! This is going on my "to do" list. Very nice results!


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## Sytnathotep

craigfly06 said:


> I might have missed it, or I mis-understood you. I didnt see how tocare the skulls like you said you were going to show. Is that another post?


That would be because I forgot to link it! Huzzah! Here it be: 
http://www.hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=32257


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## Sytnathotep

Bone Dancer said:


> Bravo,
> 
> You have done an amazing job in creating a easy to follow how-to. Thank you for sharing this with us.
> In going over this I have found that one of my mistakes is worrying about details that don't really show and not enough about those that do. The muscles and later the painting method are excellent and bring this prop to a impressive level . I am sure this prop will take its place with the other masterpieces here. Thanks again.
> (by the way, your work area is amazingly clean, how do you do that? )


Well, its a 20 x 40 ft shop, but what you don't see is every other table and workbench covered with crap. lol This table is on casters and I keep it stored away, else it would be covered too. lol

Thanks for all your remarks guys! I'm glad you like it.


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## Headless

LOL I was going to comment on the thread saying WOW what an amazing tutorial and such a great prop - but I think anyone who comments after P5's post is going to have to lift their game hahahahahahaha

Thank you Sytnathotep. I am absolutely going to give this a try - if not this year, then definitely for 2013.


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## Wildcat

Pumpkin5 said:


> :jol:Oh my God Synathatrhrop, I absolutely LOVE you!!! You are amazing and thank you for the tutorial.....I love, love, love it!!! Your step by step instructions are amazing.... and even someone like me could follow them and get great results.....so amazing!


Ya me too.......... without all the girly fan lust.


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## RoxyBlue

I think a lot of folks here have used pictures of human (and animal) skeletons as a guide for their prop, but you took it to the next level when you included the details of musculature. That extra detail is what makes these groundbreakers so spectacular. Plus you painted them really well. Oh, and the poses give them personality. Little things like that


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## TNathe

EXCELLENT how-to, thanks!


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## BrainSkillet

Thank you for posing this tutorial. I haven't tackled a ground breaker yet because I had no idea where to start. This is all great info!


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## skeletonowl

Defiantly filing this for use next year! Awesome explanation thank you! I trust you were ventilating while melting that plastic right? haha Looks great with the heated plastic!


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## Sawtooth Jack

Favorite part aside from how amazing it looks: seems like the build is completely waterproof too...nice!


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## Offwhiteknight

Excellent, top-notch tutorial. Very well written and 'illustrated.'


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## randomr8

Sweet. parts are the right price as well!


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## hpropman

super cool thanks for sharing!


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## Bob

Very well done! Gonna have to make one for next year.


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## divinedragon7

Thank you for the information of the muscles, very useful.


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