# Sources for Authenticity



## Dave Leppo (May 16, 2012)

Hey, All,

I've just been making some new and improved headstones, and investigating the painting techniques thereof. I really like the dark undercoat, with very light top-coat washed partially off with a spray of water. This looks authentic to me. How did I decide this? Because I've been looking at the actual old toumbstones in a local churchyard, and also, been watching some YouTube vids of local amateur historians as they explore old cemeteries and churchyards. The stones tend to be streaked, with light tones on the uppermost horozontal surfaces, then dark tones on the top vertical surfaces, streaking to light at the bottom. The light tones are from the base material, which is marble. Other materials were used in my area. Some of the oldest stones are slate, or sandstone.

But the point is, there are sources on Youtube and other social media of actual historic, or sometimes just abandoned infrastructure. My current reaserch is with old cemetery headstones, but I realise that I'm aware of 'urban explorers' that are documenting abandoned buildings, like asylums and prisons. There are some guys that explore tunnels and caves. By watching these vids (and pausing as-needed to absorb the surface details of the structure) we can take some steps to make our creations more realistic or authentic looking. 

That's it - take from it what you will, or not. Cheers.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

I’ve always loved the black/white streaked look of an aged stone. One of these days I’ll have to try perfecting the technique on homemade stones.

One of my cemetery-loving friends sent me this link to a site that has multiple photos of about 9000 old tombstones, primarily located in the northeastern part of the country. It’s a great resource for anyone looking for inspiration.





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Farber Gravestone Collection






www.davidrumsey.com


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## Dave Leppo (May 16, 2012)

Oldest Cemetery in Lancaster County


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