# Painting Tombstones (AU)



## djgra79 (Oct 11, 2015)

So I have seen a number of videos on YouTube on how to go about painting tombstones to look old and weathered. Many of the videos are based in the US and I'm not sure that many of the products used are available in Australia?
My boards are extruded polystyrene (XPS) from Bunnings: https://www.bunnings.com.au/knauf-insulation-1200-x-600-x-50mm-xps-multi-use-foam-board_p0811028
After cutting and shaping, creating cracks etc (and I believe small bursts of spray paint can help with this) what base coat(s) should I use to help protect the boards in the weather, but also provide a good base for the top coat(s) to go on? Thre seems to be all different types of paint to be using. I'm getting a little confused after watching so many videos, is there a simple generic way to do this?!


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

With our foam board tombstones, we usually start with a base coat of latex paint primer, then paint with exterior latex paint. The material you're using is noted as being highly water resistant, so regular paint should be fine for your purposes. It might be called acrylic or emulsion paint in Australia. Regardless, it's a water-based paint rather than oil-based paint that you want to use.


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## Headless (Sep 4, 2011)

Hey DJ - waving from one Victorian Aussie to another!!! My advice would be don't use spray paint until you've fully tested it on your foam. It eats away the foam well after you stop spraying. Just get friendly with your local paint store and buy any water based paint and steer clear of anything that needs turps to wash your brush.

Where are you in Victoria? I recently found a great specialty supplier of polystyrene in Geelong. I bought two sheets 2400x1200 for around $50.


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## djgra79 (Oct 11, 2015)

<waves back>! Thanks for the clarification. I think it was the latex paint Roxy mentioned I've heard used before in other videos. I'd never heard of it before so wasn't sure if it was specific to USA only or not. Masters have paint on sale at the moment....

I'm in Cranbourne SE suburbs. Bit of a drive to Geelong but at that price it could be worth it. Do you have a link please?


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## Headless (Sep 4, 2011)

We are an hour the other side of Geelong near Colac! Great to see more Aussies on the site.

http://resiplex.com.au/ I think I bought 35mm as I sandwich two pieces together and put tubes up the middle to support stakes to stop them blowing over. They were great and will cut it up to any size you want but you have to pay for the whole sheet (which is fine - it won't go to waste).


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## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

Like Roxy, I tend to start with a basecoat of latex paint, it gives me a consistent platform or surface on which to paint. Keep in mind that for most haunts, people will see the "stones" in dim or low light, so don't get caught up in trying to do wild colors. Our (humans) eyes and brain start seeing colors as shades of gray as the light is reduced. You can do the faux granite look in a number of ways.
There are spray cans of paint that are made to create that look, but they tend to be bloody expensive for the amount of coverage you get.
You can use standard cans of spray paint by only slightly depressing the nozzle so that you get reduced pressure, making the paint "spit" rather than atomize like it normally would.
You can use various brushes to stipple or splatter the paint for the same effect. Hint, use many different shades and layers to get the best effect.
If you airbrush, you can reduce the air pressure so that, like the spray can, you get the paint to "spit" rather than atomize (spray out in the fine mist like it normally would). 
Having the latex base lets you use a wider variety of paint types without the worry of the paint's solvents eating away at the foam.
You can also use sponges, brushes, crumpled plastic, etc., to add various effects to your finish. Don't be afraid to experiment.
I'd try a variety of techniques to see what works for you, and I'd also look at your first/test stone in the kind of light you would see it in your haunt before you do a ton of them. There's no use doing all kinds of effects if they don't work for you in YOUR haunt's working conditions, lighting, distance from the viewer.


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## mroct31 (Nov 10, 2007)

Maybe something to look into to, Dulux in Australia seems to have something sort of like Dry-Lok which is what many I know of use on tombstones as it dries hard and very stone like. Here's their page showing the textured water based paints, fine, medium, full or rock, they have. 
http://www.dulux.com.au/specifier/product/dulux-exterior-products/effects


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## tarpleyg (Nov 4, 2014)

Here's my tombstone painting process. Any common waterbourne paint will work for the most part.

- Etch with spray paint (you'll have to experiment with this. It makes the foam look weathered if done properly) If you use too much, it'll really eat up your foam.
- Spray/roll/brush a black base coat of any latex paint
- Roll/brush on middle coat of a darkish gray (pewter) - coverage depends on how old you want the stone to look (some of mine have very little of this to make it look more black)
- Use an even lighter color gray (thinned about 25%) and a wide brush and lightly brush using vertical strokes (kind of a dry brush technique)
- Lightly brush some brown and green on top into a few key spots
- Use a spray bottle with water used to rinse brushes and add a little black to it and spray onto surface and let run (this mimics rain runoff carrying the accumulated dirt away)

This one was done with this technique...


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## The-Hog-Flu (Oct 21, 2013)

It looks great


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