Professional artist enclosure background

[giggle]

Coloured grout from bunnings... in the grout section. Thats what I used. For extra colour use water based acrylic paints also available from bunnings and to seal and ad extra toughness... use water based acrylic enamel... this is available in the enamel section of the house paint section in bunnings. All are cheap and easy to use, fast drying and non-toxic.

The laying system I use...

-poly sticks with no-nails (or liquid nails, same product repackaged).. it will stick to itself and other things with this The gap filler is awesome stuff for filling cracks but not necessary I found... I normally have enough left over scrap polly which I squeeze into holes. Once its grouted you will never know the difference
-thin coat of grout for first coat left to dry for 24 hours. This will help further coats of grout stick.
Following coats can be thicker and used to shape and once dry can be carved into for detail I still recommend using it a little thinner than directed. Generally put three-five coats of grout on depending on the details you are after. Let each coat dry for about 12 hours.
-I then put on a coat of acrylic enamel of a colour that is a good base (eg grey, mocca, black, brown etc) because it will further harden the structure and help to seal and is cheaper than clear acrylic enamel. Then I use acrylic paints for colour and detail. I follow by sealing with a clear acrylic enamel. I put two coats partially watered down.
-If you feel it is too slippery once finished, you can water some more acrylic down, paint the slippery parts and sprinkle some sand over top of what ever colour is most suitable. Once dry this can be again coated with another coat of watered down acrylic enamel.

Make sure they are all water-based non-toxic acrylics

 

[Midcoaster]

Awsome!!

 

[Southside Morelia]

From someone that loves to build enclosures....THAT IS F ING AWESOME! LOVE IT LOVE IT!!!
Your Sister is so talented and the snapshot of Angkor Wat is not only a favorite place of mine, the enclosure is one of a kind and a beautiful display...one of the best i've seen...Sorry guys for the excitement, but this is the first time i saw this thread and didn't even read all the posts, just had to comment!
The buttress tree roots are amazing, i'm sure it may have been said but I looked at the pics and didnt read any forgive me if I reiterate on anything already said.
Can I make a comment on the thermostat and coloring. I personally would spray the thermostat cover and dial a similar colour to the background, just to blend it in. I also would add a bit of green to mimic some moss colouring to the rocks as well as slightly contracsting the tree roots, just so its not too grey and then gives it even more depth. Put some natural substrate in the bottom of the enclosure, remove the ceramic bowl and I will save that as my desktop background! I especially love the way you kept the perforated backing clear for a vent at the top, neat job!
Overall 9.9/10 blown me away, thanks for sharing!

 

[The_Dreaded_Pets]

hmmm that gives me some ideas my gf has a bachlers of art and can use all mediums aswell as sculpt mmmmmmm maby i should put her to work mwahahaha

 

[ezekiel86]

sooo good...really wana give it a crack

 

[Rox.n.Lix]

Can I make a comment on the thermostat and coloring. I personally would spray the thermostat cover and dial a similar colour to the background, just to blend it in. I also would add a bit of green to mimic some moss colouring to the rocks as well as slightly contracsting the tree roots, just so its not too grey and then gives it even more depth.

yes, i'm thinking about painting the thermostat. (as i now have some painting to do anyway)

maybe it doesn't show up on those photos, but there is actually a lot of yellow and green mossy/licheny patches all over the rocks and tree roots.

i have just had her cut away the bottom row of bricks as it was too hard to clean, so need to do some painting to blend it all back in..... wont be able to post up photos though as i've run out of space. might have to make a faceook album or something....

 

[user 16446]

I was just looking at this thread again as it's time to fit out an interior to one of my enclosures. Did your sis get professional training for this type of work or was it just an interest she was good at. I would do a course if there was such a thing.

Also to get into the prop artist industry, I guess she would have had something (work, certificates etc) to demonstrate her skills or prior experience in another field?

 

[Rox.n.Lix]

Lol, yeah she did about 5 years of Fine Arts at uni, and just happened to get in the right places at the right time to work her way into this kind of stuff. Here is her website with CV and some pics of her work. biography - maudie?? brady

 

[user 16446]

Thanks for the link. She has done some amazing work. And you're right, a lot of success is just being in the right place at the right time.