Sammy's 3D Background Progress

[Jessica29]

Today I started with my 2.5 metre coastal's (Sammy's) enclosure which I've been thinking about starting for a while. I'm just posting this to get people's opinions and ideas and show the progress with the background. (Doing this will probably also encourage me to actually finish it haha)

This is pretty much what I started out with:

After being completely covered in expanding foam and the ledge being cleaned up:

I shaped big rocks into the background, semi-engraving edges into the foam. (you can't really tell in the picture)

Tomorrow, after work, I plan on covering with paper mâché like stuff too define the larger rocks, smooth everything out and give it some great definition. I then plan on, in later days, doing 2 coats of grout, painting shadows and highlights on with paint, and the doing another rough and thin grout layer to really finish it off (hopefully).

Cheers
Jessica

 

[Silhou]

Sounds like it'll look really good, post pics when done!

 

[yeahbutno]

Last photo looks like its going great

- ybn

 

[Jessica29]

Thanks guys when I finished work today I came home and decided if get rid of the 'dog poo' piles a little and shape it a bit and now that I've had dinner I'm going to start the paper mâché layer. I don't know if you can tell the difference in this image but here is an update one

 

[Revell13]

Starting to look good Jess, love the use of foam-in-a-can, I still haven't played around with that yet... all in good time

 

[Jessica29]

Thanks Revell. I've seen your work and you've got some awesome talent! I wasn't originally going to do it this way but I just couldn't get my hands on enough foam (even working at an electronics store) so I figured this was going to be the way I'll have to go. I'm actually happy with how it's turning out .

 

[Jessica29]

So, finally got around to starting the toilet paper mâché level tonight but have run out of glue -.- will make some more tomorrow morning so it has cooled by the afternoon and hopefully it will be ready for grouting Saturday afternoon after work. Here's a picture of the half done paper mâché level. Let me know what you think!

 

[Revell13]

Is the papermaché all that necessary? Remember your still going to have to grout and seal and paint it, I'm just thinking in terms of losing a lot of the rough texture of the foam, my dragons would hate me for filling in their hand grips to run up the wall lol.

 

[Jessica29]

Haha true but it's kind of what I wanted to do, I wanted to change the texture up a bit from just the one offered by the expanding foam. All a matter of preference I guess . Plus I wanted to smooth it out a bit so it wasn't so rough. Besides Sammy is a snake, she doesn't have hands

 

[Jande]

Looks great. Can't wait to see the finished product.

 

[JM1982]

Wow! Can't wait to see more!

 

[Jessica29]

Thanks guys! Me either. I'm getting impatient haha - so keen to get started on the grout. It's been really rainy and cold here lately so the paper mâché layers are finding it hard to dry -.-

 

[oOLaurenOo]

Looking good!!! Hopefully the weather behaves so we can see more pics soon!

 

[Jessica29]

Wooo! Paper mâché level is dry! Quick question - How long do you think it would take to put on a layer of grout roughly? I only ask because I am incredibly keen to put on the first layer tonight but i have to get up early tomorrow morning for work (-.-). Thanks in advance!

 

[oOLaurenOo]

Not long. Half an hr MAX

 

[shrinkie]

looks amazing

 

[Jessica29]

Oh awesome, going to get dressed into more appropriate clothes and get started straight away!!

 

[Marzzy]

Progress pic ?

 

[Jessica29]

Ok so first coat done!! Its still wet so the colours will be different when it's dry, I can already see how much lighter the browns will be! I will post a picture when they are dry in the morning. The reason is because I don't know what colour I want anymore so let me know what colour you guys like.

 

[MSD Reptiles]

Looking good!!