A Productive Evening

[1woma]

Its looking great, keep up the photos. LOL.... i actally moved my cabinet inside yesterday coz it was so cold( i only usually have late nights or really early mornings to work on it coz of a peskie toddler ) im about to start rendering.... i think im not sure i have it right so keep putting off starting the render.

pythonmum- great advice about the substrate gaurd thingo, that would have to have been the best thing i did in my woma enclosure.... sand is soooo annoying

 

[Treg92]

Ok, Update time.

I let the grout layer dry in front of the fire overnite, then got up early this morning and put on a nice thick layer. i think it had dramatically improved the look, just smoothing it out a bit, making it look a bit more weather worn. i plan to pun on another layer maybe tomorrow morning, and leaving it to dry all day and nite. at the moment it is hard, i can give it a sharp tap and it doesn't budge. maybe one more thick layer and then it's painting time

I think three layers of grout should be sufficient, it isn't like i am keeping beardies in there which would chew it to shreds. speaking of beardies, i am thinking of getting a couple, am looking for some (preferably hatchys), from high coloured parents (yellow would be awesome). anyone know anyone???? (prefferably in SA)
cheers as always

P.S. thanks for all the tips and pointers so far
PPS. I know i have missed grouting in a spot or two

 

[J-A-X]

I love the way you only seem to see the bits you've missed once its dried, and then you gotta do touch ups !

i'm so jealous that you get to work horizontally, it makes life SOOOOOOOO much easier, mines being done vertically and its times like this i could kick myself for not doing something a little more basic ! I cant wait to see yours painted treg - no pressure Mr warhammer nerd :lol:

 

[Treg92]

hey come on, warhammer was like 4 years ago, and i was ok, not super awesome tho, warhammer is quite different to this tho as this is a much larger scale, but painting is always fun. this reminds me, i need to get some pics of natural rock as reference

working horizontally is soo good as everything naturally fills up the cracks and doesn't run so much

 

[J-A-X]

The theory is the same, only the scale that is different, and I dont care if it was a whole 4yrs ago, I still expect something outstanding :lol::lol::lol: - and i'm only joking, ! ! i've been telling members for years that all you need to do is create the illusion, not a perfectly realistic replica.

 

[mad_at_arms]

Wow thats looking great! And so soon. I wish I only had one job on the go. It would move alot quicker!! This weathers been terrible for grouting. I've been getting a coat on, in my lunch breaks and making use of the midday sun to dry. Still the heater I've been cranking in the shed will hurt come bill time.Edit: Oh and watch with the heavy coats I've noticed the grout shrinks and cracks. Fixing muck ups sucks.

 

[J-A-X]

cmon tregs, wheres the latest update, you've had nearly 48 hours to get it painted - whats the hold up PMSL

@ Mad, i've never had a problem with shrinking grout, so yes, i'd say your putting it on too thick and its drying unevenly like painting/varnishing, lots of thin coats, totally dry before next layer

 

[1woma]

@ mad-could you be drying it to quick?

 

[marcmarc]

Ok, Update time.

I let the grout layer dry in front of the fire overnite, then got up early this morning and put on a nice thick layer. i think it had dramatically improved the look, just smoothing it out a bit, making it look a bit more weather worn. i plan to pun on another layer maybe tomorrow morning, and leaving it to dry all day and nite. at the moment it is hard, i can give it a sharp tap and it doesn't budge. maybe one more thick layer and then it's painting time

I think three layers of grout should be sufficient, it isn't like i am keeping beardies in there which would chew it to shreds. speaking of beardies, i am thinking of getting a couple, am looking for some (preferably hatchys), from high coloured parents (yellow would be awesome). anyone know anyone???? (prefferably in SA)
cheers as always

P.S. thanks for all the tips and pointers so far
PPS. I know i have missed grouting in a spot or two

Try tracking Rick Walker down via herptrader, get a pair of his famous Red Beardies. Rick is in Whyalla but can freight to Cavan.

 

[mad_at_arms]

Yeah Jax/1woma bit of both,I think now in retrospect. Im itching to get it finished.

 

[Treg92]

cmon tregs, wheres the latest update, you've had nearly 48 hours to get it painted - whats the hold up PMSL

Unfortunately, i finished tafe early and have gone back to work, and i have had to do a lot of overtime in the last two days, so at the moment i am running on borrowed time. i am finally going to crash on a bed and sleep in tomorrow, then worry about painting it.
i am seriously annoyed that i have been delayed, but unfortunately it happens

 

[J-A-X]

PMSL welcome to the real world! Most of us only get a few hours at night to do what we enjoy and often something else will get in the way (visitors, lack of funds and in my case knee surgery) and you seem to get to the point where you start rushing to get it done. Resist that urge, you won't be happy with a rush job, you'll know whats not right even though nobody else will. So take your time, let things dry properly, make sure you let it air out well and test it as if it were occupied (lights, hides, water bowl etc) for a week to make sure temps are good and all heat related fumes have gone.

But we still want painting progress pics, I think you could teach us all a thing or two and show people it's not as frightening as some believe. For me it's the best bit

 

[1woma]

Its always money, kids and just the general housework that gets in my way i find though sometimes delays are good coz it gives you time to think it through some more

 

[J-A-X]

Or overthink it and make the project take twice as long - that's what I seem to do

 

[Treg92]

anyway, i am about to go out shopping for paint, so am super keen!!!!!
money is always the probem, i need to wait for my tax return before i can buy the stuff for the heat panel, glass, runners,

 

[J-A-X]

Happy shopping

 

[Treg92]

So, i brought some paint, Dulux medium texture. this is a really thick paint (not really a paint, more like tinted glue and a coarse sand). if you paint with it, use a old brush, as it will ruin them. i wanted a black, but this is the darkest they could tint it.

so this is the progress so far, and i am quite pleased with it. i hace done a thick coat of it, and will led it dry overnite before i start coloring it.


i just taught i would show you all who is actually going into the enclosure, so here he is. his name is Sam

 

[J-A-X]

Good choice with the darker colour, it will really make Sam stand out. I have a heap of brushes from the $2 shop just for this sort of thing. I've called it quits for the day- more drying and it's really cold out in the shed, I envy you working inside next to the fire

 

[Treg92]

Ok, So today i got to start painting. i mean, real painting. there are lots of different ways to paint fake rock. this is my personally preferred way, which is a little different from the way others may do it, but hey, i do it how i like. the main technique i use is drybrushing. this is because it is effective, and i am also really impatient and it dries fast. also, on my rocks i don't just like one colour of rock, e.g. grey. while the finished product may be predominately grey, i like to put reds, yellows and greens on lower layers, so in the end they will be faint, but will add different depth the the finished product.

i started by drybrushing an olive green. this was a reasonably heavy coat, and for this part it doesn't really matter as you wont see much of it later. i then highlighted the olive with a lime green.



now comes adding more colours, i was pretty heavy and haphazard with these. i am not to precious with my paints. they all get squeezed on to the same pallet one after another, and i don't wash my brush between each colour. this adds an effect of it's own.



yea, so now my background looks like something you would find at the Sydney mardi gras, this doesn't matter now as i will tone it down a lot


now some brown tones it down.
Now here comes my secret ingredient. it is simplt black paint mixed with a lot of water to tirn it into a runny 'ink', this is then put in a spray bottle, and liberally sprayed throught the enclosure. This really tones and darkens it down a lot.


now i need to wait for it to dry, brybrush black, dark grey, midrange grey, light grey, white(very Sparingly) and i should be done painting. then it comes down to adding cage furniture and maybe some fake moss

 

[J-A-X]

Your warhammer days have certainly paid off Treg, AWESOME job and the pics will hopefully give others the courage to give it a go