I think I might have my ambitions mixed up with my capabilities

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1woma

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I have been busily working on this for a few weeks, and finally got the first coat of render on yesterday, i cant wait to get coat two and some colour on there.

My intention was to try and make it look like a tree stump with the roots / vines going down..... i still mite totally remove the tree stump coz im still not sure about it. im not very artistic, this is only my second rockwall attempt, im thinking maybe i should have went for something a little easier.

i did learn some lessons last time, like taking my time, not hurrying, putting in the vents first LOL, i forgot them last time LMAO. i'll take a photo of the cabinet later..... it has doors on it so if the wall looks like CRAP when im done i'll just replace the paneling for lass lol.... if it looks ood we'll do a full lass sliding door.

like Jax says its all about illusion ....fingers crossed
 

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I found a really good article on making a tree stump foam background
If I can find it I will post it here for you
Otherwise I think this looks pretty good :)
Keep up the good work
 
Haha it looks like your capabilities are perfectly up with your ambitions Woma. Looks really good so far :)
I reckon you just need a decent sized block of foam that you can carve. Even if you glue a couple of square blocks together you can get your inner artist going and see what happens
 
It looks good. Keep up the good work :) im sure its going to look great when its finished :)
 
Lad16.... i'd love to see that link if you can find it.

Saximus- i shaped some chicken wire and filled it with styrofoam, then tried to fill it with the expanda foam to fill the gaps ..... but it didnt work like i had hoped, way to many holes, more like honeycomb than tree stump, mite see if i can get a big block of foam from somewere and see if i can perfect it and rip out the one i did
 
Leave what you have in place, go back to bunnings and get some selleys spakfilla rapid. Easy to apply with your fingers (and easy to get off) you don't need to cover the whole thing, most of the holes don't look too big but you could always do a spot or two of newspaper mixed with glue to cover the surface and mould it a little too. Never forget skills you learnt at kindy - paper mâché has a 1001 uses. LOL

Edit: I've just re-read your original post and realized you've already slapped on some render so go with the spakfilla option, it sticks very nicely to the render, I've done it
 
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Jax i filled every little hole today with tiny peices of foam before i read this message, i was just going to then render over the top of it. i have spakfilla here to should i use that first?
 
If you've glued the foam confetti on then leave it, if it's not glued you'll probably find they'll lift as you render. No need to overcoat with the spakfilla, just proceed as normal, you can save the spakfilla for your next project :)
 
I finally put another coat of render on last night ,i was waiting til i got the oxide coz i had sooooooo much trouble getting the colour right last time i wanted to add colour early so i had a coat or two to adjust it, this time i weighed the render and the oxide( tryin to match colours if you run out of render is a PIA). I cant even take a picture coz the dam camera battery is flat, mite see if i can take one with the lap top after... phone photos r just crap. Anyway its looking much better, im excited this mite actually look alright.

I dont have a snake to fit it all my snakes r babies so i have plenty of time to finish it, im looking at getting an aquarium made to fit in the bottom... you cannot see in the pic's but there is a shelf underneath i was going to put a whole so the snake could use it as a hide, but i mite cut some of that shelf out and install a aquarium... maybe i should have thought of that first lol.... your right Jaxfm.... to much time waiting and over thinkin everything
 
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I think it looks fantastic so far. I'd be happy with it. The shelf underneath with half hide half aquarium idea sounds cool :p
Time to charge the camera or get some new batteries. More pics needed. Hehe.
 
now some updated pictures...... coat 2 of render- still drying though
 

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1woma, You'll have to check out Tregs thread for painting tips, he's put up a fantastic photo step by step of his drybrushing , but I think he's to modest to "advertise" it, so I will :)
 
The painting is the thing im most worried about. i was wondering if i should do a small darker coat of render for the grout lines between the bricks???? My idea is to sort of do it in steps, grout lines, tree roots and stump.... then age it. treg lovin the paint work, when i fail miserably i'll pay you to come do mine lol
 
I would suggest working from the furthest point away from you and coming forward is the way to go. which is pretty much what you have already suggested.

so to me it would be
mortar/grout lines
brick/rock.
tree
vines.

mine is still at fugly stage. very abstract and 'mardi gras' as Treg has so beautifully described.
 
cant wait to see what you r working on Jaxfm....

Im nervous to move forward, i have now done three full coats of render..... now the hard work begins
 
Nah, this is the fun bit, it's like finger painting for grown ups, not a lot of artistic ability required ( no insult intended Treg) but a basic concept of where light would hit and what would get the greatest wear ( it helps colour choices) is a bonus but you really can be pretty reckless with colour patterning and still produce great work .... that's why I like it, I'm creative but my artistic ability rivals a 3yo. I could draw a full moon and you'd be struggling to figure out what it was.

This is what all your hard work has been leading to, so go ahead and enjoy. Let your inner child free :))
 
not a lot of artistic ability required ( no insult intended Treg) but a basic concept of where light would hit and what would get the greatest wear
i totally agree, i sucked at painting in yr 12, i am the same as you, creative but not heaps artistic

treg lovin the paint work, when i fail miserably i'll pay you to come do mine lol
My rates a quite reasonable (jokes) :p
nah, just start as you and jax said in the "deepest" parts, and just start with dark colors and lighten them up a bit, it isn't exactly rocket science and a bit easier than you might first have thought.

Just remember, you can paint over it :p, so you don't have much to loose. i love your background concept tho, very well planned (i just randomly broke off foam with a knife and liquid nailed it on).
 
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