TV Cabinet Conversion - background... A lil help please?

[Skippii]

Based on model building experience, if you ever do it again prime it all in black then do the deep spaces and work your way up. Even with pressing your sponge in there it would not affect the deepest spots where the mortar is as you can see by all the white in your pic. But that is the beauty of doing this. a) there is no one right way to do it b) you learn a heap on the way c) even if there is an 'easier' way you can still pull off a really great looking result.

Looking forward to seeing it all done and with plants or whatever decorations you use. I think it would be cool to see what someone could do with an air brush on somthing like this by finishing it of with some grungy graffiti and make it into a bit of a back alley scene with a dumpster hide and a pallet stack... Hmmmmm

Okay okay, I will bow to your superior painting wisdom and keep that in mind next time but this time I'm going to have to mess around with what I've got and see how it turns out.

Just out of curiosity, did you just come up with that back alley grunge idea? Or had you read my older posts on this thread about that? It was actually one of the original directions I was considering, I even drew up Floyd's name in graffiti style letters haha, and was considering trying to make an Oscar the Grouch (Sesame Street) style trashcan hide etc. But I couldn't figure out how to recreate the graffiti writing onto the brick (plus it took long enough drawing it by hand with that silly fine-tip pen, and it's not even coloured yet). So instead I was thinking maybe a secret garden style theme. Still, nothing's set in stone yet!

If you've got any ideas for the graffiti, considering I'm a graffiti nub lol I'd love to hear 'em.

x

 

[J-A-X]

GO SKIPPII

Never give up ! Sometimes we lose enthusiasm, and that's fine.
You're on the home stretch -
paint it all one solid colour or paint the 'mortar' first.
After painting the base coat on the bricks, lighten that color and drybrush some highlights, then lighten it again and do the final few highlights. You'll be amazed how a little bit of drybrushing will make the whole thing look a lot more lifelike.

For the highlight colors, you don't need much paint at all so don't go mixing up cup fills, or you'll waste it.

 

[Skippii]

haha Jaxii, I think you missed some of my posts. I've already started painting it, and contrary to everyone else's painting wisdom, I painted the brick faces first :facepalm: Mostly because I accidentally forgot to buy the paint I needed for the mortar, and was too impatient to wait..

I've practice a little dry-brushing, to try and bring out some texture, and it didn't come out too horribly which is nice have a look on page 4, there are some pictures of my painting attempts there. I'm considering trying a little more dry brushing, and still tossing up whether or not to add any mossy spots.

As always, thanks fairy godmother

x

 

[Gruni]

So it comes down to patience grasshopper... forgot the paint? Put it on hold or mix some of the paints you have and create a paint. Like I said there is no one right way and it looks great and will look super when you are finished.

As for the idea I did read your earlier posts but that was MONTHS ago and I didn't remember any of that it was just something I thought of when I looked at your latest pics and why I said someone who is handy with an airbrush as you can get that spray can look using one.

 

[Skippii]

I've been wanting to get this thing done for months haha I could be patient no longer! And yes, I went to the art supply store and was so fixated getting the right bricky reds/browns etc, that I completely forgot to get the white paint. I've got black already, so the plan was to mix up my own grays and experiment by adding tiny amounts of various other colours to get what I'm after. There's no way I can get a good grey colour with what I currently have, and it looks like the art supply store may be closed today for a public holiday *insert rage face*.

Yeah, I can see why my "brickwork" could make you think of the alley-way scene so far I've intentionally designed it so that I can leave it until towards the end before deciding which theme I want to go with. Right now it's between the secret garden theme, or the grunge alley-way theme, and I can see either working out if done right. Or I was even tossing up still going with the 70s Lounge idea Jax joked about months ago haha of course, it'd be a bit of a dilapidated lounge with bricks falling out of the wall. Still, I can just see Floyd basking away on his little sofa or taking a nap in one of those old TVs with the rabbit ear antennas.

I've never used an airbrush.. Difficult to use? Where might one come across an airbrush? Hell, I don't even know what an airbrush LOOKS like!

x

 

[J-A-X]

You can get an airbrush to suit from bunnings (where else LOL)
Check the 'air tools' section. They're not ideal for fine art portraits but will do what you want. Play around on some scrap paper and I'm sure you can pull something reasonable off.
Bunnings also sell kids poster paint, so you can grab some white paint while you're there.
Don't forget to water down the paint and strain it through old pantyhose before putting it in the airbrush
And No, I pretty sure bunnings don't sell pantyhose !!

 

[pythonmum]

Bunnings may not sell pantyhose, but KMart does and may even sell the paints you need. The one near me never closes, so always there for those weird items you need at odd hours.

 

[ronhalling]

Skippii my dear you are most welcome, please don't ditch the idea of painting in a little moss, how many old brick external walls have you seen that are entirely virginal ?? when the lighting goes in there may be some overly bright spots that would benefit from moss or maybe a little mortar overfill, before you finish it off take a few photo's of different external brick walls in different lighting, especially check out the mortar and it's intrinsic variations with everything from dogs peeing on it, repairs and years of wear and tear, it will really amaze you when making comparison's. Believe me when i say everyone that has attempted a project like this no matter how big or small knows exactly how much work goes into it, I myself am contemplating doing a background for my new enclosure for my spotties (when i build it) but the amount of work involved has me feeling a bit trepidatious and therefore have put it off so many times my wife calls it my head project coz it is only happening in my head, ..............................Ron