Thread: Tombstone techniques

Tweet

I'm new to building tombstones. I built 5 a couple years ago, but then started buying tombstones instead because they were far more ornate than the ones I could build, not to mention it saved me a ton of time. I wanted to build a large graveyard quickly because my first graveyard two years ago only had 5 stones. Last year I had 14, and this year I should be north of 20, possibly more.

Anyhow, I'd like to improve the ones I've already build as well as make some more and was wondering what techniques you all use to make your tombstones realistic looking. I put cracks in mine, but they're far too clean. I need to muck them up a bit. I also need to round the corners because mine have too sharp of corners to appear old.

I've never done any air-brushing, but have always wanted to try. First, are the cheapo airbrush sets in the model section of Walmart good enough for something like this? Also, have any of you tried it? Is it worth trying to airbrush, or is spray paint just as good?

In another thread, I also heard about something they called "the ole' running water spray paint thing". I assume it's something you do to get that old running dirty lines weathered look underneith corners and letters in the tombstone. Is anyone familiar with it or can anyone provide a link where I can learn this technique? It adds a lot of realism to a tombstone.

I've seen a video tutorial on YouTube that a man and woman made, but their tombstones came out much more cartoonish than I want.

Thanks!

Oops, accidentally posted this in General Halloween instead of Props. How can I get this thread moved?

Obviously you want more than just cut out tombstones and care about the detail. I would recommend getting an airbrush. It makes life a whole lot easier. Start with a cheapo to see if you like it. Then when you're ready to move up, use that 50% Michaels coupon! The problem is getting the paint thinned properly, I'd recommend buying "airbrush ready" paints to start, they'll make your first experiences more productive. There are tons of great webpages about airbrushing with some good tutorials. If your stones are styrofoam, don't use spray paint out of a can, it will melt the foam. Have fun...

i like to base coat with latex paint then dry brush in details with acrylic paint. you can sand the edges to make it look weathered. i actually just rip off chucks to make gouges. for cracks i just pick out some with an exacto blade very haphazardly.

you can see my results in the tutorial i made.

Hiya! I've built quite a few, if you want to see them, here's a direct link to my tombstone page: http://cassie7.googlepages.com/tombstones

I guess the best advice I could give you is...

1) To round off the edges, just sand it lightly. Use a very light touch or else it will gouge out the foam bubbles. Also, as you sand, brush off your sandpaper often so that you don't get a build up of dust or foam balls. They WILL gouge your tombstone. You'll find that styrofoam sands extremely easily so a light touch is all you need.

2) I've found that it takes a good thick undercoating of latex paint to manage to cover all the little white bits of the foam from showing through. Do a good thick/dark coating. Then drybrush over it with a lighter shade of gray, then an even lighter shade. This gives the stone good depth as well as protection from the outdoor elements. I use Exterior Latex paint on mine.

Even if you want to use an airbrush to detail them, you'll definitely need a good, thick undercoating of latex paint to completely coat the tombstone.

And proper advice was given above about using spray paint. The chemicals will eat the Styrofoam. However, you may want to experiment with things like contact cement on scrap pieces. You can control where you lay it and get some interesting effects from the foam's reaction to it. Like the batwing looking design I did in contact cement on this one:




3) for gluing bases or parts on, Elmers Wood Glue works great on Styrofoam. There is also another link on my webpage titled "Tombstone Applique How-To" that you may want to glance at. you could very easily make cool appliances to glue to your stones.

4) When I do lettering, I print out the wording in the font I like and pin it down to the foam and then cut it out with an Xacto Knife, like this:




5) As to the water/weathered look, I haven't tried the water trick. I just drybrush it on where I think it sould be, like in this example:


That's all I can think of off hand. Let us know how it goes and post pics!!

In the past couple of years, I've started making my own as well (at least better quality... quite a step up from the cardboard ones I made as a kid). I think the best advice I have been given is to go to (or at least look at pictures) of actual tombstones.

We have a cemetery fairly close to us, which most people do, and just going through and snapping some photos of tombstones you want. Look at the color of the stone and the way the mold and stains are.

You'll see that crevices have more mold and staining, as do certain areas (like at corners and such) and that open faces on the stone remain somewhat 'clean'. Look at how the lettering is and what epitaphs say. How the stone cracks, etc.

Might as well create tombstones after tombstones.

As far as application goes.

I'm sure there's way more info out there, but I take the 2" foam from Lowes and create from that.

I tried to make my ts as 'realistic' as possible regarding size. I spend more time on them than the old versions I made, which yields less tombstones, but better quality.

Last year I made two. I should really take pictures... which I will.

As far as paint goes, I just got an airbrush this year (4 weeks ago). It cost me $7 at Harbor Freight which is a freakin awesome tool place that has the cheapest prices you'll ever see next to free. (I also got a $6 dremmel tool with accessories). Now, for that price, who knows how long it lasts me, but for someone just starting out, for $7 it could break after one use and I'll be fine (not really). That inlcuded the airbrush, some container, and 1 other piece (specific, I know.... I don't know anything about airbrushes yet). My only dilema is getting an air source...

Before the airbrush, I'd paint the cracks and crevices (make them as 'natural' as possible) a dark (almost pure black). The rest of it is painted however the stone style I want (sometimes not just gray... try sandstone or marble). After the first coat, I just go to town with that same shade - lets says gray - then I'd do some dark gray in the corners, lighter on the flat faces. After the stone is done, I switch to a yellow or green for the moss/mold. I water it down pretty good. Apply it to the areas you want and let it run down. THen dry brush it in (so it doesn't look like yellow water).

Again... as natural as possible is how I do it!

Originally Posted by spookineer

If your stones are styrofoam, don't use spray paint out of a can, it will melt the foam.

I made some tombstones a few years ago out of regular styrofoam and I used spray paint on them. So long as you spray it lightly it doesn't melt it. BUT I did find a use for melting them. I sprayed it on heavy on corners where I wanted it to look like the stone was crumbling. Worked pretty nicely.

Originally Posted by cassie7

I've found that it takes a good thick undercoating of latex paint to manage to cover all the little white bits of the foam from showing through.

I used gray and black spray paint (switched up which one was the base coat for different color stones) on mine and found that with just a bit of the white showing through it made it look more like real stone....kind of "speckled" like granite.

The ones I made, I base coated with grey exterior paint, and then spray painted black, grey, and white onto them, but I'm really curious what "the ole' running water spray paint thing" is.

A friend told me of an easy way to carve out letters on them. If you have a dremel tool, they make a router attachment for it that is about $25-$30 that is well worth the money. I used this with a cone shaped cutting bit and it was like that tool was made for carving tombstones. If I had cut all the letters out with an exacto knife like I was planning, I would still be working on it... three weeks later!