Thread: How would you do this?

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I need some suggestions from more talented prop builders than I...

I have a pirate-themed garage haunt. I recently found this cast-off wood "throne" for free.



I plan to use a dry brush technique to give the wood a gray, rotten appearance, and then glue shells and barnacles to it. Overall, I want to create the impression the throne was recently on the bottom of the sea (think the Flying Dutchman from the POTC movies).

The curved top of the chair back put me in mind of an octopus pin I own.



I want to add an octopus sculpture to the chair back and give it a bronze patina using blue and green paints. My question is: how should I make the octopus? My first thoughts were either foam sculpting or clay molding, but I have little experience with either. I need a material that's fairly lightweight so I don't overbalance the chair. I also need to affix it to the chair, so if I go the clay route, I plan to attach the clay to a wood backer.

Any thoughts, recommendations, experiences would be appreciated - thanks!

plaster cast.

get yourself some plasterseen(?) (playdough at a push)

roll it out to desired thickness, and do a recess carving.

pushing a tube of some sort into the clay to give you the raised suction cups.
when your done, fill it full of plaster, let cure and seperate. (you might have to detail the piece to remove all the clay.)

you could carve it from foam (the actual octopus) or the mold for that matter. a wet sand mold would work too (you'd get sand stuck in the plaster which wouldn't be a bad thing, would it?)

i just figured the clay method would be a little easier to produce the suction cups.

you could also pour the above with latex/epoxy/fiberglass etc etc. (some releases required)

couple ideas for your chair.

sand it 1/2 assed here and there. cut the wood with a jigsaw to make area's look rotten. (would
be best if the sanded area's match the cut area's along edges etc.)
run all your cracks up/down like wood grain.

paint with crackle paint and sand, sanded area's once again.
grey wash any exposed wood (watered down grey acrylig paint.) it will never full mix, use thisto your advantage.
burn set area's (focusing on the crack's/edges) with a propane torch.
you'll have a very nicely weathered chair by the time your done.

Well, clay is cheap and readily available! Think about this:

You could take that photo of the octopus, enlarge it to size, then print it in black and white. Take the enlargement, and use it as a template of sorts for your clay sculpture. Lay it under some glass or plexi, even wax paper. Just so you can see it under there while you work with the clay. Roll the clay into ropes and lay tentacles out, bend and twist the ropes to generally follow the print out. Roll a ball, then squash it where the head goes. Join it to the tentacles. By then, you'll probably have it figured out. Roll little balls for the suction cups, push them in there, then push something into the centers to form the little donut holes. Add the wrinkles with a butter knife or something. You'll probably be very close by then. Add whatever else you want to make it unique. Smooth it all with a soft bristle artist brush and water. Push some gems into the eyes even! Heck, make the suctions with little gems if you want. Mold right over them, or, push em into the clay, then remove them to add back after the final is cast for an actual 'gem' in the octopus.

Mold it up! Decide what you want to cast the final octopus in. Resin, Latex, plaster, ect. That will determine what to make your mold with. It can be done pretty easily and inexpensively. Go for it.. You'll see how easy it is and it will make an awesome centerpiece for that high back to the chair.

**Look on bobzillas threads.... Great tips for molding sea critters and barnacles.

Nevermind just look down!

I love the chair and octopus! You could age the chair with a wire wheel method.How to "pull" out the grain and knots in your wood projects I would cast the octopus in silicone and use resin or hard foam(or even latex,very light weight) for the finished product. How big is the octopus? I'll cast it for you, if maybe I can make a mold of the octopus for myself too?

No ideas but that is going to be one cool chair!!!

I didn't realize The octopus was a pin. I should read more carefully

..........double post...............my bad

Yeah, you should make an octopus to mold up bobzilla.

I find going bolder works for me. One Big statement instead of lots of little ones. Here's a rough idea, legs & head would be 3-D padded. Bendable wire inside the legs for shape. Go Wild! Mybe an Eye that moves, a fogger blowing out the breathing tube.