Thread: The Recondite: UnOrthodOx's 2012 theme open discussion.

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Alright. This has been on my mind all of October. I've been putting it off since I had THIS Halloween to deal with first.

As you may have read, the kids have been bugging me to build a graveyard for years, and I really wasn't too thrilled with the prospect. I don't really see graveyards as 'spooky', or 'scary', but rather beautiful and interesting. What's more, as my forum handle may suggest, I like to do things a little bit differently, and there's already 2 graveyards on our street. (though one of them really switched it up adding a lot of my 'harvest' style this year...)

So, I've been scouring the forum, and internet at large, for some kind of unique inspiration on the graveyard concept.

So, I'm here to open discussion to everyone. Sure, my first instinct is to hole up my ideas, and come back in 7 months and say 'here, look what I made' and if folks like, maybe post a tutorial. But, my last brainstorming thread went rather well, and more eyes on the subject are always better. If someone 'beats' me to an idea, so be it, I'm not here for competition.

A standard field of tombstones doesn't interest me. Silly sayings, or realistic.

The area is not quite right for a simple field of wooden crosses.

What to do?

Over the month, I have been collecting links.

It's impossible to be on this forum looking at graveyard threads, and not be awed by Terra's Beloved. http://www.halloweenforum.com/blogs/...-tutorial.html
Then, there was the amazing and touching addition of a groundbreaker by FirstSpartan: Our new 'Terra' Beloved tombstone and groundbreaker

While I love these tombstones for their beauty, they are really not 'for me'.

Next up, TK421 (hey, I stole the boardwalk idea, may as well stalk him) posted this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r94NUIT4otQ

That is a cool effect, and I certainly have enough wood left over to build a coffin, but that alone wasn't really helping me much.

The next thing to catch my eye was madmax's breathing grave tutorial: The Breathing Grave How To

Coupled with the coffin idea, I could see an area beginning to be creepy. But, it needed some creatures to fill out the area.

I began going through possibilities in my mind.

Gravedigger
Skeletons
Zombies
Ghosts
Ghouls

Of those, the one thing to really capture my attention were Johnny's ghosts.

The first real breakthrough for me came from Lord Soth: Undead Knight's Ground Crypt

Now THERE was something I used to love as a child, those old knight crypts. Now THAT got me to thinking.

Now then, what if we were to take that knight's crypt, apply Terra's beloved idea, and add a recumbent effigy to the top? What's more, we can take and slap that reverse flow fog chiller INSIDE the thing! Oh, and how'bout we surround the WHOLE THING with breathing graves on all sides while we're at it? Maybe make the lid shake/rumble/move?

So, I started looking for inspiration for the recumbent effigy. Little did I expect to find a brief period where an offshoot of the art form known as Transi was used. (aka cadaver tombs)

THESE were tombs built for Halloween.















Problem is, I REALLY can't see myself having time for more than one such tomb, and a tomb hardly makes a graveyard.

Enter some ruined tombs, which make the nice, shiny, fogging, moving ground, glowing inside shaking lid tomb all the more bizaar.






HOW I'm doing this? I don't know. Having not been a tombstone guy, I'm new to all this foam stuff....that's where all you can come lend a voice...

With the idea for the area carved out, I still wanted some CREATURES.

It was my habit of listening to books on tape while on travel that supplied the first inspiration.

History of the Caliph Vathek, specifically. A wonderful tale of the 'beware what you wish for' kind that I adore. A brief segment featured a ghoul.

Or rather, a Ghul.

Seems these days, Ghouls are more or less akin to zombies. Humanoid, eating flesh...but it has not always been so.

Islam saw them as Djinn. Shapeshifting beings of smoke and fire. Free willed beings, dangerous, and hidden to sight of most mortal men. Bedouin tradition states that the Djinn who fell to the wastelands became Ghul, scraping an existance off whatever sustanence they may find.







These were beings I could get behind in the graveyard. Beings that fit in well with my tastes...

Finally getting going on my Transi. This'll be my first time working with foam, so I'm a little nervous about that. Frame is almost complete, though. Probably be getting some foam walls on this weekend.

An excellent path to follow imho! =D

I have a wallbreaker of Here's Johnny's design, and we even met briefly once upon a time. Rot's Cloaked Ghost Dead was the inspiration behind my FCG revamp as well. Then I recently saw Johnny's FCG...something about minds that think alike. I've been trying to get into contact with him again, but it seems that he has evaporated into the netherworld's mist. Most unfortunate!

In any case, it seems that you're well on your way with the ground crypt/reverse flow chiller. Again, great plans, and I can't wait to see them come to fruition.

UnO - interesting ideas and concept. This is one thread I'm going to watch. By the way, thanks for posting the tombs in the Texas graveyard. More food for thought on my 1800s western graveyard. Also the links were some I haven't seen yet, so, more info - yes! HM

I'm following this one. Love the path you're taking and how well reasoned out it is. I can really relate to your thought process. I'd subscribe to this thread, but it's going to blow up like crazy here soon and I don't want my inbox stuffed. hehe....

Good luck with all of your building UnOrtho. It's gonna rock, like always.

Originally Posted by UnOrthodOx

Now then, what if we were to take that knight's crypt, apply Terra's beloved idea, and add a recumbent effigy to the top? What's more, we can take and slap that reverse flow fog chiller INSIDE the thing! Oh, and how'bout we surround the WHOLE THING with breathing graves on all sides while we're at it? Maybe make the lid shake/rumble/move?

^THIS! You are describing a Very. Scary. Graveyard! I can just see the fog (backlit in a color - purple?) billowing out from the crypt surrounded by the breathing graves with a sound track of moans. To save time one of these crypts would be enough. If it was in the center and the graves placed as if they are a tribute or former slaves or some such - WOW!

I'm actually backing off of the breathing graves for this crypt at the moment.

Why:

• If I get the dense ground fog coming out that I want (and plan to buy a much bigger fog machine to accomidate), it will obscure the breathing grave effect.
• With the vent holes along the bottom of the crypt, I either would have to move the vents up into what I intend to be bas-relief walls, or obscure the vents with the boxes for the breathing grave...but I'm still toying with how, exactly I want that to work.
• This thing is already going to soak a lot of my time and budget for the year, and I want people to SEE it, so the path will be up close and around that, where a breathing grave kinda forces a more stand off approach.

I have a really wicked idea to have the bridge of death surrounded by breathing graves instead, but it's more likely a next year thing, but you never know.

That makes a lot of sense. But the breathing graves aren't half as cool as your crypt idea. Can't wait to see more progress pictures

A lot of work for starting out whatever theme you pick. I'd pick a centerpiece as your eye-popper and work around it. If your going to have extensive details to the piece, go for it but give yourself time and money to build other stones and props that make your area look like a graveyard. I've planned ahead of time to work on my many projects but it always seems to come down to the last days and then I feel rushed. "Forum" has been a huge help to me and the ideas I've found lets me plan and make props that are not above my capabilites. I look forward to your updates during the year. Go for it. As I say... WE AIN"T RIGHT !!!