Mar 29, 2011

Stonewall tutorial

For the last scene of my show I made a simple stonewall using garbage. The modellers often build from Depron foam (it's a closed cell styrofoam) for its lightness and it's very easy to work with it. I didn't bought a Depron sheet but washed up a Depron tray of a shrink-wrapped food, then cut the rims off. You can draw the stone pattern onto the foam by hand or using a printed pattern and carbon paper. For inspiration you can find many wall pattern on the net. After drawing carve the grout lines out of the foam. For this I used a needle file.





After carving you get a very real looking grouting and too smooth stone surface, so you had to damage the stones in some way. I used acryl based varnish spray for this. This varnish corrodes the depron. I sprayed the stones with this varnish then pressed over with a toothbrush. If you need deeper holes, spray some varnish into a bowl and dip a cotton bud into it, then press the bud into the depron. 



Now you have a very good texture. The following step is the painting. The colors depend on the type of the stones you choose. I made a sandstone wall, so my base color was sand yellow. I used acrylic paint. After the base color you can rich the wall other tones of the same color by dry brushing.



Now you have to fill the grout lines with something, I used dry tile cement for this. Simply spoon some cement onto the wall then sweep it into the gaps with a brush. Then you can fix it with varnish.



I used some grey paint on the lower part of the wall imitating the splashing mud, and some green for mossing. It's still not ready, I think It needs some more painting, but the most part of the work is ready.


I found ideas for this project in a modelling book written by a hungarian man, László Adóba. This book was published in english, too. I got the hungarian version as a Christmas present from my husband. It has many great tricks for making miniature scenes we can use.


15 comments:

rosanna said...

WONDERFUL TUT !! thank you very much, Rosanna

Annie Fryd said...

Thanks a million for a very detailed tutorial. I´ve made a a stonewall in my Secret Garden and now I wished I had know this method then... Looks much more real life than mine :0( The books looks interesting!

Minnie Kitchen said...

wow that is genius! thanks for sharing!

BuyAionAccount said...

Great tutorial! Oh well, one doesn't need to search on for more designs with regards to stone wall they would already look perfect just like that.

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miniacollection said...

A very interesting tutorial. Thank you for it and telling about the book.
Geneviève

May said...

fantástico!!! yo lo hago parecido

LaBelleCuisine Miniaturas / ShabbyParis Dolls said...

Very very good tutorial! Thanks for share with us!!!
Marina

Michelle said...

It's a truly fabulous wall! I've not seen that type of polystyrene to buy...I know lots of miniaturists use it and I can completely understand why! Fabulous tutorial. :o))

Michelle xx

Robin said...

What a brilliant, brilliant idea - thank you!

dalesdreams said...

Wow! That is a great technique and it looks so real! :)

Ana Anselmo said...

great work, wonderful explained!!!!
thanks
hugs
Ana

Catherine / Mooghiscath said...

Très bonne idée et superbe rendu .

Minteriors said...

Thank you for sharing this amazing tutorial! Who would have guessed that your "limestone" was recycled styrofoam?? Now that is downright clever!

marionswiss said...

hi there, why did you varnish the wall? I don't want mine shiny... could I just spray it with some water so that the mortar sets? what do you think?
many thanks...

Unknown said...

I woke up at 4:30 am this morning trying to figure out how to make a stone house for Alice in Wonderland. Thank you for your great ideas on your blog. Now I might be able to go back to bed!
Rebecca Maximovich