Post #106979 by Gigantalope on Sun, Aug 8, 2004 12:38 AM

Your work looks good, the more you do, the better at it you will get.

There is a product made to our into the hollow areas in boat hulls to keep water out. It's a two part foam. You can make a vessle the approximate dimansions of the tiki you want to make, mix the polimer and make the foam yourself. It looks like mocha when you mix it, then it gets foamy and grows. It ends up looking kinda anglefood cakey, but is carvable, and if you make a mistake, you can back-fill

Another swell but more free form tequnique is to get any polystiyrene (sp) surfoboade blanks, packing foam...anything.

draw out your design carefully like you would presketch a watercolor. Think of what parts you want raised, and what parts you want to recede. You can paint figures, letters, negative space...what-ever.

The areas you want to be elivated in the relief, simply paint with old housepaint. If you want a crisp edge to somthing, cut it's boarder with an xacto.

Once it's dry, get some carburator cleaner, and spray it on the foam (unpainted) that you wish to be negative space, or background. It will shrivel and look rough like stone. The painted areas will remain shielded.

This tecnique is of course harmfull to the enviroment, but is done with stuff you can fine in most garages. You won't have the control you have using a dremil tool, but it's effects are pretty nice.

Let me know if my ramble is unclear.

Gigantalope.