Post #241790 by loco moke on Sat, Jul 8, 2006 9:21 PM

Ah....feast your eyes on the forbidden fruit: FOAM!

I have had some request of how I work in foam. So I thought I would share the ongoing process with you as I attempt my first Moai!
The Moai is a great choice for newbies starting out because there is not alot of great detail involved and simple(yeah right) angular lines.
So lets get started:)

I am using a chunk of styrofoam with a 2lb density, because that is what I happen to have. I would suggest 1.5lb density, alot less sweating and cussing.
As you can see, I penciled a rough of the Moai on the block for your viewing pleasure. I usually freehand my sculptures beacuase the drawings slow me down and confuse my brain. Instead I usually have a pencill sketch close at hand that I refer to.

My handy B&D saw, it cuts just like buttah! It's like a turkey carver on steroids and you can find this at Home Depot. I still use my trusty hand saw too, like to reach through the middle of this 55" x42" x 21" block. I usually stay away from a chainsaw too because that really creates a mess. Did I mention sweating and cussing?

Now I start blocking in the shape and I want to err on the side of of too little instead of too much. We don't wanna have to stop and glue a piece back on. That takes time and gluing sucks.

The Moai takes shape!
No, it is not snowing, this is the mess that comes with working with foam...see that 42 gallon trash bag back there? It will take 21/2 of those bags to fill with the excess.
Okay at this point I have a fairly good idea of what I'm up against now, so I shake the foam off grab a cold beer and start shaping.

The nose was a good place to start and I could drink my beer while doing it. Just trying to define it a little at a time.

Now as you can see I've shaped the mouth in and have moved on to defining the protruding chin. I use this rasp, as well as a half round, almost exclusively as my weapons of choice to tear through alot of real estate when shaping.

More refining with a small hand rasp to get in those tighter spots which can be a mutha! Foam is fun but it isn't as easy as it looks.

Now I continue to shape all over, smoothing out spots and I've worked my way up to Moai's uni-brow to give him a proper look.

Now I step back after freshly shaving the Moai and look where I need to make adjustments.

Once I get the desired look, I then want to remove some of the rasp marks a bit so I do the once over with the palm sander.

Ah....smoothe as a monkey's behind.

I'll call the Moai good for today and will come back at it again another day. I'll post the second half soon of applying the faux stone.

Cheers,
Loco Moke

[ Edited by: loco moke 2006-07-09 19:56 ]