Post #726619 by Aloyzius on Sun, Aug 31, 2014 8:26 PM

Thanks, guys. I will post some more pictures when she's finished. I have messed with foam a few times before making some masks and things, but nothing to this scale, and nothing requiring such texture. In the past I've experimented with paper mâché, tool dip, monster mud (what a mess), bondo (don't bother), polymer clay with a heat gun (ugh). I wanted this to be in my yard so I didn't mess around this time. I bought the same epoxy putty used by the pros. It's expensive but worth it. I used Smooth On Free Form Earth, which I loved, and Free Form Habitat which I hated. Earth was almost clay like. Habitat is like nasty half melted taffy that sticks to everything, except what you want it to. Both have about an hour working time, they say, but I felt it was shorter. So I mixed small batches and smoothed sections together adding texture each time. On something this size it takes forever, but so worth it.

And next? Well, I won't do any members of Pele's family any time soon. It is painstaking trying to copy someone else's work and do it so it looks right. I took a few liberties, but my next project will be totally different, and from my own imagination. Maybe not even a tiki. Maybe something simpler like a monkey in a fez with a catapult arm who can throw beer cans at neighbors and predict the weather.