Luke's Garage & Gas Station

[Stuart]

Thought I'd show what I have been up to lately. 

There are a couple locations on my gas station diorama where rock retaining walls are needed.  I experimented with a couple of methods, such as real rock pieces, molding the rocks from paper mache pulp, and making plaster castings but the one that I finally landed on was to use high-density foam. 

I laid out my rock pattern on a piece of illustration board cut to the size of the retaining wall area.  I transferred the pattern to the piece of high-density foam, cut each individual rock piece out using a jeweler's scroll saw, whittled away at the piece of foam with my utility knife until I created a rough rock form then using some actual pieces of rock, pressed the rock surface into the foam to create the texture I wanted.  Using inexpensive acrylic craft paints of various shades of gray, browns and yellows I paint and spatter the surfaces to represent granite rock.  It's a bit of a chore working this way but I'm getting the results I want.

The photo shows one section of retaining wall in progress.  Some rocks in their whittled-out state, others with the rock texture pressed into their surfaces and then some in their final painted condition.



Stuart

[Hydrostat]

Those stones look really good!

[Bill Gill]

Stuart,
Like Volker said, really good looking stones. the finished retaing walls will be very nice.

[finescalerr]

Before I read your post, I thought the painted rocks on the right were real and you were using them for inspiration. Either you did a remarkable job or I need another visit to my eye doctor. -- Russ

[Barney]

Very nice and very realistic
Barney

[Stuart]

Before I read your post, I thought the painted rocks on the right were real and you were using them for inspiration.

Russ - The larger rocks on the right of the photo are real.  They are the ones I'm using to push their textured surface into the foam to create the rocky faces on the rocks I'm making.

Stuart