Friday, August 1, 2014

Cthulhu Fhtagn! Tóbal Edition.


Tóbal returns to our pages with a casting of his Mayan Cthulhu idol in translucent resin.  The opaque detail wash helps recreate the look of ancient jade. 

3 comments:

CoastConFan said...

This new translucent material looks very good. What I like is the encrustation on the figure, which gives it a dug look. Many dug artifacts that are put on display in museums are cleaned, often brutally or worse yet polished. This is more true with Victorian finds, but even today, overly cleaned items or over restored items fill museums. Tobal’s previous incarnation in stone on Propnomicon: http://propnomicon.blogspot.com/2014/06/cthulhu-fhtagn-tobal-edition.html

For prop makers producing “fresh dug” looking props, just a bit of dirt is not quite enough. Transfer of minerals and inorganic material to an object is common, often building up in layers over the centuries. In objects in water, marine encrustation can be simulated. A few well-placed barnacles and a bit of staining goes a long way in props. One small note, gold is notoriously resistant to mineral deposits and anchoring marine growth.

For a quick and easy faux encrustation that comes off quickly, simple chalk can be built up to simulate ground leeching. Water washable paints will also make a removable inorganic transfer. Take your photo of the item, lying in situ in the hole, then another photo on the collection table with the encrustation showing, then wash it all off and put it in a showcase all “restored”. That way you get three photos, all in different stages of your prop artifact. These supporting photos shown with the prop, will add a depth to the tableau.

Tóbal said...

Hi!
Thanks for this entry !
@CoastConFan , thanks for your words !

As a note for people who want to dirt their creations , I use acrylic latex (white one , water soluble mixed with the pigments, not the one for prosthetics) It is like painting with acrylic paints but the difference is you control the grade of pigment dispersion ,concentration and way of using the color , instead of getting a flat layer. As regarding of dirt , I use talcum powder or chalk mixed with some powdered pigments , you can adjust the tone very well . After the dirt is almost fixed with the latex , I cover all with a matte spray varnish. (with care and from distance to avoid glossy finish).

Unknown said...

It's a handsome piece, lovely translucency and, as CoastConFan stated, just the right amount of grime to make it look as though it got dug up, given only a cursory cleaning for identification, then stored and forgotten in the dim recesses of some museum storeroom.