Hi Dena,

Wow! You're lucky to have real fossils. It sure beats making them up :) I can't wait to see it. Justin

Yes Dena, I'm making a fossil, or am I a fossil in making? Everytime I get up in the morning and my knees pop and my back aches and I use that old age grunt and sigh!

Where did you get your fossils? It's been a while since I've seen them just hanging around. Usually they're embedded. I did see a large ammonite (I believe that's what it was)displayed in a neighbor's yard and wanted to ask to make a mold of it. I've seen those used, in a group, in a patio floor and also in a waterfall--very cool looking.

I do not have any fossils. I have shells, and a candle in the shape of an ammonite...................
I am almost a fossil myself, but not sandcasting myself just yet!

Rustinj, are you the person with the fossil piece that has wonderful color added?
Sorry if I confused anyone. I want what I am creating to look like they were chipped out of a clay wall, or unearthed, or found between two halves of a rock.
Dena

Hi Dena,

It looked real to me. I fudged some fake fossils with plastiline and painted them? It's not the same, but fun to do.

Here is a link that might be useful: a few fake fossils

Justin, did you roll your own fossils out of the plastiline? That's pretty dang good! You should work as a museum display artist. Am I misunderstanding this...you didn't paint the plastiline, did you? Did you cast it in something else and then paint?

Also curious where you got your "dancing fossil" background? ...picture from the local bar scene?? LOL

HowieDoin,

Thanks! Yes, it was a plastiline pseudofossil creation, molded and cast. Maybe I could find work at the new creationist museum :)

Here's a link to the steps in making the dancing fossil :) I just dry brushed it at the end with acrylic paint.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:70233}}

Rustinj,
You captured it all in one pic. Way to go. Yours is awesome.
Plasticine is definitely the way to make an impression and have it release cleanly.
Again Rustinj you have done a terrific tutorial.
Dena

Thank you, Dena :) Keep the pics coming if you do more!

Rustinj and Dena, both of you have some fantastic stuff here. Dena, I'm amazed that you just said, "Hey, I want to try this!" and *did* it! I like the way the fossils look. You were using potting clay for the mold impressions, I take it?

Rustinj, thanks for the tutorial--I'd never have thought to try something like this myself, but it looks fantastic!

Anna

Thanks, Anna.

Dena, what kind of clay are you using to get such good detail from an imprint?

Hi Dena and others. I've purchased plastic fossil molds from www.twoguysfossils.com/kids I have a 4' Ammonite mold and a Trilobite one also. I've incorporated them into my fossil mirror castings/fountains similar to what Little and Lewis have done. If you are careful the Two Guy fossils will hold up for several castings. It is a little tricky getting the casts out of the molds. Regarding the clay base I have some oil base clay from Dick Blick company which doesn't dry out and remains pliable. You can get it in three different types of softness depending on what you need. Works well. I've taken digitals of my fossil mirrors and will get on the web soon I hope.

Dena, your fossil relief turned out GREAT!!! It really looks natural the way you put them together. Are you planning on painting it or finishing it with anything? Also, I really like the faux rock you have your lantern on. What did you use for the red veining? I hope you take more pictures of it!

John, thanks for the tip...please post some pics of your results.

Rustinj,
I am not as happy with the fossil as it has sat in the garage curing. Next time will use even more charcoal colorant, or better just put the colorant in the area where the fossil will be. Every thing is too muted and even though maybe more realistic for just stumbling upon it is not quite what I had in mind. Have been using it to sort of experiement with different colors, and not really finding what is going to work. Fossils appear to be all the rage though around here there are a couple of shops with a variety of ammonites and fish bones for ideas.
john, I tried to look up the fossil guys that you mentioned and did not find them. Would you or someone else please provide the actual URL link (I think that is what I need). Your mirrors are awesome John, I think if you had gone to Little and Lewis' garden you would be patting yourself on the back and smiling, very nice work you do!!!
Regarding the little rock, I will send you some pics of the rock close up and inside, not pretty though so be forwarned. The rock is made of a white cement and sand mix, I used a combination of acid stains from concrete coatings incorporated. With acid etch and other concrete stains they do not just mix as with paint, to achieve different colors. They have to dry or be wiped to a drier state before applying another color. So you have to be a little bit patient. Use a well ventilated area, and different containers for each color, and even a different brush. Everything washes up pretty good with water, so the containers and brushs can be labeled for another time.
The company offers a sample pack, they are not diluted so can be changed in intesity. The sampler was somewhat pricey but certainly a good resource. I used cheap chip brushes to apply the stain. I think there are about 4 different colors on the rock. Because the surface is not smooth the reactions and densities vary. I doubt that I could recreate the same color rock again.
Hope that helps,
Dena

Dena,

Thanks so much for the detailed description of you faux rock process. I think it looks AWESOME! I'm not situated to be able to work with acid stains yet, but I do plan on trying it in the future. The colors and the way they transition look so natural. I can't wait to see some more pics. As far as your fossils go, I think it looks very realistic. I know what you mean about it not standing out, though. There's a trade-off between making it obvious and realistic, and it's hard to find a balance. The acrylic paints I've been experimenting with tend to give it a plastic look, so I'm looking for a better strategy, too. I've been fooling with water colors, since my stuff is mostly indoors. They tend to resemble the acid staining look.

I couldn't find John's pics, or the molds he linked to???

Thanks again. Justin

Regarding the fossil mold site I mentioned, do a search for "two guy fossils" and scan through their pages for the molds. They have a lot of actual replacas of the fossils but the seemed to be elusive as I searched for the molds. There is an 800 number on the website to call and ask them also. Pictures someday soon.

Thank you John. And thank you for all your help.
Dena

Dena & rustinj

Brand new here. First off, let me say that your stuff is way cool! I've been experimenting w/tufa for years & you've definatly given me some ideas for new projects.

A technique I use to bring out details really well is to blackwash the item. Dena already mentioned she's got some of the charcoal colorant & Justin is right on track with the water colors. What I do is put just a little bit of the colorant in a small plastic container then add enough water to give it that water color consistancy. Make sure it quite watery - too high a concentration of colorant will give you a flat black finish on the piece that will not only defeat the purpose but will rub off on your hands every time you touch the piece. (I recommend trying this first on an old scrap piece that has some detail on it as an experiment!)
Brush it on then immediately take a cloth to it and wipe it off. The black will remain dark in all of the cracks & crevices that the rag won't be able to get into.
This brings out the details quite nicely & the rain doesn't bother it one bit.