Scottwoods Custom Obstacles
 

First-time poster and HS rookie!

I haven't had the game long but I'm hooked and I couldn't help myself: I had to get in on the custom action. The ones posted here right now are still in progress, but they are largely just unpainted at this point.

Details on individual projects will follow this initial post. Thanks to all of you for keeping HS alive long enough for me to get to it!

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5006/...fcdb9b82bc.jpg
hs_walls_combined by scottwoods

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5209/...54acf3c444.jpg
hs_wallc1 by scottwoods

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5001/...291e661764.jpg
hs_tombstone by scottwoods

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5250/...55f5e0d0b2.jpg
hs_sphinx_scale by scottwoods

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5129/...22779c3771.jpg
hs_rocks_combined by scottwoods

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5001/...f12422b83b.jpg
hs_jail2 by scottwoods

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5090/...8164f564b6.jpg
hs_jail1 by scottwoods

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5244/...dfa27eb46e.jpg
hs_jail4_detail by scottwoods

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5130/...a9f4990ee5.jpg
hs_excalibur3_scale by scottwoods

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5042/...16754aef74.jpg
hs_column5 by scottwoods

Re: Scottwoods Custom Obstacles
 

Nice work, and welcome to the site! Looks like you are using green floral foam, except for your sphinx. What is the sphinx made of? Looking forward to checking out more of your work.

Re: Scottwoods Custom Obstacles
 

You are correct, though I used two different types of floral foam to see which one worked best. You see both of them at play here.

For the tombstone, sphinx and Excalibur I used "Super Sculpy Firm". I did some experiments and even though I didn't really want a medium I had to bake, it worked out the best.

Re: Scottwoods Custom Obstacles
 

My guess was sculpy, or something similar. Your sculpy stuff came out fine, much better than I could do. I have zero sculpting skills :|

Re: Scottwoods Custom Obstacles
 

I'll be investigating other mediums for this purpose ultimately. Some of this stuff is fine for certain items or sizes, but becomes more difficult to make look good for other things. Paperclay is often made to sound like mana from heaven, but it's really too soft and gritty for a lot of this tiny stuff until it hardens some...which just makes it brittle.

Re: Scottwoods Custom Obstacles
 

When working with the floral foam do you coat it with anything after working it to keep it from disintegrating? I have used it a couple of times but it seems to "shed" if I handle it too much.

Re: Scottwoods Custom Obstacles
 

A couple of things you can do with it: use paper towels in a paper mache paste to cover it (gives sort of a stuccoed texture) or paint diluted white glue over the entire surface

Re: Scottwoods Custom Obstacles
 

I should have thought of that.
I do that very thing to protect blue foam from spray paint before painting.
Thanks, Cav.

Re: Scottwoods Custom Obstacles
 

No matter what foam you use you're going to want to coat it with Mod Podge, or a diluted glue/water mix. I use it VERY lightly on the first coat so that I don't damage the detail work, but after that first coat I can go as heavy as I want.

I used raw Mod Podge, no water (but very light strokes!), though I TOTALLY see why people do cut it. By itself it's kind of thick and can be hard on really fine areas of the foam. The water can make it flow a lot easier into those tight spots (or parts that might crumble on the first coat). So on the wall...

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5201/...fa945d9e5e.jpg
hs_walls8 by scottwoods

...it wasn't that big a deal. But on my Old West jail...

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5210/...0b5bb65c04.jpg
hs_jail3 by scottwoods

...the exposed bricks and the hash marks on the cell wall were really fragile until I got a coat of MP on and let it dry. Once that dried I could go crazy.

Also, I use the matte version so that it isn't all shiny. Probably doesn't matter since I'll be painting it all, but it's my preference.

Everything I used to make everything on this page came from a trip to Michael's.

Re: Scottwoods Custom Obstacles
 

very nice stuff

Re: Scottwoods Custom Obstacles
 

Awesome stuff! :thumbsup:

Re: Scottwoods Custom Obstacles
 

Thanks everyone! It's a start.