Whew! Finally! I’ve finally finished creating my fake rock. I cannot even make an intelligent guess as to how many hours the entire project to build the viv and rock. I am guessing it had to of been close to a 100 hours. I worked on it in my spare time and to be honest I enjoyed it and it was relaxing. Maybe a little needed therapy. A lot of trial and error, many mistakes, a ton of indecision and I finally finished.
Just need to put the glass in and temp probes.
This is access to back walkway
This is the hide with a "groovy jacuzzi" i bought online on top.
This ledge can be accessed from the back wall ledge
The piece on the left (ramp) is actually going to be a bamboo bridge which I will have done by this weekend.
He cant wait to move in!
Let me state that I am in no way an expert, in fact I am far from it. That is why I decided to write this post because if I can save you a little time and stress then, well you know.
This is not some magic formula or anything nor is it detailed tutorial on how to build fake rock. There are other great sources for that such as Lizard Landscapes videos Link Here (http://www.lizard-landscapes.com/Fake-rock-wall-complex-construction.html). There is also a tutorial on this website called “Building False Rocks for your Enclosure Written by Stuart McDougall “ that you should definitely check. Stuart hands down created the most beautiful fake rock I’ve ever seen for a viv. With that said though we need to keep in mind that Stuart has skills that most of us don’t have. So unless you have an airbrush and paint mixing skills do not expect the same results. But it also doesn’t hurt to try either. That’s what I did and I believe Stuarts article forced me to push beyond what I thought I could do and it turned out that I learned a lot and will be able to create an even better piece next time.
In fact Ive never really built anything before. I got a D on my breadbox in high school. Was basically told to never touch power tools as someone was always at risk of being injured. So if I can do it, anyone can do it.
What I Did
Every piece is made to be removed for cleaning. I notched the backs of the wall pieces so that it would recess the velcro and I wouldn’t have gaps between the viv walls and the rock.
The walkways are even velcroed for easy removal.
As you can see some pieces are different tints and have different looks. The whole project was trial and error as I went and it shows. The hide was made solely from cheap styrofoam and the rest was mostly made from the more expensive styro (explained below). You can see a difference in how they look. Same goes with painting, I have many different colors going on and not one of which I like.
The first thing I did was cut out the 3 wall pieces. Laid them in place. Next I planned to build the hide as this was the biggest piece. So with my plain styrofoam walls in I cut the base for my hide. From there as I was building the hide I constantly would place it in the viv to make sure my measurements were correct. The whole Jacuzzi idea just popped in my head as I was building so I used 2 inches of styrofoam for the top. I just traced around the jacuzzi and starting from the center and began carving out the hole checking constantly as I went.
I finished constructing the hide (do not grout). Then I made my right side stairway (again do not grout). Basically do not grout anything until you have completely finished all construction.
Then I started laying out my walkway. Once I had those three pieces figured out I busted out the sharpie and began to trace around those three pieces onto the back and side walls to give me an idea of what was going to be hidden and where I wanted rock to go. Trust me, you will be adding rocks here and there as you go when ideas come to you.
The whole rock walkway going across the back wall just kind of happened and was not planned. Once I did that there was no access to it for the dragon. At first I didn’t intend to give access but I kept playing with rock placement and that’s when I added the ledge to the left side wall, the rock on the right stairway and another stepping rock on the center walkway. Now my lizard can basically travel all over the place and get closer to UVB if he desires. Once you are satisfied with your basic layout then you start carving the walls and adding more random rocks.
I used mostly the more expensive styro. (Info below) The back wall came 2 inches thick and most of the detail was simply carved using a spoon from the kitchen and a knife to get lines.
Once you think you finished with all your details and carving then try to fill in any holes you have.
Always be aware of strength. Don’t build a ledge that could collapse and hurt your pet. I used lots of glue and I always placed support rocks underneath ledges. The ledge on the left I had tested numerous times as I was grouting and it is very strong but who is to say what happens over time. I will keep a close eye on that particular piece.
Most anything else you may want to know or already know (I didn’t know) is below. As far as painting went I actually went out and bought a spray brush. Always wanted one for some odd reason even though I can’t paint so this was my excuse to get one. All my highlights were done with it. I am a rookie and still in training but it was much easier than dry brushing (explained below).
The color is where I had the most issues. I suck at mixing paint! I could never find a color that I really liked and basically just said the hell with it after numerous failed attempts. I really was trying to match the color in Stuarts article but couldn’t. There is not even a name for my color.
Below are some tips and instruction that I learned purely from trial and error. It is very long and unless you’re planning a fake rock project will probably bore you to death if I haven’t already and if I did you’re not even reading this anyway.
PAINTING FAKE ROCK
Cheap Paint Method – Instructions
If you don’t feel like wasting money on a spray brush that you will use once in your lifetime like I most likely had done then I am going to show you a simple method of getting a nice looking fake rock from a $1 squirt bottle and a sponge.
Acrylic paints should be thinned with water. They say to have a consistency of milk when using an airbrush. For the $1 spray bottle method were going to water down the paint so that the first coat is very thin. Basically colored water.
Then from 12-16 inches away and at a 30 degree angle spray the object your painting but do not fully coat the entire object, just lightly spray. Let the paint stand just for a few minutes then take your sponge and mop up all the paint by setting the sponge flat down and then lifting. Do not wipe. Give it 20 minutes or so to dry then repeat the same step again until you are satisfied with the results.
After it has completely dried you can then brush in some detailed highlights such as shadows for depth and moss. Just be sure to “Dry Brush”. (details below)
Here are the results.
I used Burnt Umber paint. This was my first piece and quite frankly I think it looked the best as far as paint went. Looked much more natural.
How to Dry Brush
Dry Brush refers to a watercolor painting technique in which a little bit of painting is put on a dry brush. When applied it produces a scratchy effect. In Dry Brush most of the liquid is taken out of the brush to produce a soft feathery kind of effect. The technique is used to create a variety of textured surfaces such as foliage, bark, stone, clouds etc. In Dry Brush painting the brush is just dipped in water and using a paper towel most of the paint is removed from the brush. You just want soft highlights here.
Techniques of Dry Brush painting-
The following techniques can be employed in Dry Brush painting.
• The Brush should be moved rapidly across the paper
• The paint must be damp
• The brush should be barely filled with paint
• To make the color go faster in sideways very light touch should be employed.
Dry Brush technique utilizes no water or medium other than paint to wet the brush.
Making Mistakes
The only mistake you could really make is not sizing your rock before building it. Just make sure it will fit in the space. Other than that I made many mistakes and just simply worked them out as I went. You can always add or remove styrofoam at any time before you grout.
Grouting
You definitely need to apply at least 4 coats of grout. Use non-sanded as everyone suggests. However, I did experiment with sanded grout on the backs of my wall pieces. I have to say that next time I am using sanded for all hidden areas as it adds so much more strength to the piece.
The more grout you add the more your detail begins to disappear so always over exaggerate any details that you want to show later.
Mixing Grout – add just a small amount of water so that it is very thick yet stirable. Mix till all the lumps are out then thin with water after that.
Materials
Liquid Nails – Make sure you get the one for paneling and molding. The others will melt your styrofoam.
Grout – Get largest and cheapest non-sanded grout. Usually $12 at Home Depot or Lowes for grey. I used white though and changed the color by adding paint every other time alternating between colored and white so I wouldn’t miss any spots during grouting. I feel that alternating colors is fairly important because I always missed spots that I noticed later on.
Paint – Arts and craft stores all carry Children’s Non-Toxic Acrylic Paint however I went to Pearls and most of it was very expensive. Michaels Crafts has much cheaper paint in hundreds of colors.
Paint Brushes – Get cheap dollar store brushes for grouting as they will be no good after a while. If you’re going to do some dry brushing or adding detail once again just a cheap set of artist’s brushes at any craft store will do. Spend no more than $3-4 for them.
Styrofoam/Polystyrene
Any kind will do but if you want the best effects with the most detail you simply need to purchase the kind found at hobby shops and flower stores. It’s the kind that florists stick flower arrangements in. It is very solid, can be shaped and cut and even sanded. However, it is more expensive. A 2’x4’x2’’ sheet can be $12. $8 for a one inch thick piece. DO NOT throw any styrofoam away until your done. What you think is scrap can definitely be used later to add more detail.
Home Depot sells sheets of styrofoam in a bag for $7. I think you get 5 2 foot x 4 foot sheets.
Sealers
I had posted before that I love the water based Aqua Mix sealers. However they are expensive but do go a long way. IMPORTANT!!! I noticed the Aqua Mix made my paint run when I started to seal my fake rock pieces. So I already had a spray can of the Polycrylic sealer. I put that on first then sealed the final coats with Aqua Mix as I know it does a great job sealing grout . I used 6 coats of sealer which was probably overkill but I do not want any cleaning issues and it takes literally under 3 minutes to seal and entire piece per coat.
Expandable Foam
I bought a can as a lot of people suggested which they use to fill holes in their fake rock piece. I had very poor results with it. I wasn’t able to get grout to stick to it at all. I actually tore it off all my pieces.
I suggest either you sand it once it has hardened with a heavy grit sandpaper or do what I did and just fill in the holes with more styrofoam looking rock pieces. I also used liquid nails to fill in small spots.
The bottom line is that if your nuts like me you may spend more doing this project as I want to make everything just right even though I lack the skills to do so. If your just looking to dress up your viv with some random hides, basking spots or rocks then I say use any styrofoam you can get for free or real cheap.
Important things I have learned.
- Pick your paint colors ahead of time if possible. I spent too much on paint I will never use. Look at a primary color wheel chart. I didn’t until it was too late. In fact I am still baffled as to how certain paints mixed together make certain colors.
- Have a practice piece – this is a biggie. Practice your painting on this piece first. Use sections because just like mixing fresh paint gives different tones so does painting over existing paint.
- Save all your styro until finished. You will use it later.
If I think of anything else I will bore you more and add it to this post. If you have any questions just ask.
Here are some construction photos:
The hide just styrofoam
The hide after first grout
The right ramp just styrofoam
Just need to put the glass in and temp probes.
This is access to back walkway
This is the hide with a "groovy jacuzzi" i bought online on top.
This ledge can be accessed from the back wall ledge
The piece on the left (ramp) is actually going to be a bamboo bridge which I will have done by this weekend.
He cant wait to move in!
Let me state that I am in no way an expert, in fact I am far from it. That is why I decided to write this post because if I can save you a little time and stress then, well you know.
This is not some magic formula or anything nor is it detailed tutorial on how to build fake rock. There are other great sources for that such as Lizard Landscapes videos Link Here (http://www.lizard-landscapes.com/Fake-rock-wall-complex-construction.html). There is also a tutorial on this website called “Building False Rocks for your Enclosure Written by Stuart McDougall “ that you should definitely check. Stuart hands down created the most beautiful fake rock I’ve ever seen for a viv. With that said though we need to keep in mind that Stuart has skills that most of us don’t have. So unless you have an airbrush and paint mixing skills do not expect the same results. But it also doesn’t hurt to try either. That’s what I did and I believe Stuarts article forced me to push beyond what I thought I could do and it turned out that I learned a lot and will be able to create an even better piece next time.
In fact Ive never really built anything before. I got a D on my breadbox in high school. Was basically told to never touch power tools as someone was always at risk of being injured. So if I can do it, anyone can do it.
What I Did
Every piece is made to be removed for cleaning. I notched the backs of the wall pieces so that it would recess the velcro and I wouldn’t have gaps between the viv walls and the rock.
The walkways are even velcroed for easy removal.
As you can see some pieces are different tints and have different looks. The whole project was trial and error as I went and it shows. The hide was made solely from cheap styrofoam and the rest was mostly made from the more expensive styro (explained below). You can see a difference in how they look. Same goes with painting, I have many different colors going on and not one of which I like.
The first thing I did was cut out the 3 wall pieces. Laid them in place. Next I planned to build the hide as this was the biggest piece. So with my plain styrofoam walls in I cut the base for my hide. From there as I was building the hide I constantly would place it in the viv to make sure my measurements were correct. The whole Jacuzzi idea just popped in my head as I was building so I used 2 inches of styrofoam for the top. I just traced around the jacuzzi and starting from the center and began carving out the hole checking constantly as I went.
I finished constructing the hide (do not grout). Then I made my right side stairway (again do not grout). Basically do not grout anything until you have completely finished all construction.
Then I started laying out my walkway. Once I had those three pieces figured out I busted out the sharpie and began to trace around those three pieces onto the back and side walls to give me an idea of what was going to be hidden and where I wanted rock to go. Trust me, you will be adding rocks here and there as you go when ideas come to you.
The whole rock walkway going across the back wall just kind of happened and was not planned. Once I did that there was no access to it for the dragon. At first I didn’t intend to give access but I kept playing with rock placement and that’s when I added the ledge to the left side wall, the rock on the right stairway and another stepping rock on the center walkway. Now my lizard can basically travel all over the place and get closer to UVB if he desires. Once you are satisfied with your basic layout then you start carving the walls and adding more random rocks.
I used mostly the more expensive styro. (Info below) The back wall came 2 inches thick and most of the detail was simply carved using a spoon from the kitchen and a knife to get lines.
Once you think you finished with all your details and carving then try to fill in any holes you have.
Always be aware of strength. Don’t build a ledge that could collapse and hurt your pet. I used lots of glue and I always placed support rocks underneath ledges. The ledge on the left I had tested numerous times as I was grouting and it is very strong but who is to say what happens over time. I will keep a close eye on that particular piece.
Most anything else you may want to know or already know (I didn’t know) is below. As far as painting went I actually went out and bought a spray brush. Always wanted one for some odd reason even though I can’t paint so this was my excuse to get one. All my highlights were done with it. I am a rookie and still in training but it was much easier than dry brushing (explained below).
The color is where I had the most issues. I suck at mixing paint! I could never find a color that I really liked and basically just said the hell with it after numerous failed attempts. I really was trying to match the color in Stuarts article but couldn’t. There is not even a name for my color.
Below are some tips and instruction that I learned purely from trial and error. It is very long and unless you’re planning a fake rock project will probably bore you to death if I haven’t already and if I did you’re not even reading this anyway.
PAINTING FAKE ROCK
Cheap Paint Method – Instructions
If you don’t feel like wasting money on a spray brush that you will use once in your lifetime like I most likely had done then I am going to show you a simple method of getting a nice looking fake rock from a $1 squirt bottle and a sponge.
Acrylic paints should be thinned with water. They say to have a consistency of milk when using an airbrush. For the $1 spray bottle method were going to water down the paint so that the first coat is very thin. Basically colored water.
Then from 12-16 inches away and at a 30 degree angle spray the object your painting but do not fully coat the entire object, just lightly spray. Let the paint stand just for a few minutes then take your sponge and mop up all the paint by setting the sponge flat down and then lifting. Do not wipe. Give it 20 minutes or so to dry then repeat the same step again until you are satisfied with the results.
After it has completely dried you can then brush in some detailed highlights such as shadows for depth and moss. Just be sure to “Dry Brush”. (details below)
Here are the results.
I used Burnt Umber paint. This was my first piece and quite frankly I think it looked the best as far as paint went. Looked much more natural.
How to Dry Brush
Dry Brush refers to a watercolor painting technique in which a little bit of painting is put on a dry brush. When applied it produces a scratchy effect. In Dry Brush most of the liquid is taken out of the brush to produce a soft feathery kind of effect. The technique is used to create a variety of textured surfaces such as foliage, bark, stone, clouds etc. In Dry Brush painting the brush is just dipped in water and using a paper towel most of the paint is removed from the brush. You just want soft highlights here.
Techniques of Dry Brush painting-
The following techniques can be employed in Dry Brush painting.
• The Brush should be moved rapidly across the paper
• The paint must be damp
• The brush should be barely filled with paint
• To make the color go faster in sideways very light touch should be employed.
Dry Brush technique utilizes no water or medium other than paint to wet the brush.
Making Mistakes
The only mistake you could really make is not sizing your rock before building it. Just make sure it will fit in the space. Other than that I made many mistakes and just simply worked them out as I went. You can always add or remove styrofoam at any time before you grout.
Grouting
You definitely need to apply at least 4 coats of grout. Use non-sanded as everyone suggests. However, I did experiment with sanded grout on the backs of my wall pieces. I have to say that next time I am using sanded for all hidden areas as it adds so much more strength to the piece.
The more grout you add the more your detail begins to disappear so always over exaggerate any details that you want to show later.
Mixing Grout – add just a small amount of water so that it is very thick yet stirable. Mix till all the lumps are out then thin with water after that.
Materials
Liquid Nails – Make sure you get the one for paneling and molding. The others will melt your styrofoam.
Grout – Get largest and cheapest non-sanded grout. Usually $12 at Home Depot or Lowes for grey. I used white though and changed the color by adding paint every other time alternating between colored and white so I wouldn’t miss any spots during grouting. I feel that alternating colors is fairly important because I always missed spots that I noticed later on.
Paint – Arts and craft stores all carry Children’s Non-Toxic Acrylic Paint however I went to Pearls and most of it was very expensive. Michaels Crafts has much cheaper paint in hundreds of colors.
Paint Brushes – Get cheap dollar store brushes for grouting as they will be no good after a while. If you’re going to do some dry brushing or adding detail once again just a cheap set of artist’s brushes at any craft store will do. Spend no more than $3-4 for them.
Styrofoam/Polystyrene
Any kind will do but if you want the best effects with the most detail you simply need to purchase the kind found at hobby shops and flower stores. It’s the kind that florists stick flower arrangements in. It is very solid, can be shaped and cut and even sanded. However, it is more expensive. A 2’x4’x2’’ sheet can be $12. $8 for a one inch thick piece. DO NOT throw any styrofoam away until your done. What you think is scrap can definitely be used later to add more detail.
Home Depot sells sheets of styrofoam in a bag for $7. I think you get 5 2 foot x 4 foot sheets.
Sealers
I had posted before that I love the water based Aqua Mix sealers. However they are expensive but do go a long way. IMPORTANT!!! I noticed the Aqua Mix made my paint run when I started to seal my fake rock pieces. So I already had a spray can of the Polycrylic sealer. I put that on first then sealed the final coats with Aqua Mix as I know it does a great job sealing grout . I used 6 coats of sealer which was probably overkill but I do not want any cleaning issues and it takes literally under 3 minutes to seal and entire piece per coat.
Expandable Foam
I bought a can as a lot of people suggested which they use to fill holes in their fake rock piece. I had very poor results with it. I wasn’t able to get grout to stick to it at all. I actually tore it off all my pieces.
I suggest either you sand it once it has hardened with a heavy grit sandpaper or do what I did and just fill in the holes with more styrofoam looking rock pieces. I also used liquid nails to fill in small spots.
The bottom line is that if your nuts like me you may spend more doing this project as I want to make everything just right even though I lack the skills to do so. If your just looking to dress up your viv with some random hides, basking spots or rocks then I say use any styrofoam you can get for free or real cheap.
Important things I have learned.
- Pick your paint colors ahead of time if possible. I spent too much on paint I will never use. Look at a primary color wheel chart. I didn’t until it was too late. In fact I am still baffled as to how certain paints mixed together make certain colors.
- Have a practice piece – this is a biggie. Practice your painting on this piece first. Use sections because just like mixing fresh paint gives different tones so does painting over existing paint.
- Save all your styro until finished. You will use it later.
If I think of anything else I will bore you more and add it to this post. If you have any questions just ask.
Here are some construction photos:
The hide just styrofoam
The hide after first grout
The right ramp just styrofoam
this really is gonna help me, because i'm making one of these soon. Very, very nice! :mrgreen:
