How to Make a Fake Rock Background

[zBrinks]

Finally finished putting together this how-to video on making a fake rock background. Check it out on the joshsfrogsvideos youtube channel!

‪How to make a fake rock background.wmv‬‏ - YouTube

‪How to make a fake rock background.wmv‬‏ - YouTube

[Tadbit]

Nice video! Thanks for putting it together!

[ryan10517]

Drylok FTW! i love the stuff Here are a few things i have discovered in my experience working with it. I find it easier to mix in acrylic paint to the drylok instead of concrete tints. Its also much cheaper, and you have many more colors to work with to give you the most natural color tone possible. I tend to break up the color of the overall piece as much as i can. Uniformity is not all that natural in rocks. What i usually do is start with a somewhat dark base tone, add random splotches of earthy colors, then paint all the cracks and crevices a very dark color to give it an added sense of depth. After that i use drybrushing to add even more depth and contrast with a lighter color on top.

Its also helpful to go out to a local creek or something and find some rocks you like to use as a very rough template for shape and color.

I don't use straight acrylic on my stuff now just because i find it looks kind of glossy. Mixing it into the drylok in small portions and painting with that takes care of the glossiness.

Another note: I tested the water running off drylok, and it had a pH increase of ~2.5 (i used RO water with a pH of 6, and it increased to 8.5), so i would recommend rinsing it thoroughly before adding inhabitants. I wouldn't call it necessary, it just helps.

I have not made a complete rock wall, but i have made some fake rocks. Here is my best one:


Great video by the way. very helpful and informative!

Peace out,

Ryan

[Okapi]

Thanks for sharing

[saruchan]

I went out to the store today and purchased some drylock. It came in a powder form. Will this stuff still work for making faux rocks? Thanks and thanks for posting this vid really looking forward to trying this. Also I went to the hardware store and couldnt find any pink insulation foam. There was white insulation foam but it just looked the stuff that comes in packaging. I have a lot of packaging foam at home would that be ok to use?

[zBrinks]

I've never heard of powdered drylok before, so I can't really comment on if it would work, but I assume it would.

That foam will work, but it's harder to work with, IME.

[Brotherly Monkey]

Originally Posted by zBrinks

I've never heard of powdered drylok before, so I can't really comment on if it would work, but I assume it would.

That foam will work, but it's harder to work with, IME.

I never heard of such either. Can you post a picture of the label?

[saruchan]

Just got off of work heres a picture of what I bought. I may have just bought the wrong kind of stuff

[johnyrocks]

Originally Posted by saruchan

Just got off of work heres a picture of what I bought. I may have just bought the wrong kind of stuff

I've never seen anyone use it, but just a wild guess, it might starts cracking overtime.

[VivariumWorks]

Remember DryLok is a brand. The company that makes the "drylok latex-based masonry waterproofer" (which is used in the video) also makes 20+ other materials.

What you bought [saruchan] is basically a fast setting portland cement. It's normal portland cement with a high alumina content and/or accelerators designed to set the cement underwater. It will work but its the same as using grout, and will need to be cured for weeks, if not a full month to get the pH neutral.