Skull rock

The Goal--ish

Building up the structure

There aren't a whole lot of projects on this year.  So I've been watching the Indiana Jones movies over and over looking for little details I can make.  One of the things I had almost forgotten about is the skull rock from Temple of Doom--the Kali Ma scene.  This is the holder for the diamonds that Indy is
looking to steal back from the Thugees.  It's basically just a large skull with little ledges in the eyes and nose for the glowy diamonds.  Fairly straight forward.  The only caveat is that it needs to be pretty large.  So.  I considered several bases.  But I ended up going with a garbage can I found at Home Depot ($15).  I blocked out some basic shapes with cardboard and duct tape.  This was pretty easy, just carving up a box and bending out some shapes.  It turned out looking a bit like a monkey with a fez....

Today was when I put on a first layer of foam to make it look more rock like.  It looks...better than it did.  And I know it'll be a multiple step process.  Part of the problem is that (like hot glue and the Harry Potter wands) you have to wait to build up layers.  But whereas the wands take maybe a minute under a cool fan to solidify, the foam takes closer to an hour.  Which is a bit of a drag.  But I think it'll get there--it'll just take a while.

First layer of foam

**UPDATE**

Second layer of foam, dried

Foam had time to set, so I pulled out another can and built up a second layer.  This  time I had to go slow and steady, just like the wands, to slowly build up layers.  The weather might play a part in this.  Originally I had it out on the driveway, but the last foam layer got hot as it solidified and is a bit more drippy than I anticipated.  So I'm thinking after this next layer dries, I'll move him over into the shade/garage.  Might take longer to dry, but the results should be a bit more controlled.

**UPDATE**

More foam put on--though I'm also starting to use my razor cutter and start to trim up some places.  I found a few tutorials while looking at other possible projects involving foam that talked about using a dremel with a sandpaper bit to smooth out some of the pieces.  Though in this particular case, I don't want to lose the rocky feel to him.  But some clean up might be good.  I also did some white, then gold paint on the eye holes and the nose.  In the movie, yes, they're black, but I want them to stand out pretty well and I think the gold will make a little more light.  Next up is adding in more teeth, especially to the bottom.  Now that I have a proper lip, I think I'll end up just taking pieces of cardboard and attaching them to wooden skewers, then putting the skewers into the lip.

**UPDATE**
I put in more of his teeth, so he looks a little less beaver teeth and yokely.  I also started the snake form that will encircle his head.  I stuck a pretty heavy piece of wire through two pool noodles taped together, then shaped him around the head a bit.  Next up is to start carving the snake head and covering the pool noodle in great stuff so I can then smooth it down a bit.

**UPDATE**

Final layer of paint

First layer of brown

Lots more levels of paint on this guy.  I went over him with a light brown just as a base, then went back again with a darker, slight more textured color that advertises itself as 'hammered'.  I'm happy with the results so far.  I have been waffling about the teeth, whether I want them to be white, or blend in with the rest, so for now I've left them white.  But that might change.