I'm designing and painting a large tree for a production of "As You Like It" and I'm torn about which technique to use to cover the underlying tree structure and create decent bark texture.
I need a solution that is easy to apply and can be walked on or kicked. The roots of the tree are rather sprawling and allow for actors to sit and stand on them(no one is really climbing the tree trunk-it's really more root climbing). There are also few shop staff, and I'm the only painter- so the simpler the process the better.
The tree structure will be wooden and covered with rabbit wire to create the first base of structural strength and shape. The next step starts my indecision- should the rabbit wire be covered with carpet glued together and then covered in scenic dope? Should I use Jaxsan or Joint Compound? I like the recipe I've found on here for VSSD- it also sounds cheaper than Jaxsan, maybe I'll make that? What about old velour or burlap dipped in glue?
If I use a scenic texture do I need a layer fabric underneath to block the texture from falling thru the rabbit wire? Is fabric dipped in glue durable enough for someone to stand on with a wooden frame and rabbit wire underneath them- most of the roots flat surfaces or tops will resemble platform construction but some of the side structure may have expanses of wire between 2x4 or 4x4 legs...
Any ideas for the simplest, most durable solution to create texture on a tree?
I need a solution that is easy to apply and can be walked on or kicked. The roots of the tree are rather sprawling and allow for actors to sit and stand on them(no one is really climbing the tree trunk-it's really more root climbing). There are also few shop staff, and I'm the only painter- so the simpler the process the better.
The tree structure will be wooden and covered with rabbit wire to create the first base of structural strength and shape. The next step starts my indecision- should the rabbit wire be covered with carpet glued together and then covered in scenic dope? Should I use Jaxsan or Joint Compound? I like the recipe I've found on here for VSSD- it also sounds cheaper than Jaxsan, maybe I'll make that? What about old velour or burlap dipped in glue?
If I use a scenic texture do I need a layer fabric underneath to block the texture from falling thru the rabbit wire? Is fabric dipped in glue durable enough for someone to stand on with a wooden frame and rabbit wire underneath them- most of the roots flat surfaces or tops will resemble platform construction but some of the side structure may have expanses of wire between 2x4 or 4x4 legs...
Any ideas for the simplest, most durable solution to create texture on a tree?