I Wood, Wood You?

If I have the time I always like to explore new materials. It seems like there is always something I haven't tried yet. When the set for Romeo & Juliet came along, the designer, Peter Munton, desired a textural look to the old wood of this half-timber and wattle-and-daub style set. I knew that I would need (want) to explore some new ideas for texture. After trying about a dozen different mixes of things I came across Ceramic Tile Mortar, not to be mistaken with Tile Adhesive - two very different substances. The substrate was given a coat of contact cement to promote better adhesion. The mortar was then applied and sculpted. The first sample is below. I think we have a winner!

The wattle-and-daub was done with Sculpt-A-Mold, a plaster and paper pulp that is ready mixed, just add water. With the testing phase a hit we proceeded onto the set once the carpenters had it mocked up in the paint shop.

Just looks like a bunch of grey, but it paints up like a champ. A base coat and a few washes are all it takes.

This stuff is addictive, once you start sculpting it is easy to get lost in the time. It never seemed to get old. In a couple months I will update once we get it into the space.

#wood #tile #mortar #paint #sculpt #wattle #daub #timber #romeo #juliet