What method in detail have you used as far as amount of coats, colors, techniques, brush styles, whatever to get a real rock look. I have a gallon of gray and a quart of white, the red, buff and charcoal powdered colors as well. I know that some say to start dark and dry brush the lighter colors sequentially. I have also heard about a technique where you make a wash from a watered down dark amount and then spray it with a spray bottle with water and all of the pigment will settle in the low spots. This may have been with other types of paint though. I want to do my BG right the first time without wasting time or resources. I have searched the DIY threads and YouTube with little luck. Any help would be appreciated.
k7gixxerguy
Reef Ready 125 build thread
I always start with the darkest coat first and work my way up. I'll tent the Drylok black (using the charcoal pigment) and allow it to dry overnight. From there, I'll mix a little Drylok in with the charcoal pigment and slowly work my way up the value scale. Each coat is slightly drier than the rest during the application process, mainly so it won't bleed into the crevices. As I move towards the lighter values, the coverage becomes consistently thinner and erratic. Lastly, the highlights will be achieved with non-tinted Drylok and a dry brush technique. The key is to maintain a fairly dry media while briskly going over the elevated pieces where highlights (or abrasions) would naturally occur.
If you have access to destroyed brushes, they create some of the best, realistic details. I would recommend their use throughout the entire background. Wider brushes (flats or brights) first, then smaller brushes last. I'll stay away from round brushes, especially during the final details.
A caution on mixing colors. The Buff and Charcoal will mix together to create a warm, muddied, greenish-pigment. I'm not sure if that's what you're after but if not, I would recommend separate applications for the colors. Red and Charcoal will be fine, but I would recommend painting the back and experimenting with color mixtures and hues.
If you have access to destroyed brushes, they create some of the best, realistic details. I would recommend their use throughout the entire background. Wider brushes (flats or brights) first, then smaller brushes last. I'll stay away from round brushes, especially during the final details.
A caution on mixing colors. The Buff and Charcoal will mix together to create a warm, muddied, greenish-pigment. I'm not sure if that's what you're after but if not, I would recommend separate applications for the colors. Red and Charcoal will be fine, but I would recommend painting the back and experimenting with color mixtures and hues.
Thanks Danni. I will start the process sunday night and see how it all goes. I've got a couple coats of drylok on now and was using a coarse sponge to add texture after the entire section was covered and started drying ever so slightly. On the lighter coats do you ever thin out the drylok at all, if so, with what?
I try the keep the thinner coats drier during application. Easiest way to achieve this, dip your brush in the Drylok. Then on an old towel, swipe the brush a few times to remove the access Drylok. This process thins it out without the hassle of runoffs bleeding into the crevices.
If you need to thin the Drylok, I would suggest water but sparingly. If it's been thinned, the pigments will appear flat/dull when dry.
If you need to thin the Drylok, I would suggest water but sparingly. If it's been thinned, the pigments will appear flat/dull when dry.
I have found that starting with the darkest colors first hence dark in the crevices. Then take a lighter shade of the color like grey over black. Load a small amount onto a medium sized brush...then have a rag/paper towel handy and remove most of the paint from the brush...so the brush is "dry" this technique is called "drybrushing" Then just LIGHTY brush over the "high" spots. Start with very little paint test how it goes can always paint over with the foundation color to hide unwanted or bad drybrushing. That is how i did my BG in the sticky sections.
I did the final sealing coat in a dark charcoal mix last night, so tonight I will start dry brushing a medium gray then use a bit of red in a few spots and buff as well to blend with the sand.
Well here's how the two main sections turned out. I'm pretty happy with it, now onto the facade on the two corner overflows. I'm going to drill out the spray bar next, paint it, and maybe make my undergravel jets.
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Looks very good! I don't think you needed ANY help you did great. The spray bar looks to fit perfect. Good build.
I cut the 90s down for the spray bar to make it fit snug around the top trim of the tank. Then I just made it as wide as possible considering the fx5s intake will be in the channel on the left. I plan on cutting foam to go around the top of the intake channel and filling the gap once its installed.
Thanks R-Dub and Danni. I'm really trying to do this right without taking shortcuts yet still doing it in a timely manner. One of these days I will have to stop at the local landscaping yard and find a couple nice sized rocks that will work with my color choices and mask the opening for the inlet to the fx5. Now back to the matter at hand, laying out the spray bar holes, drilling them, then painting it up as well as siliconing in the second half. I need more hours in the day. I did get to cut a bunch of acrylic at work to add a second section upping the volume of my wet dry considerably. I'm thinking of doing a refugium with some pothos or the like in this one.
Backtracking a bit here, but wanted to comment on the rocks. You might be able to find rocks similar to the background but it may be tough.
One idea would be to obtain a few neat looking rocks and paint them using the same techniques. The suggestion to paint rocks may sound odd, but it works and you can create a perfect match to the background. I've done it in the past and will do it again.
One idea would be to obtain a few neat looking rocks and paint them using the same techniques. The suggestion to paint rocks may sound odd, but it works and you can create a perfect match to the background. I've done it in the past and will do it again.
Isn't that the truth? It's coming along nicely though. The refugium is an excellent idea.
Oh I thought about that with the rocks already. First reason was the overflows. They each have a huge lift off panel so obviously I can't glue flotation devices to them and expect them to stay on. I figured some DIY rock on the solidly mounted overflow sections plus a couple painted rocks on the lift off overflow panels.
Been a little while since I've updated, that whole life thing. I dryloked some real rocks and put them on the lift off overflow panels as well as dry brushed the spraybar. I made a bunch of smaller rocks as well, only need two or three more small ones to call it done. I stopped at the local landscape place and picked up a few to add to the tank. For size reference, the one in front of the fx5 intake opening in the left side of the main background piece is over a foot tall and weighs fifty pounds. I'm hoping to have time to start the stand this weekend. There will be haps and peacocks in this tank and at least part time a breeding group of yellow labs. Oh yeah, and cut a piece of filter foam for around the fx5 intake tube and gave it a bit of color to blend in with the top of the background.
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No critiques? Wish I could change the title of the thread at this point to my Reef Ready 125 build thread. I am picking up lumber to work on the stand tonight.
Well....when you do an excellent job, that doesn't leave much room for a critique. :thumb:
Phenomenal job with the rocks that are positioned on the overflow panels. Are you going to be painting the larger rocks as well?
Phenomenal job with the rocks that are positioned on the overflow panels. Are you going to be painting the larger rocks as well?
I'm going to fill it when the stand is done next week and see how the rocks look. I think once the foreground rocks get a little algae on them that everything will blend together without contrasting too much between the sand and the background. I wanted the foreground rocks a bit lighter in color to fool the eye into thinking that the tank was deeper front to back, kindof like the wall is off in the distance a little ways, thus darker. It may not work out that way, only time will tell. If not, they will be pulled and dryloked as well.DanniGirl said:
An illusion...good plan.
If you do end up painting the rocks, I'd emphasize highlights with a few dark areas. Nothing over the top, just quick brush strokes. It's just a tactic which lends the rocks that nuance that separates them from the background. The closer something is, the more detailed the object. Furthermore, you also want to maintain the brightness associated with the foreground rocks, so if you do anything, keep it simple.
Good idea to leave it as is...it's easier to add paint than to overpaint.
If you do end up painting the rocks, I'd emphasize highlights with a few dark areas. Nothing over the top, just quick brush strokes. It's just a tactic which lends the rocks that nuance that separates them from the background. The closer something is, the more detailed the object. Furthermore, you also want to maintain the brightness associated with the foreground rocks, so if you do anything, keep it simple.
Good idea to leave it as is...it's easier to add paint than to overpaint.
Didn't build the stand yet? Your working backwards son. Do you have lights yet? Once you get it up and running leave your lights on and grow some algae. I think it will look great.
Not working backwards when you have to lay a tank on its back to do the background E. Plus I needed some warmer weather to do the stand outside. Hopefully I will get it knocked out by Thursday so I can get the tank on it and plumb it to the wet dry. I need to put together my second acrylic tank for the wet dry to bulkhead to it to gain some more water volume. The acrylic is cut, just need to router and sand the edges and go to town with the Weldon.
And yes I have lights for it as well. Couple options. I have two four foot dual bulb T5HO lights that I can stagger in the canopy and also a 4 bulb t5ho, that I could use too. I think I will likely just do the two doubles on angles and be done with it. It's not like two isn't enough on my four foot tank.
looking really good. What color tint did you use to make the background color? i really love that look
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