GARDEN FIGURES - MOAI - NEEDLEWORK TECHNIQUES

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Moai - stone statues located on Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean. These monolithic statues fascinate with their mystery. Having seen documentaries about Moai, I decided to decorate my side with such figures, making papier-mâché.
In this workshop I will use a waterproof papier-mâché composition so that the figure stands for a long time and does not open in the rain and is ready for any street hardships.

Materials

Strong cardboard for a framework.
Newspapers.
Painting and plain tape.
Blue paper towels.
Waterproof wood glue.
Flexbond cement mortar with polymer (you can try replacing it with tile adhesive).
Semigloss acrylic latex paint black.
Acrylic paint white and black.
Polyurethane spray.
Photos of statues of Moai.

The first thing you need to start with is looking for photos of the statue in the face and profile. This is a prerequisite for creating a 3D model. We print drawings on the printer. Apply to cardboard and cut both types of cardboard.

Cardboard frame

In cardboard views we make cuts in the center to the middle. One view from above, and the other from below. We connect and we get the frame of the statue made of cardboard.

We form the head of the statue

We crumple the newspaper into tight lumps and fix it with ordinary tape on the frame. We continue to form the statue until the outline becomes more realistic.

We complicate the figure

It is difficult to sculpt smooth or detailed surfaces with a newspaper.
I added hard cardboard to get a flat forehead and long skinny ears. Added cardboard to the bottom to make a flat base. Used foam pieces to form a forehead. Tin foil is great for detailed areas such as the nose.

We use masking tape

As the head begins to form, we switch from ordinary tape to masking tape. It is easier to use for the study of small areas.

Waterproof layer

We take paper towels or napkins. Wet them with waterproof glue for wood. And we glue these wet towels on the entire surface of the statue, forming a waterproof layer. It is necessary to make 2 - 3 layers of such towels or napkins.

Add weight to the bottom.

The statue turned out light, from this and unstable. I decided to increase the mass at the bottom for stability. To do this, I made a hole in the bottom stand and pasted a hockey puck - I have a lot of them. You can use any piece of iron or sinker. You can also pour cement for weight.

Glue paint

Mix some waterproof glue and latex paint. I used black, but that doesn't matter. Cover the entire statue to create a waterproof layer around the papier-mâché.

Cement coating

We dilute the composition of the cement adhesive. We take newspaper pieces. Dip in the solution and glue the statue. It is necessary to make 2-3 layers. Wait for it to dry. The last layer must be applied without a newspaper in order to smooth out all the bumps and roughnesses.

Painting statues

Apply a coat of black exterior paint. Let it dry.
Then paint a layer of light gray using acrylic paint to make the statue look like a stone. I applied a gray layer with a sponge in the form of a dry brush method, which retained deep black cracks to give it some texture. These are the kind of spots that are on the real chapters of Easter Island.

You can also incorporate brown in your gamut to make your heads even more realistic.

Finishing touches

Mix a small portion of acrylic paint with water to get a very diluted mixture of black paints (approximately 10 to 1 ratio).
We cover parts of the head with this mixture. And immediately wipe it with a paper towel. Black will remain in deep cracks to provide some contrast, and the light gray color will be darkened to medium gray, more like real concrete.

Polyurethane spray

Apply a layer of spray with polyurethane to seal the acrylic paint. One layer, of course, will not be enough to make the head waterproof. Therefore, it is necessary to cover the head with several layers of spray.