How To Make Prop Rocks & Boulders

[@lurchie]

Once again, I truly appreciate your use of a stunt double to perform the really really dangerous work. Safety first!

[@erickinfamus9648]

I have found that using the LocTire brand of spray foam is easier to form when wetting.... I never thought of using a course brush to create texture!😮 This is why I love this creative community!!

[@HMFan2010]

Probably one of the hardest things to do is to re-create the randomness of nature when it comes to things like rock shapes and their coloring.

[@VanOaksProps]

So true.

[@Gig540]

Working in the film/TV industry I've made a crap load of rocks caves of different types. When you look around at nature sometimes it can look fake even when it's the real thing. There's been times our references pictures are duplicated but it turns out looking fake. This is when we have to over exaggerate certain cuts and angles a bit more extreme so it can provide more movements. This came out looking great for a first rock and the media you used. The more you make the better they get. Some of the same techniques can be carried over to different medias. That being said anything can be useful in learning your craft. There's been times where you can think back and remember how things react that can apply to more expensive materials to achieve an effect.

[@Haunter131313]

I have been contemplating making a cave for a couple years. I have seen people like Alan down in TX at Dark Hour use a spray foam with mesh wire. Any thought from you? Thanks?

[@Gig540]

@@Haunter131313 that's totally doable and works fine. It's not my preference of media but for the cost it works fine. But if you have access to blocks of white Styrofoam that's the way to go. You cover large areas fast and it has structure to support itself depending how you block it. You can achieve detail much better without having to frame up anything.

[@Haunter131313]

@@Gig540 long ago I worked in Rocky point haunted house and remember large blocks of foam, but never even thought to ask where they came from. 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@teresashewell7105]

It also shows that you don’t have to pay 💰💰💰💰 for a great prop!! Creativity and a few supplies makes an awesome piece!

[@cindydavis1443]

A great reminder that it is okay to learn along the way. NOTE TO SELF: Also a great reminder to start earlier than you think so you have enough time to explore new techniques and can recover if things don't go exactly as planned. It looks great!

[@VanOaksProps]

So true!

[@michaelchyles]

Amen. I double- DOUBLE my time estimate whenever I consider the scope of work. Things pop up, life happens, errors made etc

[@davidfromtexas9681]

That’s really cool sir. Since Covid we just haven’t had many trick or treaters but we still decorate our yard and buy candy. I’m never giving up.

[@juneritchie2498]

LOOKS GREAT! Thanks for the demo and reminder how to use up foam board (and, in my case, pool noodle scraps) in addition to cardboard boxes.

[@Time_Traveler_Karen]

' Prop Rocks ' 😊

[@ciaradawn8603]

I recently created a beam for my living room using your videos to help guide me. To "rough up" the foam and make it look like a beat-up/old beam and get that "natural" look, I handed my 3 and 5 yr olds some tools and spoons. Rasps, wire brushes, and had them just beat the heck out it. The beam turned out just as I'd hoped. Thanks for your vjdeos!

[@VanOaksProps]

That’s hilarious. My pleasure!

[@youroutdoors5453]

Looks good to me. We built some big rocks in high school for a play with chicken wire, news paper and water glue mixture A.K.A paper mache. They turned out really good. I am going to be using your channel to help me build my front yard haunt next year, Halloween is my B-day so yeah my wife and I love to decorate the yard. God bless and see you on the next one

[@emmettpickerel]

This is great! It inspires me too: decades ago, I would make plaster of paris mountains/rocks using strips of cardboard hot glued together in a criss-cross pattern to create super organic shapes and draping towels dipped in the material over it. I think that would work very well with the foam, which is not a medium I'd considered for it. And probably 1/5 the weight!

[@1steveness1]

Nice. Would be fun to incorporate a partially-carved headstone into a part of it!

[@jlynnmartin-z1j]

Foam and paper... interesting possibilities there. Thanks for the video and a new direction to try

[@VanOaksProps]

Thanks for watching!

[@pam78burden60]

It turned out great for your first time trying it that way!

[@ronnieshaw506]

I enjoy all your videos .I have learned to splatter by using a paint stir stick and spraying off the end of it as it hits the end of stick it splatters randomly

[@sethgee970]

I'm working on a set for a school play. This is gonna be a great addition to their set design. Thanks for the tips!

[@VanOaksProps]

No problem!

[@gourdbox]

Similar to building model railroad mountains back in the day with plaster coated paper towels over cardboard and various other mesh structures.

[@m.maclellan7147]

Great demo, guys ! And as always, love when Mrs. Van Oaks does the "Dramatic reenactment" ! Lol ! I might try that shop towel & spray foam trick, looks promising!!!

[@figure8designs]

Ahh thanks for this. I was just brainstorming on making a platform or rock type prop!

[@VanOaksProps]

Glad I could help!

[@HAL9000.]

This is sort of how I made rock faces for my 1/6 scale Jack Sparrow treasure cave. However, I used some scraps of baize/felt I had lying around, with watered down PVA. Worked great. I also used paper towel in the same way, like paper mache. I then made my own texture coat using plaster powder, PVA, grey acrylic, and fine sand etc. With the pre-mixed base colour already baked in, it made painting highlights and lowlights much easier, requiring less paint, keeping the texture.

[@VanOaksProps]

Nice!

[@lifeofMikeee67]

That is sooooo amazing!!!!

[@scaresandsparks]

Looks good to me

[@ManuFortiMcCoy]

Brilliant as always. Would be perfect for hiding a projector or lighting.

[@VanOaksProps]

Definitely!

[@XenaWarrior95]

Looks pretty good.

[@603VIL]

Great video man. Love this type of thing hiding wires and haunt lighting in too. Also, your idea behind shaping the foam works with loctite foam. Maybe that would have worked too? Thanks so much for sharing!

[@VanOaksProps]

I believe loctite can be shaped, so if I were to do it again I’d choose a different foam. It’s about $1-2 more than great stuff and I was being cheap. Lol

[@TrueBrit1]

That is very, very good Derek. A relatively different approach to other fake rocks I've seen, but it gives a really good finish, quite different to other effects, and very realistic. It will definitely pass the 10ft test, and I'd say 3 or 4ft too. I have some questions. Can I ask - how heavy/light is it? I think it must be very light - maybe 2kg to 4kg? Apart from the end result look, what attracts me to this method is the (presumably) light weight achievement. Can I also ask what type of Drylock you used? That brand is very difficult to obtain in the UK, and what is available is expensive, but we will no doubt have a similar product. But if you can tell me exactly what you used, I can find something similar here - in fact I might have some already. Lastly, do you think you could have applied a coating of PVA glue to the twoels, to help the weatherproofing, before applying the drylock? Or would doing that have a detrimental effect on the Drylock? Many thanks, it's an excellent rock.

[@TalmageL-pn2pv]

It looks like a big Rock,, I would definitely drive around it if it was in my path..😏👍

[@parttimerclimbers6355]

Another good method to spatter paint is to use a pin to make the hole on the tip bigger, it messes up the paint to pressure ratio in the same way. Also takes some trial and error

[@theloststoryteller9288]

Nice!!!

[@colemyst]

Great rock prop!

[@VanOaksProps]

Thank you!

[@Fenrir-cf5rt]

You need to let it "set" a few secs BEFORE wetting your hand to shape. It does work!

[@VanOaksProps]

Good to know

[@HMFan2010]

Just have Amazon deliver your boxes and they come "pre formed" for your rocks.

[@603me.]

I've been struggling with making the boulder from Raiders for our display. Had two failures before getting something workable. First I tried using a giant (7.5' diameter) beach ball as a form, trying to make a shell around it with fiberglass tape and quick set thinset. No go. Then I tried using PEX to make a form that could be covered, but it was just too flexible. So I ended up with 1/2" PVC doing the same, covered in chicken wire, then gray plastic tablecloth. Realism wasn't the goal necessarily. Of course it wasn't until afterwards that it hit me that I should've just used plywood like balsa wooden models, and carpentry is my wheelhouse anyways. It would've no more expensive than what we ended up wasting. Oh well, if I need to do a Death Star in the future, I can use that method with rigid foam.

[@ooddities]

Looks awesome Derek! Happy Halloween!! 🎃

[@VanOaksProps]

Thanks! You too!

[@vsemprivet]

Great job! Watching the very last frames of the video I realised what is lacking with this stone to make it perfect - some dirt and moss. ALL the old boulders have some algae and moss on them. And BTW - what if instead of wet paper towels you used some cloth/fabric soaked in plaster of Paris - would'nt the final thing be more solid? Just thinking.

[@VanOaksProps]

Thanks! Yes, some dirt and moss would’ve been a good addition. As for using fabric, absolutely. I don’t know if plaster of Paris would be strong enough at that thin of an application but monster mud might be a good option to minimize cracking

[@vsemprivet]

@@VanOaksProps Thank you for the tip regarding monster mud - I'll try it out!

[@petersenarighi6629]

Did you seal it or have plans for that? Or will it be considered disposable at the end of the season?

[@VanOaksProps]

It’s coated in Drylok, which is a masonry sealer. So no additional seal required.

[@neildavis9460]

Next time - I would say you should try loc tight gap and crack spray foam instead of great stuff. It will take the water much better to skin over. Spray your foam, mist with water, wait 10 min - then you can do more 'sculpting' as the loc tight will skin outside and be mushy inside. You have about 10 min of sculpt time.

[@VanOaksProps]

Thanks for the tip!

[@TimberWolfeVids]

Awesome video! Wished we watched it before doing our "rock" here. Bit of an "off" question here, do you have radial dysplasia? Only reason I ask is I do and in my 44 years on the planet have never come across some one else with it. Stumbling across someone else while looking up Halloween prop videos on KZbin...well, that would definitely fit my life. Haha! Keep up the great work!

[@VanOaksProps]

Not an off question at all. I do have radial dysplasia. Thanks for watching!!

[@TimberWolfeVids]

@@VanOaksProps that’s awesome! I mean that I’ve met someone else, not that you’re in the same boat. LoL from one “handy” guy to another, keep up the awesome work! ;-)

[@bernarrcoletta7419]

I half expect to see a Gorn throwing this rock sometime in the future. Or the past???

[@lechatbotte.]

I had to look at the title twice first time read it as pop rocks. Oh gosh I need new glasses. Lol

[@Stiff_Richards]

Did you set up this year?

[@VanOaksProps]

Nope. taking the year off to go see other haunts.

[@Stiff_Richards]

@@VanOaksProps sign outside saying taking the year off? Lol I bet a lot stop by still

[@ronsorage78]

Hope all is well with you. Taking the year off and not seeing you as much.

[@VanOaksProps]

Oh, I just meant taking off from decorating for Halloween. I’ll still be making weekly videos.

[@ronsorage78]

It's one of the few things I have to look forward to in my year is halloween.

[@able3]

After spraying the foam, mist some water on it to get it to form a thin shell. You can start shaping it then…

[@VanOaksProps]

I actually tried that, but I think I needed to wait a bit longer before shaping.

[@able3]

@@VanOaksProps patience was never my strong suit.. I sometimes would want to start too soon and have a sticky mess.. shaping cardboard is a pain, live the mallet idea Andee your rock turned out awesome, loved it 🤩😫

[@hardiehardley]

If i may ask, how will you be notifying winners of your little contest?

[@VanOaksProps]

The winner was selected at random and was notified via their comment.

[@hardiehardley]

​@@VanOaksPropsah! Good for them! I hope that this extra boon lets them make some excellent Halloween memories!

[@MikeFarnhamGalaxysEdgeGroup]

Pro Tip - when working with spray foam, wear a mask. If you inhale it in your nose or mouth, you are in trouble.

[@gnieciag]

How does this hold up long term? With weather, water , rain??

[@VanOaksProps]

If you’re anywhere with real weather you’ll want to apply additional coats of drylok on the outside and inside to keep the cardboard from getting wet and moldy.

[@markstanton2362]

An amalgam of Van Nuys & Sherman Oaks?

[@VanOaksProps]

Indeed!

[@AuntieVeraCharles50]

Well.... color me disappointed. My husband Drew and I make an annual pilgrimage from Woodland Hills to Van Nuys to see your haunt and then go over to Dr. Hogly Wogly's Tyler Texas BBQ for ribs. Still going for the ribs but damn man.... ;-)

[@VanOaksProps]

No worries. We’ll be back next year

[@AuntieVeraCharles50]

@@VanOaksProps Hopefully "I" will be too! I'm 68 and fat....doesn't bode well....LOL

[@MikeFarnhamGalaxysEdgeGroup]

paper mache 2024 style