Painting Techniques for Halloween Tombstones

[@peterheynen]

The tombstone looked already good before the re-painting. But with the new coating and painting it is now it simple a MASTERPIECE! I love it!

[@AndrewLong]

Thanks! The first paint job was just fine for night time lighting purposes but I really wanted to hard coat it so had to repaint anyways!

[@peterheynen]

@@AndrewLong Thanks again for sharing. I was very useful! I'm very curious and can't wait to see your Halloween decorations for this year. This is going to be great.

[@josephmoniz4109]

Adding the brown and green paint really ages the tombstone and gives it an authentic look. I will do that to mine, well done.

[@AndrewLong]

Very much so! Glad I could help.

[@JohnRaines-b3b]

I would really like to see some videos on how to get that pop out look on the tombstones

[@kayleybrkljacic7842]

loving the hair! and the tombstone! spooky!

[@AndrewLong]

I'll grow it out and get a mullet

[@HollywoodHaunter]

Bro this looks amazing

[@AndrewLong]

Thank you so much!!!

[@jwsams1369]

I used some of your techniques for my tombstones and they came out amazing!!! Thank you for the tutorial!!! Happy Hauntings!!!

[@AndrewLong]

Yay I’m glad they turned out great! Happy haunting!

[@ryanjaneway7022]

Wow, excellent work!! Incredibly talented. Can you provide the specific shades of paint for all colors used? Thanks!!

[@RachGreene]

That’s amazing! Please do a video on how you make these!

[@AndrewLong]

Thank you!! I will do my best!

[@NathanDean]

Thank you for sharing! A great painting/staining/aging tutorial

[@AndrewLong]

Thanks for watching and glad you enjoyed it!

[@MakeupMobster]

You made that??? Wow. Amazing

[@AndrewLong]

I did! Thank you!!

[@JohnRaines-b3b]

And how do you do the pop out effect

[@JohnRaines-b3b]

I was kinda waiting for a response as to how you achieved that pop out look did you carve it or add those pieces unless you don't want to tell me

[@kimbarling4213]

Awesome dude !🤯😳 Movie studios should sign you up for prop making IF you're not already working in the industry.

[@AndrewLong]

Thank you!! And that is the goal someday!

[@JohnRaines-b3b]

Hey my friend how do achieve the pop out look on these stones,do you separate pieces or just carve out the design ,and if so with what kind of tool

[@mrunderhillomega714]

Hi. Great work. What is the density of the foam you use? 1, 2, and 3 lb. options are offered by the Foam Factory.

[@ClaraSais]

Love the headstone quip 😂

[@AndrewLong]

Thanks 😂

[@ThemeParkAvenue]

Cool video! You have good content.

[@AndrewLong]

Thank you!!

[@JohnRaines-b3b]

How did you build the angel monument I mean did you carve it yourself?

[@AndrewLong]

I did carve it! I have a whole build video on my channel if you want to check it out!

[@JohnRaines-b3b]

@@AndrewLong awesome I would love to learn how bro can you tell me how to get the tutorial on it that would be great,I did your technic on a stone of my own last night worked out awesome except I used air brush instead

[@rylanchau3645]

Can you do a video on the vampire pneumatic animatronic in you haunt 2020?

[@AndrewLong]

Yes I can! I was planning on reprogramming it so I can definitely do a build video for it.

[@old_school_4ever]

I spray painted a Styrofoam head and it almost melted.... or burning the Styrofoam. So that first coat will stop that burning whenever you use the first coat?

[@AndrewLong]

Yes! As long as you hard coat the foam, it should be protected. In this video I use flexbond.

[@peterusko]

Regarding hard coating. Have you used drylok? If so how do you think it compares to flexbond?

[@AndrewLong]

I’ve never used drylok, maybe you know more about it than I do? Flexbond has seemed to hold up pretty well though!

[@peterrusko6269]

@AndrewLong I've used drylok in the past. Distant past. Just getting back into it and always interested in new ideas and techniques. Thank you for responding.

[@sarahsavage7450]

however I will correct. very swag great work

[@AndrewLong]

super cash money

[@JoanBishop]

Does Flex Bond help protect items from rain & sun... and help keep the paint from peeling off from sun? How do you deal with the elements and protecting outside props like this? You are amazeballs, by the way! Thank you so much for sharing your talents and knowledge!

[@AndrewLong]

Once the flex bond is painted is has no problems, it is a mortar so usually stays on just fine. We have a lot of trees so most stuff stays shaded but the props are not out for more then a few weeks and are taken down right after. Thank you for the support!

[@JoanBishop]

@@AndrewLong Thanks for the tips!

[@JaseKavHockey]

Hey how do you apply the flex bond to the tombstone ?

[@AndrewLong]

I like using a large paint brush and basically "painting" it on there. The flex bond should be at a consistency where you can spread it but not completely watered down. Also make sure to wash out your brush periodically to make sure the mortar does not dry in the brush.

[@DavidHurst2006]

Love it! Where do you order your foam?

[@AndrewLong]

Thank you! I just added the link to where we get the foam in the description, it is called the foam factory.

[@AndrewLong]

@Grim Graven Cemetery it is the 3” polystyrene closed cell foam! Should come in 4’x8’ sheets

[@dannyflanery7466]

How do you apply the flex bond may I ask.

[@AndrewLong]

I usually use a large paint brush

[@dannyflanery7466]

@@AndrewLong if I built some plywood columns how would I go about weathering them

[@AndrewLong]

@@dannyflanery7466 I would use a router, sander, grinder, or jig saw to chip away at the edges and make it looked aged. I would also still apply a hard coat on top of the wood to make it look more like a stone texture. Hollywood Haunter has a KZbin video of them building tombstones out of wood.

[@AndrewLong]

@@dannyflanery7466 kzbin.info/www/bejne/jILHmoZtetieiNk

[@AndrewLong]

@@dannyflanery7466 I realized you said Columns and not tombstone but the process will be the same. Here’s a video of them building columns out of plywood: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jXTMeGWQq7GNfZI

[@1BigPlug]

Hi Andrew, Do you add sand or grit to the FlexBond hardcoat? Is applied with a brush? Is it mixed thin? Thanks

[@AndrewLong]

Hello! I did not add anything to the flexbond other than water. I estimated the amount of water and just went off the thickness of the mixture. Not too thin that it's super runny but it should be thin enough to be spread with a brush.

[@1BigPlug]

@@AndrewLong Thanks for the info. I've used thinset before, but didn't know how you got the texture. Yours look fantastic. Thanks again.

[@AndrewLong]

@@1BigPlug thank you! Stippling with the brush helps to get a more rough texture

[@pitnatclem]

hello, you need mat or satin paint and does the paint hold up in rainy weather?

[@AndrewLong]

This is up to you whether you want no sheen or some sheen! If you use outdoor paint it will hold up just fine.

[@hughmungus8320]

Can you use spray paint if you don’t have a spray gun to get similar results? And what type of paint are you using?

[@AndrewLong]

The only problem with spray paint is that it eats away at the foam. It should be fine if everything is hard-coated but I would still only use it for small aging sections like the greens or brown. You can always use a paintbrush or roller for the basecoat. I am using water-based exterior paint which is basically the same stuff you would get to paint your house.

[@RachGreene]

Can you tell me what type of foam this is?

[@AndrewLong]

We get our 3” foam for the tombstones from www.thefoamfactory.com/ The 1/2” foam comes from home depot or Lowe’s.

[@xdestructor]

What’s the foam called?

[@AndrewLong]

We get our foam from: www.thefoamfactory.com/ It's called Polypropylene closed cell foam!

[@AndrewLong]

Sorry, I meant Polystyrene closed cell foam! We get 3" thick

[@floridagunguy8632]

Hey man, how well does the flexbond mortar hold up on the foam? I've been making and selling my gravestones for the last few years or so and I've just been applying several coats of drylok then latex paint, tea stain, dry brush and seal but recently I'd like to make them a lot more "concrete" and durable if they get knocked over or something. Does it withstand damage well? Does it chip over time is that why it needed recoating? How far does the bag of mortar last, home Depot is showing $32 for a 50lb bag.

[@AndrewLong]

Hey! Flexbond holds up really well on foam but it’s not indestructible. If you bump it really good it’ll chip a bit but definitely way better than the foam by itself. This tombstone did not have the hard coat before I put the flexbond on it but I’ve used it for my columns and they are holding up very well. One bag goes quite a long way so you can probably get 20 tombstones coated without running out, and all you need it water to mix it.

[@floridagunguy8632]

@@AndrewLong that is amazing! I'm working on new columns as we speak and I'm about to go grab a bag or two. When you say "hard coating" are you referring to the mortar or is there something you apply before the mortar?

[@ToilandTroublesDIY]

Another great video. I would really recommend using royalty-free music so you can start making money from these videos once you get monetized. One of my big regrets early on.

[@AndrewLong]

Thank you! Do you have any recommendations for royalty free music?

[@sydneystickler4435]

so swaggie!!!!!

[@AndrewLong]

swaggie waggie!

[@iamthenra1968]

Hi Again Andrew, not sure if you have looked at Distortions Unlimited "Monster Labs" on KZbin... I have learned so much with painting technique from you and from them. Like making "Rub out" the rub out would help you with adding darkness to the recessed letters and cracks with rub out being mostly rubbing alcohol and using rubbing alcohol to remove the paint you don't want... which adds a ton of depth quickly. I also was watching how the paint would come off of the pool noodles on your columns and was thinking that maybe the Distortions recipe for painting latex masks or props would work good for something that is flexible... Here is a link to Monster Lab and their painting recipe... kzbin.info/www/bejne/qpaZnaqCpaycpdEsi=BCBvtmuqujgsyHnG , here is the tutorial for rub out which I found very useful on some of the props I have... kzbin.info/www/bejne/pWnSfWmpesp1p5Ysi=CupLvWXglyq9QzQK Here is part 2 kzbin.info/www/bejne/qH7Ql6d4hLmSnM0si=Qb5_xaO3RME47-tYkzbin.info/www/bejne/qH7Ql6d4hLmSnM0si=Qb5_xaO3RME47-tY

[@sarahsavage7450]

sydney spelled swaggy wrong 🙄

[@AndrewLong]

whoopsie daisy

[@JohnRaines-b3b]

Dude I don't need your advice I learned how on my own and your stones don't look that real can oats is better than yours

[@AndrewLong]

John ask your self if this comment was necessary

[@JohnRaines-b3b]

Yes it was ,you see you respond to that,which is why I said it ,but you could not respond to a question I had on how to do a technic you do it's like you are worried I'm going to steal your style on doing these props ,I actually was commenting you on your work,but I guess you didn't want to let your secrets out well I learned on my own,and as far as saying van oats is better,he is in certain ways he has technics that really make the stone look real and it does not involve all those unnessorie steps,like spray paint why don't you just air brush it if your going to do all that and there's no need to use a wood burner for the letters why not use a Dremel,looks more real that way,anyway no need for your help besides if you watch you tube there are a lot of people that do these and some are just as good as you if not better

[@AndrewLong]

@@JohnRaines-b3b ever think that it may take me a moment to respond to a comment on a 3 year old video? Your toxicity is not needed in this community. I’ve never claimed to have the best techniques nor the right way of making a tomb stone…

[@JohnRaines-b3b]

@@AndrewLong bro you had no problem answering me when I made that comment ,look there's no need to get upset over this ,and I know you never said your the best but your video sure makes it seem like you are ,I'm done going back and forth bro just let it go