isotelus plaster cast with base

This is a plaster cast of an Isotelus maximus trilobite from the Late Ordovician of Cincinnati, Ohio that I produce for my fossil club for sale at gift shops in the area. 100% of the money goes to the club and I bill the club for the materials. Sales have been kind of slow. It's not a popular item for some reason. Not sure, but my hand paining is a little splotchy and I guess people have been desensitized to replicas because of mass production.

The plaster is just plaster of Paris I buy in a big bag at hobby stores. I first spray paint the whole thing, top and bottom with grey primer. After a couple of days, I use masking tape to cover the top of the shale, leaving only the trilobite exposed. I then spray paint it with dark taupe and then with the same paint in dark brown. I immediately wipe most of the dark brown off with a paper towel, leaving the darker colors in the grooves the same way you would see it look on a real Isotelus trilobite. A final touch before removing the masking tape is to buff the trilobite with a shammy cloth or lint free cloth.

Yes, I have to touch up the shale with paint after I remove the tape. The tape does not do a perfect job of masking these fine details.

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