Trilobite Mortality Plate Cast- quickie

[LabRatKing]

Fast and dirty:

 

Found this cast a day or two back in the stock room- someone made an attempt...so I’m going to fix it since it uses similar colors to the lion and peccary projects.

[LabRatKing]

The Homotelus slabs are well known, so I chose this one as a reference.

[LabRatKing]

Brushed and sponged a few layers of the proper colors and while still wet, dusted it with powder made from dome leftover Green River matrix. Then brushed and sponged that in.

[LabRatKing]

Then, let the paint dry, and “polished” the excess stone dust away with a soft sculpting sponge and a light touch. In about an hour, I’ll hit it with a clear coat, a final layer of dust,and then a final clear coat.

[LabRatKing]

And here we are. Still a bit damp, but when fully dry a soft sponge and it is done!

[Winter Hobby]

That's a really cool piece.  Where does one find something like that?

[LabRatKing]

2 minutes ago, Winter Hobby said:

That's a really cool piece.  Where does one find something like that?

The actual fossils are found in Oklahoma. Casts like this one are just plaster and are how academics share specimens. I’ve never had reason to request casts (yet) but I may do so in the future for my job.

[Winter Hobby]

Oklahoma, huh?  I think my next vacation is starting to come into focus.  

 

Is there a specific site to visit?  I have to wonder if places that yield specimens like that are closed to most, yes?

[LabRatKing]

2 hours ago, Winter Hobby said:

Oklahoma, huh?  I think my next vacation is starting to come into focus.  

 

Is there a specific site to visit?  I have to wonder if places that yield specimens like that are closed to most, yes?

I’m not familiar with the site personally, it is pretty famous though and easily researched online. This is just one of many casts from my stockroom at work.

[Mahnmut]

Very nice.

Though the original seems to have a slight translucency that the plaster cannot reproduce, you nailed the colour.

Cheers,

J

[LabRatKing]

26 minutes ago, Mahnmut said:

Very nice.

Though the original seems to have a slight translucency that the plaster cannot reproduce, you nailed the colour.

Cheers,

J

This is truth. The calcite is a waxy translucent in the originals. I should be able to replicate this with a few clear coats and washes. But since I speed painted this one, I have to wait a few days before I can apply them.

[LabRatKing]

As a side note disclaimer: I post this stuff here strictly as information. If folks used my techniques to create forgeries/ defraud people I’d get upset. I state this as I just realized I used geologic and chemical appropriate materials and techniques that could be used for evil. 

 

Reproductions are art, forgeries are felonious in my opinion.

[daves64]

On 11/6/2020 at 1:47 PM, LabRatKing said:

As a side note disclaimer: I post this stuff here strictly as information. If folks used my techniques to create forgeries/ defraud people I’d get upset. I state this as I just realized I used geologic and chemical appropriate materials and techniques that could be used for evil. 

 

Reproductions are art, forgeries are felonious in my opinion.

Aaww.. don't worry.. @Tidgy's Dad's factory's could probably give you a few pointers. 

[Tidgy's Dad]

1 hour ago, daves64 said:

Aaww.. don't worry.. @Tidgy's Dad's factory's could probably give you a few pointers. 

Indeed. 

Though we mostly use glue and sand or sawdust. 

But, as has been said, selling this stuff as reproduction is perfectly fine, selling it as real is a little naughty. 

The people who make these things are paid very little, the places sell them to dealers, who know perfectly well what they are, and it's the dealers who may be a tad unscrupulous. 

[LabRatKing]

FINISHED 

 

[Kane]

Well done!