# Pumpkinrot How To?? Do They Exist?



## pdcollins6092 (Aug 8, 2009)

What guys stuff are you talking about? If you do a search on here there are a bunch of tutorials or you can check out Spookyblue - Halloween Haunts, Props & Other Things of Varying Degrees of Interest there are some there too.


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## DawnDead (Jun 20, 2008)

Pumpkinrot is definitely somewhat of a recluse. However, in past years he had corresponded with several other artists and freely gave advice and tips on how to create similar works. Unfortunately, from what I have gathered this is no longer the case. Moreover, it seems that those who have the inside info are a bit reluctant to completely share it. There always seems to be vague references to exactly what techniques were used. Maybe you will have better luck finding the info, or maybe you'll stumble upon some great new techniques!


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## Homemade Haunts (Nov 2, 2009)

Check out Season of Shadows

Not exactly like Pumpkinrot but similar. 

Play around with these ideas and then practice, practice, practice.


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## landyachtz (Oct 13, 2007)

If you want to make some cool pumpkins check out spooky blue.


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## Deathtouch (Nov 19, 2004)

You might want to check out Boo Spooky, Scotty ART, and or Grimvisions – Where Grim Visions Become Dark Art Grimvisions

But to be honest, all you really need to know is how to paper machie and have a bit of an imagination. Oh and don’t forget about the skulls from Wholesale Prop Skeletons, Skulls, and Bones | Skeleton Store It helps a lot, trust me.


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## LadyAlthea (Sep 11, 2008)

thank you so much!!!!!!


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## devils chariot (Nov 6, 2008)

Maches Ideas:

I use mr. chickens mache, which is blue shop towels in latex exterior housepaint. Use more towels than you need to cover because its wrinkles your looking for. Bunch it up!

Then use I also use cheapo toilet paper with white glue and a touch of water. I brush on the runny glue and tear the edge of the toilet paper (so there are no heard edges) then set the paper onto the corpse and wet down the toilet paper with more runny glue. I pushed the toilet paper around with the brush (like 2" wide bristle brush) and make wrinkles and tear little holes hear and there. Thin wrapping tissue paper is used sometimes when I want a thin membrane like skin.

here is some tissue mache:









Here is Mr. Chiken Mache with some dry brushing:









This is tissue over clay and skull:








and you can see more chicken mache around the neck.


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## DawnDead (Jun 20, 2008)

Great stuff devils chariot!


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## Mr_Chicken (Nov 30, 2008)

DC took my idea and ran with it! 

I use regular kitchen paper towels, and I try to use the color of paint for dipping the towels that I want for the base coat. If I don't have that on hand, I spray paint the base coat and drybrush on top of that.

Here's the first "chicken mache'd" props I did:


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## devils chariot (Nov 6, 2008)

It really lets you set those wrinkles in, its almost clay like. it doesn't suck back like wet paper does as it dries, its almost WYSIWYG. And it has a glue like consistency! Easy to stick the pvc frames and itself.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Hmmm...considering I have a source of super cheap latex paint (mismatched colors at a local flea martket), and this looks like it would certainly be swifter than the paper mache, it just might be my first project in 2010. For me, time is more an issue than anything. How do the things hold up in storage/how careful do you have to be with them?


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## Deathtouch (Nov 19, 2004)

And the good thing is you don't have to just use paper machie. You can use anything that will get that effect that you need.

For example this one I made a few years ago that is part machie and part foam. I used the roll of that sheet foam that you can get at menards, home depot etc. Glued it on his face and then melted it with a torch. Then I added paper machie.











This is what it looked like before. All it is melted pink foam sheets on the skull.


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## Nepboard (Sep 21, 2009)

Mr Chicken, What did you use for the ribs?


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## Mr_Chicken (Nov 30, 2008)

That's nifty Deathtouch!

Nepboard, the brown groundbreaker has newspaper ribs (2-3 sheets rolled REALLY tight diagonally), and the purple one is a blucky with 1" pvc up his spine and the rest of the joints gorilla glued together.


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## Baron Samedi (Jan 15, 2009)

Lady Althea,
Have you checked out Stolloween's site?

STOLLOWEEN

Slightly different style to Pumpkinrot, but along the same lines.
Scott has some good tutorials and general advice on papier mache on his site that you may find useful.


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## Dr. TerrorEyes (Jul 16, 2007)

Spooky Blue has a great tutorial. I used it to fashion a similar "Grumble"/Pumpkin Rot/Pumpkin King. I'd recommend it to start your journey into variations.



















(the guy was a party guest)


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## Hoodoo_Hermit (Nov 4, 2009)

Wow, I've got to find a paper mache class or something. Amazing!


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## Deathtouch (Nov 19, 2004)

Dr. TerrorEyes said:


> Spooky Blue has a great tutorial. I used it to fashion a similar "Grumble"/Pumpkin Rot/Pumpkin King. I'd recommend it to start your journey into variations.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Wow! That is awesome! I didn't get mine finished but here was the start. Lets just say I had ex wife problems. LOL


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## Dr. TerrorEyes (Jul 16, 2007)

I like the nice job on the head. Too bad issues interfered. Hope you post final pics!


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## ScreamingScarecrow (Oct 16, 2008)

Excellent! this thread is turning into a great resource!


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## Vai (Sep 26, 2006)

I attempted a Pumpkinrot groundbreaker this year. It was made in much the same way as spooky blues grounbreakers. The top layer of 'skin' is just toilet paper mache, with a little cheese cloth here and there.


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## Hoodoo_Hermit (Nov 4, 2009)

That looks awesome Vai!


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## FirstSpartan (Aug 7, 2008)

my first pumpkinrot inspired by spooky blue. I really really want to do some more for next year so I'll try to take a bunch of pics of the process this time:


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## Hoodoo_Hermit (Nov 4, 2009)

Firstspartan that looks amazing. I love it. I think I'll have to check out spookyblue's stuff!


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## Baron Samedi (Jan 15, 2009)

innerseek said:


> Firstspartan that looks amazing. I love it. I think I'll have to check out spookyblue's stuff!


You really should...As an artist, Spookyblue's work is right up there with Pumpkinrot and Stolloween, IMO.


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## halloween71 (Apr 22, 2007)

FirstSpartan said:


> my first pumpkinrot inspired by spooky blue. I really really want to do some more for next year so I'll try to take a bunch of pics of the process this time:


That looks great!!How do you water seal him?


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## halloween71 (Apr 22, 2007)

Vai your attempt is the closes look of the original artist pumpkinrot groundbreaker I have seen so far.I have 4 and I would not have known any different if i was told that was made by pumpkinrot.I have said this before but awesome work.


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## FirstSpartan (Aug 7, 2008)

yeah Vai, your's are really nice. Really good pics too. I've saved them and I'm going to use them to help me build mine next year 

Innerseek: yes! check out spooky blue, he has great tutorials. And his commentary and background stories are good too, I think I caught myself even laughing a couple of times too.

halloween71: Nothing special for sealing him. 2 coats of spar urethane from a can and a couple of coats of exterior latex paint. I put him up first weekend in October and it rained for 6 or 7 days the first couple of weeks he was out. After all that water he was starting to get soggy in a couple of spots so I started bringing him in when it rained for the final weeks before Halloween. No harm done, he hardened right back up. I think next time I'll use brush on urethane tho and try to weatherproof him some more. Lukily I used a coupler to attaché the body to the pvc that went to the ground so all I needed to do was lift him at the coupler. I did use latex caulk to help seal around the parts that were cut out especially the teeth. I just put a little painters latex caulk in my hands and rubbed the latex all around the teeth. The caulk will be real sticky on your hands and the pumpkin rot but after you rub it all in dip your fingers in some water and go back over the teeth and the latex will all smooth out like silk  

I really think that helped out a lot. I've got 4 small paper mache projects outside now 1 with elmers (for a control), 1 with titebond 2 weatherproof glue, 1 with titebond 3 waterproof glue and one with titebond 3 and 2 layers of painters caulk. All with 1 layer of primer and 2 layers of exterior latex paint. My thought is that a more weatherproof paper mache will help with weatherproofing rather than relying on just the paint and urethane


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## DawnDead (Jun 20, 2008)

Great work Vai. Do you have any more pictures? How about some during the process? If you have them and could post them, that would be awesome!


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## SpookyBlue (Apr 22, 2005)

*How to drag S. Blue out of his cave...*

...smack him in the forehead with something.

This year's crop of monsters really raises the bar. The detail, ingenuity, and imagination on display last month is both inspiring and humbling. 

Churning out the same old groundbreakers gets pretty stale, but when I see the kind of talent that produces gorgeous pieces like these, my own newspaper horde starts to grumble and grouch all sorts of new possibilities.


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## hollowed hill (Nov 28, 2009)

*Vai's ground breakers*

Very impressed with the outcome of your work Vai! Sure wish you had some more pics showing the process, more info on your toilet mache recipe, paint , etc.


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## hollowed hill (Nov 28, 2009)

*Pumpkinrot*

My attempt to pumpkinrot.


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## cinders (Oct 12, 2003)

Amazing work, everyone. I just have to comment on that Spar Urethane. I made a Stolloween inspired pumpkin head and sealed it with the brush on Spar Urethane. I used only spray paint on the inside. That pumpkin head was up for almost the whole month of October, and it got rained on almost every day. Still good as new!


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## Corn Stalker (Nov 15, 2009)

WOW! Glad I found this site - SO much info! My "to-do" list is growing! Great works! Thanks!


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