# Realistic Lichen



## partsman (Oct 18, 2007)

So there was a thread from several years ago, on Moss and Lichens, well I didn't make that thread, and the maker's video link no longer works, so I'm doing a how-to on lichens (moss is not my strong point).
So first the supplies you will need are as follows, acrylic paint(green, black, white, and or burnt umber or something close), modge-podge, vinyl adhesive caulk, screened sand, and screened saw-dust.










Next you need a prop, I've decided on a tomb-stone one of my daughters helped me make several years ago:










Now on a disposable mixing surface (I use paper plates), I add a bit of paint, modge-podge, caulk, and a good serving of both sand and saw-dust, and mix until I have both the color and consistancy I'm looking for.



















No quite right, hmm...this is a bit better:










It's nice and wet without being too paste like, notice the way the grit in the mix keeps it's shape, if it's too dry the next steps won't work.

Next I make a black wash, the lichens grow in a circular form, and there's usually a black stain under them, so I apply the wash and create a bit of a circle where the lichen will be:



















Next I take some of the paint/grit mix and place a bit of a blob in the middle of this spot and use a straw to blow in the middle of the spot creating a lichen-like 3-d spot. If your mix is too dry, the grit will just blow off and not stick.


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## partsman (Oct 18, 2007)

If you want to add a little more depth to it, darken the mix and add another blob on top of this and go again:



















These lichen come in not just the greenish grey, but the yellowish brown as well so be creative, look at photos on line. 
After you've applied a few lichen you should have something like this:










You can stop here or, apply a thinner black wash to each of them to bring out the deeper texture, after that dries, then you can do a bit of dry brush with color to the high points, this will really make them pop. 

Just in the interest of full disclosure, I did NOT come up with this technique, I read about it on a taxidermy website, the process was described there, but no images were provided, just a general description and a list of supplies.


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## bobby2003 (Oct 5, 2017)

These are the instructions I have but have never had a chance to try it. It's basically the same as yours except they don't mix the sand with the paint, but drip the paint mixture onto the surface and then sprinkle with sand.


*Creating Lichens on a Prop Piece*

Adding texture and color variation is an excellent way to increase the visual interest of a 
prop or piece of artwork. Weathering a piece gives a sense of age and creepiness that 
adds to the overall atmosphere of a display. Here is a simple technique for adding moss 
and lichens to a prop.

*Materials needed:*

Acrylic paint
Water
play sand
After the piece has been painted and has dried completely, mix up some acrylic paint and
water to a very runny consistency. I don’t measure the proportions, but look for a thin mixture
that will drip off of a thick paintbrush.

Position your piece so that the area you want the lichens is lying horizontal. This is important
to keep the paint from running and ruining the effect. Dip a thick paintbrush into the paint mixture,
and from a distance of about 2 to 3 feet, allow the paint to drip down onto the piece, creating a
nice random splatter pattern. Immediately sprinkle sand onto the drip. This will hold
the dripped paint in place and create the lichen. You can add more paint drips over top
of this area to make aging and growth heavier, or leave it alone for a sparse look.

It is important to remember that Nature is random in its growth patterns. Do not
overthink the paint drips as you are applying them. This will lend a very artificial and
planned look that will distract from the piece rather than adding to the effect.
After a lichen area had completely dried, you can change the coloring by dripping
other colors of paint over the area and then misting with a spray bottle and some plain
water.

Note: It is very important to be patient and allow each application to completely
dry…If you speed this along you will simply wash away the lichen growth you just
applied. Experiment with different ways to drip the paint and the sand. You will be
amazed at how such a simple technique can give such great looking results.


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## partsman (Oct 18, 2007)

That sounds really good to just think what it would look like if we did both techniques on one stone


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## partsman (Oct 18, 2007)

Here's another technique from the Taxidermy community that I haven't tried yet but I'm planning on it:

Take a piece of glass and paint an area of your color choice with FLAT enam al paint. Put it on thick and let dry 24 hours. You can mix different colors to get the best effect. Once dry, put a thin coat of gel paint stripper over the painted area. Apply the stripper untill the paint starts to distort. Let it completly dry and scrape it off the glass with a razor blade. You can rip it into the sizes you need and glue it down with wood glue. It will be flexible and will conform to non flat surfaces.


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## mr.macabre (Oct 7, 2020)

I live in Wash. state, so moss/lichen are plentiful and free up here.


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