Gravestone tutorial

 I've started a diorama which includes a few gravestones and I wanted to share my technique. So here it is. Step one I've decided that the best material for the base is the Kapa foam board (high density foam between two sheets of cardboard):

Any interesting gravestone has some decorations and engraved text on it, so I've etched on a lasercut printer some designs. All I had to do was to trim and incorporate it into my gravestone:

Next step was to level and cover the gaps with construction filler and buff the surface; being an old gravestone, imperfections will fit just perfect:

In order to stand out, I've painted the decoration with lots of layers. I've used the same watered filler (diluted with plain water)...layer after layer and fast drying with hair drier:

 

more cracks were added with a paper cutter and the result is this:

The same filler I've used for covering the edge of the gravestone, then sand it for a proper finish:

  

 A bigger crack will look even more interesting:

Over time the stone becomes textured so filler was used again for this addition:

Enough with texture, finally I can add some color...spray paint with black:

After that a light spray with grey, at this point the engraved text is not that visible:

Next a wash with brown color will fill any small gaps, cracks and so on, the text still not showing:

 

But with a dry brushing with light ochre it does a bit, then with white because this is an old blunt stone:

This is it: