# Buttress Roots!



## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

After using rock backgrounds for so long, I decided to try to create a tree buttress to use in one of my tanks. Using many pics of smaller buttresses in the wild, I began carving out the basic shape out of polystyrene. I filled it in with spray foam and foamed out some lianas going up the sides.

Here's what I started with.









Here's the whole buttress shape:


















Next steps will be finding something to coat it with.........


----------



## NickBoudin (Nov 3, 2007)

Awesome, Looks pretty cool! Maybe try brushing on some brown silicone with a chip brush and then a light coating of coco fiber and some bits of sphagnum?

Whatever you do the shape is already there!


----------



## evolvstll (Feb 17, 2007)

awesome, great idea. Cant wait to see the finished product. I will try something similar in my next design, so thanks for the idea.


----------



## Marinarawr (Jan 14, 2009)

That trunk looks awesome!! I can't wait to see it finished. From what I've seen of the buttressed trees in SA they appear to have very smooth bark, so maybe just use some non-toxic brown paint and mix it with concrete until you get that greyish brown color and just brush it on. Here's a link with some buttressed roots that show the relative smoothness:
Buttress roots


----------



## UmbraSprite (Mar 2, 2007)

I think going smaller on the roots is a good idea. Here is one I did a few years back.


----------



## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

Marinarawr said:


> That trunk looks awesome!! I can't wait to see it finished. From what I've seen of the buttressed trees in SA they appear to have very smooth bark...


Thanks! Last night I put on the first layer of sculpting epoxy, for the coloring I used dry concrete pigments. I wanted to show that "ribbed" texture that alot of buttresses seem to have.

The one lesson I learned is to do all the componants (ie: vines, etc) seperate from the actual tree trunk. It was a real pain to work around the vine and acurately cut in the details of the tree bark. So next time I will finish the trunk first, then add the vines and other stuff.

Once everything is hardened, I'll go back tonight and sculpt out the vines and add their bark texture, probably in a different color so it stands out from the tree.


----------



## Corpus Callosum (Apr 7, 2007)

Looks great Josh! I'm working on something similar but will be coating it with bentonite clay so the plant roots can grow through it, and will also use a foam that let's water pass through it as well so they can fully root into it.

What brand of epoxy did you use?


----------



## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

Corpus Callosum said:


> Looks great Josh! I'm working on something similar but will be coating it with bentonite clay so the plant roots can grow through it, and will also use a foam that let's water pass through it as well so they can fully root into it.


Neat idea about clay coating, it would be cool to have the buttress covered in plants. I am going to incorperate epiweb or similar material mixed with the epoxy where the epiphytes will go. I added some detail and color to the two vines, as well as some shading to the tree bark.

















Vine detail...


















This is the part that I'm not satisfied with, I hate how the bottom of this liana has turned out. I may add a few small roots and vines on this part to make it look more real.









The next step will be a complete sand-down of the whole piece to remove the gloss, then I plan on mixing tree fern fiber with epoxy for the top coat on the big vine. Some epiweb in the planting holes and painting on the lichens should start to finish it off.


----------



## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

UmbraSprite said:


> I think going smaller on the roots is a good idea. Here is one I did a few years back.


Chris, nice stump! What is is made of? It looks very real, kinda like its decomposing.

More details added today......I'm trying to think of things I can add to make it more interesting. Any ideas?


----------



## stitchb (Jan 26, 2009)

Looks really good Josh!!! I think if you added sum muddy-greens/yellows towards the bottom and lightly throughout it'd be right on man! Looks awesome though


----------



## Devanny (Jul 11, 2008)

Looks awesome Josh, did you make those small vines with ur coco/silicone method?


----------



## markbudde (Jan 4, 2008)

JoshH said:


> More details added today......I'm trying to think of things I can add to make it more interesting. Any ideas?


Josh, this is turning out incredible! You have some great artistic skills. Just remember, it will be covered in moss and plants soon enough, so adding more detail might result in diminishing returns.


----------



## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

Devanny said:


> Looks awesome Josh, did you make those small vines with ur coco/silicone method?


Thanks! Actually they're epoxy too, everything including the coloration is epoxy.


----------



## Marinarawr (Jan 14, 2009)

I think the sanding was the final touch! Fantastic job . Make sure to post this once it's in a viv eh?


----------



## UmbraSprite (Mar 2, 2007)

Hah!

Thanks Josh but it's nothing next to what you are doing. You are taking it to another level.

Mine was started like yours with the styrofoam frame and then I used mortar on top. My gf added the paint job. It always looked like stone to me...so I was never thrilled with it. Of course after it is dirty and running with mosses and such growing you can't tell. 

I think the little details are what counts though and you are nailing it with the little climbers and such.

Chris


----------



## sbreland (May 4, 2006)

Yeah, I'd definitely love to hear or see a deeper explanation of how you made the smaller vines... it really adds to the effect.


----------



## Mworks (Mar 23, 2008)

Outstanding work Josh.

"I'm trying to think of things I can add to make it more interesting. Any ideas?"

How about some bracket fungii - would add another touch of realism.

Regards
Marcus


----------



## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

looks great Josh, what size tank are you putting that in?


----------



## ghettopieninja (Jul 29, 2008)

This is gorgeous Josh, I plan on making a similar buttress stump soon. I think in order to give the piece more depth I would apply some watered down coats of acrylic paint, Mostly blues, some greens and browns. I did this to some of the epoxy based trees at the zoo I work at over the summer and it really made them pop. Also I think you should definitely paint on some lichens with thicker paint. this always adds another level of realism that really makes them stand out. Excited to see this is done! what are you going to put it in?


----------



## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

Done! I might add some shelf fungi later.........but now I just need to find something to put it in. It is 23 inches high, so I may get a tall cube style tank.


----------



## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

very sweet, how did you get those spots on there?


----------



## roxrgneiss (Sep 30, 2007)

That is beautiful, Josh, brilliant execution! I really like the lichen. The feathered coloring is great too.  Looking very forward to seeing this with epiphytes attached!

Mike


----------



## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

Julio said:


> very sweet, how did you get those spots on there?


They're painted. Everything else is epoxy, I just didn't have a safe green tint for the epoxy so I used a little acrylic paint for the lichen.


And thanks Mike! It might be a while before its in a tank.... I had an old 60 gallon that the original foam buttress had been sized to fit, then I threw the tank away because it had alot of scratches. I kept the foam tree and finally got around to finish it this week (you know how that goes, lol)


----------



## Corpus Callosum (Apr 7, 2007)

Hey Mike didn't you have an epoxy tree you were working on too  I'd like to see some of your updates too, that thing was big.


----------



## happy dart (Nov 22, 2009)

Phenomenal job! Too bad you don't make more for sale, people would pay A LOT for that quality of work. Can't wait to see it in a tank!

*Also, how did you get all that texture on the vines? Wire brush or some sort of imprint?*


----------



## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

happy dart said:


> Phenomenal job! Too bad you don't make more for sale, people would pay A LOT for that quality of work. Can't wait to see it in a tank!
> 
> *Also, how did you get all that texture on the vines? Wire brush or some sort of imprint?*


Thanks! I have often though about selling a few every so often. The problem is the material cost would mean that I would have to ask alot for it. What do you think is a fair price on a peice like this for a larger tank?

Also, the vine texture was done by hand using scupting tools, needless to say it took a while!


----------



## Vermfly (Jun 6, 2010)

What ever happened to this project? I'd love to see this buttress root in a viv!


----------



## zth8992 (Jul 19, 2012)

What concrete pigment color did you use? I am thinking of doing one of these or at least attempting it. Do you have a link or something?


----------

