Art break - Sunken Treasure Chest for C

C had a pirate themed 30th birthday party, so I thought what better gift than some treasure pulled from its marine resting place!

So I started with a chest-shaped cardboard box. This was easier than making a box to the correct shape and it would retain better structural integrity.

The next step was to use modelling paste and pistachio shells to make seaweed and clams stuck to the box, respectively.
Once attached, the entire outside of the box was painted white (with poster and spray paint).
I used blue painters tape to protect the leather-like accents on the box.

The shells and seaweed were then spray painted gold (the spray paint making it easier to get into all the nooks and crannies). I did the inside of the box a blue-teal colour to keep that marine theme going. I latter added a bit of gold dusting to the inside as well to keep it looking valuable and not too clean.

The next step was to start adding brown paint, for the wooden outside. This took a while because like a goose, I bought poster paint, not acrylic paint. Poster paint is less viscose and has a lower colour pay-off (more translucent).

Starting to look real!

After that it was a matter of adding acrylic paint (gold, blue, green, red), some beads, gems, glitter (treasure is shiny), netting (like fishing netting), and a bit more modelling paste until I felt it looked like a real pirate treasure chest.

- I made the outside of the shells more rose gold, for a bit of contrast.

- Modelling paste was put at the base to make it look like the chest had been underwater so long it had started to integrate into the ecosystem.

- I put little pearls into each open clam and added some bigger pearls on top... nothing says the ocean like pearls XP

- I added some rose gold painted date pits because they looked interesting and added something extra other than 'clams'.

- The netting is like old fishing netting that got caught on the chest.

- I added the little gems on the outside and the glitter to make it look a little 'richer'.


Inside is a bottle of 'James Plank' ... Jim Beam... get it?! XD
Also some shiny candy, chocolate coins, and a pearl necklace (hur hur hur).
These sit on gold tissue paper and red shredded paper.

I made the replacement label with parchment and incense and acrylic paint made the 'wax seal' on top.

Verdict:  C loved it!!!