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A painted tombstone for your Halloween graveyard will only look realistic and more authentic when you imprint epitaphs and decorative designs on it, just like the real ones. You can just paint them using acrylic craft paint and brush to have a simple flat effect. You may use stencils to write epitaphs or make designs so that they have a touch of professional writing look. It is very easy to do too. For a more ‘imprint’ effect, wait until your primed tombstone dries completely. Then use a black marker to write epitaphs and make designs. Use an X-Acto knife to carve the letters on the tombstone in a slightly ‘V’ shape. Keep it shallow and as narrow as possible. Then, use the acrylic craft paint in any color, which is not too contrasting with the tombstone, to shade the inside of the letters to make epitaphs more legible.
If you have advanced artistic skills, wear safety goggles and other safety equipment that are worn while using power tools. Use a high speed rotary tool to carve the epitaph and any decorative patterns into the foam. It gives the most realistic look to your Halloween tombstone. Carved letters look authentic but require more time, skills and tools. The attachments that you may need with the rotary tool while working on the tombstone are small cutting wheel, router and the wheel grinder. People with good artistic skills can use freehand but others may first prefer to mark their letters with a marker for precise effect. Make sure that you do not wander away from the lines or cut too deep in the foam.
As before, shade the inside of the letters using acrylic craft paint, which is not too contrasting with the color of your tombstone. There are hair sprays available in the market that makes your hair shine in the dark. You can use them on the front and side surfaces of your tombstone and use black light to heighten the eerie effect of your glow-in-dark ghostly graveyard. An even coating is best for the right effect. These hair sprays are easily available in all stores, especially during the Holiday season.
