Choose an extra strength spray adhesive of your choice and spray onto the surface that the pieces are to be adhered to, as well as on the back of the piece. Allow to become tacky and place onto the surface. Follow your spray adhesive’s guidelines on area ventilation.
To help acrylic latex craft paint stick to the latex surface, you can purchase a product called “Adhesion Promoter”. Spray a light layer before and after each layer, this encapsulates the paint between flexible layers. You can also use liquid latex, thinned with room temperature water and colored with your choice of acrylic paint.
I painted with three different colors, starting with a red acrylic latex craft paint for the base. Then dry brush a medium brown, such as Burnt Sienna, over the red. After that, a light brown, such as Fawn, on the high spots to give it a more fungus-like appearance. I recommend using a picture of fungus for a reference.
Next, the dry mold mixture was mixed with mod podge (type of your choice). Make sure to read the instructions of your type – some need to be sealed afterwards to be weatherproof. This mixture was dabbed around in the mold-like pattern around the fungus pieces.
Next step, I used a light yellow green and dabbed around the latex piece to add realism to the mold-like appearance. Use a picture of mold to help with the pattern.
I layered on a darker green around the edges to make it look like the mold was reaching around and growing, adding depth.
Use a permament blood mixture of your choice and apply around each fungus piece, allowing it to run as desired to make it look like each piece is growing out of the blood. If you don’t have access to pre-made permament blood, you can use high-gloss mod podge, mixed with red-brown alcohol inks or RIT fabric dye to simulate blood. Don’t use acrylic paint as it will be opaque instead of transparent.
Moss mix is then applied, can be used in two different ways.
Use the spray adhesive to spray the surface where you want to apply the moss, you will need a very heavy coat. Sprinkle the moss on where you would like it, allow to dry, then coat with a mod podge to seal in place.
Mix the moss mix with mod podge, let sit to become tacky, then scoop and place where you would like it. Don’t thin, it will run right off.
Once you have everything the way you would like it, I recommend to seal with a clear acrylic sealer, and reapply every season. Please note UV rays break down latex, off-season they should be covered to protect from sunlight.
