The Sentinel of DryRot Gulch

Did I ever mention I am a big fan of Pumpkinrot? Big Fan. I just love what he accomplishes with his displays.

Among my favorites are his "Sentinels".

This my interpretation of those. I wanted to do something I had never seen done before. 

I decided to illuminate the Jack o'Lantern head not with a candle or electric tealight. I decided to put "hot coals" inside, since I'd never seen that done.

It's weird, when you think about it. 

The original "lantern" from the Jack o'Lantern story was a hot coal in a hollowed out turnip. 

Why have I never seen this before? Who knows? Maybe because battery-powered LED strands are only recently available. Maybe because actually putting this inside a JoL was nigh impossible before the advent of foam pumpkins.

Whatever the reason, I decided to do it!

Here it is in place on the body of the scarecrow.

The ribs are made from corrugated cardboard covered in shop towels dipped a glue/water/flour paste. Nothing special.

On the left ribs where there is a gap, I used cotton balls in the same paste, stretched out. I covered the inside cavity with the towels too, then stretched cotton balls on top and painted orange to suggest pumpkin guts.

More guts were added just before opening night.

The right hand is also corpsed in shop towels. Underneath is wire and aluminum foil and masking tape.

Paint is black base + white drybrush +brown drybrush + "brown mustard" yellow drybrush, in that order.

To get the coals inside the pumpkin, I:

1. Squeezed the pumpkin at the seam until it came apart. Many folks don't realize how easy that can be.

2. Lined the inside with foil. ( I don't know if it helps, but I heard it does, and it keeps the light from "bleeding" through the pumpkin shell)

2. I drilled a hole for the lights to go in through the back. Then I taped one strand of red LED "fairy lights" and one of orange where I wanted them. My orange strand has a "slow glow" option I really like.

3. Spray Foam over the whole thing.

4. A little black spray paint, a little yellow, a little red...

5. Glue the pumpkin back together with contact cement.

Other than popping open the pumpkin, it's probably nothing you wouldn't have guessed. I have found most don't consider opening it though. It makes all kind of tasks easier, IMO.

I think the battery powered LEDs are going to open up all KINDS of opportunities for these effects.

I'd love to see your coolest Jack O Lanterns, or your best innovations using battery powered LEDs!

Happy Halloween!