Temple...what to do?

[necrocannibal]

A while ago I bought some aquarium stuff looking like buildings from Angkor Wat. I'm definitely going to remove the rediculously big plants, but I'm unsure as to repainting these buildings as they look decent the way they are now.
The big one is hollow and open from the bottom, does anyone have an idea on what to do with the inside? Close the entrances and paint them black, or make a floor and a sort of cavern/ corridor somehow?

[frogimus]

I would be careful about casting inside the piece as some materials might expand or shrink as they cure and possibly crack the piece. If you want to make an interior, you could possibly use play doh to make a positive mold of the interior and pour plaster around it, or simply carve some details in it, then let it dry outside of the piece.  The lightweight airdry version wont crack as much when drying as the classic playdoh.

Beautiful finds. A little flock and plant material will make some wonderful jungle temples.

[necrocannibal]

Good point you've got there about curing materials, I didn't think of that. I still have some metal mesh lying around...maybe I could glue that in place and cover it with something and sculpt something on top of that.

[Mason]

I recently painted up a few aquarium rocks myself and one of them had a 'hole' in it.
I just 'filled' the hole with blue foam and milliputted over it.
Easy.
Give that a go.
 

See here for more details:

http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=60011.1710

[necrocannibal]

That might work for me as well, it's easy and pretty cheap...thanks for that idea. I was also thinking of paper mache or something like that, but I think foam might be better.

[Commander Vyper]

Close it off at the back and have it free standing or sink it into a cork bark cliff face?

[necrocannibal]

Close it off at the back and have it free standing or sink it into a cork bark cliff face?

Thanks! Got some useful ideas now. I'll figure it out with all suggestions you all gave.

[fastolfrus]

Leave it open at the back but put it at the top/edge of a cliff face as though half the building fell off the edge in an earthquake/volcanic eruption etc.

Another option for filling - air drying clay.
I think it's sold in craft stores as "Das Pronto"?
Comes in various colours, usually terracotta or grey, but I've seen green and blue (once).
Air drying so doesn't need a kiln. Doesn't expand (but might shrink fractionally in large pieces). Can be painted, I think they sell some kind of hardener to give a watertight/sealed finish to paint on.