paint soaking in ?

[Rsmith]

on my foam rocks and such. I have to paint them 5 or 6 times. How can i eliminate this ?

[Doug Bridges]

Seal them with something prior to painting.

[Wildside]

What Doug said.

What type of paint are you using though? 

[Doug Bridges]

Remember, foam is made up of bubbles. What you are doing is trying to fill all the bubbles with paint.

Most people cover the foam with a rock mix of some type. I use plaster, paper pulp with a dash of dextrin thrown in for strength as a cover for the foam. Then you paint that mix once set and dry.

[Sikk]

Rsmith, try making latex molds of your rocks, cast a surface coat with a harder material, like a repro casting material( I use smooth- on 300),or thinned bondo and resin, and then fill with foam, or create/carve a foam rock/ledge and cover with a surface skim of harder material( like the bondo) to sculpt. these will paint very nicely. paul