Cheap foam board, engraved side
Cheap foam board, embossed side
Thicker foam, engraved side
Thicker foam board, embossed side
Pink foam, embossed side
Pink foam, engraved side
Whilst the pics don't show the colours to the best (rubbish lighting) the amount of detail is clear.
The pink foam holds the detail much better than either of the foam boards. Even the embossed side, where I relied just on the texture created by the roller, holds reasonable detail. An extra drybrush would bring this out further.
Both foam boards hold the detail reasonably well when I engraved the detail in further by going over the lines with a pencil. There is little difference between the two, and if I had to make a choice it would be down to the thinner foam board as it was much easier to peel the paper off.
Neither held the detail particularly well when I relied just on the roller without any added depth. In fact in both cases I found it difficult to see the detail once it had had a black undercoat, making picking a few individual stones out quite a chore.
In conclusion, I will stick to the pink foam as long as I have some. An alternative would be the cheaper thinner foam board. Where possible I will engrave the detail deeper into the foam (a good task for dull telly programmes), but in a hurry, or for very large pieces, I can make do with just the texture from the roller.
The eagle-eyed among you will not that I managed to mix up the pieces, so two wall each have a side of cheap foam board and a side of thicker foam board. This doesn't alter the results.
Someone suggested on FaceBook that I could use heat to expand the detail. I have seen this used on EVA foam to create excellent armour and props for LARP. A cut is made in the foam surface then heat applied. The foam shrinks back deepening the cut. I might try this as an extra experiment, but the roller compresses teh foam rather than cutting it (unless I have added extra depth), so I am unsure if this will work
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