Modeling Water - Base color

[Richard]

Read the recent messages on Modeling Water and it's been a great help,
but before I start, and make a complete mess of things I would like to
get a couple more answers. . I know that a good base paint underneath
helps the enhancement of what the lake/river will look like. Does
anyone have suggestions as to the color a person should use. I would
like to create a reservoir effect, with a small creek disappearing
into the layout with sandy beaches along the way. The reservoir would
run right up to the edge of the mountains and have just a tiny beach
around the endges.

This weekend I saw a layout where they had probably used a light brown
color paint as a base and then glued lichen and sprinkled grass on
the paint before putting the water down. It gave a nice effect.

All suggestions greatly appreciated.

sailo...@hotmail.com

[Booker1067]

For the reservoir, start with a light brown or tan at the edges and start
darkening it as you move deeper into the lake, them go to a black for the deep
water. Remember to blend these colors as you go don't make them look like
rings of diffrent colors. As for the stream again go with the browns and tan
for the bottom, remember streams do have deep pool areas now and then so for
these areas use a darker brown color. Last thing if your thinking of having
some shallows with a few rocks to give the appearance of moving water two thing
to expariment with #1 I think you said you were going to use a resin for your
water and pour the scene, is that correct? If so when its dry (and try this on
a test piece not on your scene) with an artist brush sploch on some clear Matte
Medium around the rocks to resemble foamy turbulant water this can be done in
layers just build up from the first layer with more Matte Medium after the
first application dries. When you have the effect you seek brush on some white
acrylic tube paint to highlight the churning water and give it that foamy water
look. #2 after the resin cures take a dental pick and poke and pull the resin
around the rocks in the direction of travel away from the rocks to get the
ripple foamy effect of fast moving water again touching up the tops with a dab
of white acrylic to add to the look (again expariment with this on a test piece
to learnd how and work on the effect you want to get. Also look into a small
water fall along the way for another effect good luck with you project. and
send pictures to the group we love to see the layuts of other builders.

[Richard]

Thanks Booker for the great information you supplied. Plus the advice
of "try" it out on a test board before finishing it up. You have been
a great help, and again thanks.