[model] making a Terrain FAQ
Myrmidon
Well, I've been around here long enough, and I still have yet to
see a terrain making and/or a painting FAQ. So, I've decided to get the
ball rolling and start with a Terrain Making FAQ. What I'm looking for
is your answers to the following...
1. Preferred basing material(s).
2. Favorite construction method(s)
3. Favorite finishing method(s)
4. Favorite Terrain piece you've made.
5. Favorite tool and/or construction tip(s).
6. Best 'time saving' tips
7. Anything else I've forgotten but would be helpful and relevant to
terrain making.
Simple 'how to' type of articles are also welcome - and full
credit will be given to each contributor in the FAQ. You're also welcome
to email me directly, just remove the spamblocker from my email address.
Looking forward to some good articles hopefully. Thanks in advance for
your time. And if this doesn't work out, I'll just blame it all on
Blank_Dave as some sort of terrible 'mind-control' experiment go terribly
wrong. ;)
Later,
Myrmidon
--
"Conan, what is best in life?"
"To paint your miniatures, to see them driven before you on the table,
and to hear the lamentation of the cheese-mongers!"
- Del Webb
RGMW FAQ: http://www.sheppard.demon.co.uk/rgmw_faq/rgmw_faq.htm
Mike
now...materials.
I just made a whole bunch of trees yesterday, using sections cut from wire
clothes line. This stuff has about 7-8 strands to it, so combining 2 or
more sections, and wrapping it up with masking tape gives you a lot of roots
and branches (I'll give you enough credit to figure these steps out on your
own!). After basing the trees I primed them black, painted with suitably
coloured paint, and used model railroad foliage clusters for the tops. All
in all, cutting and binding the sections of line was the most time consuming
task since I was using a rinky-dink pair of pliers, but the rest was a
breeze (and my elves will thank me for it!)
Cheers,
Mike.
SecretAgent1945
I would definately be able to use a terrain guide as my projects involve
melting styrofoam as i cannot figure out how to seal it to paint over.
Kaine71
fairly thick, when its dry you can spray paint over it without melting the
foam.
Kaine
"SecretAgent1945" <secreta...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20010331195613...@ng-bk1.aol.com...
Artemis
like stone in many different colours. ;-)
http://www.plastikote.com/homefash/template.cfm?product=fleckstone
I made a dungeon for both warhammer and mageknight just a month ago with the
stuff. Its cheapest at walmart (US) about 6-7$ a can.
--
ARTEMIS
www.inlink.com/~artemis
"Kaine71" <Kai...@bigfoot.com> wrote in message
news:XGwx6.188287$t67.3...@news1.rdc1.il.home.com...
> Try sealing it with a mix of half white glue, half water. Brush this on
> fairly thick, when its dry you can spray paint over it without melting the
> foam.
> "SecretAgent1945" <secreta...@aol.com> wrote in message
> news:20010331195613...@ng-bk1.aol.com...
Myrmidon
Kai...@bigfoot.com says...
store. You're looking for "Gesso". It's basically an acrylic paint
without any pigment in it. It usually comes in light tan or an off white
color. You can get this stuff in Gallon buckets from places like Utrecht
art supplies
(look under priming - acrylic - 2 one gallon buckets are about $40)
Look around elsewhere on the web or at a local place for smaller
containers of Gesso if a Gallon is more than you want to buy for
experimenting with at first. (Book stores at larger colleges, etc usually
carry a good selection of art stuff too.)
A gallon bucket will last you forever. So, why is Gesso better than glue
and water? Well, it's designed to protect canvas, paper, and other
surfaces from paint. The really cool part is that you can mix in Acrylic
paint (such as brown, black, or green) for terrain in with it to color
it, and even put sand in it - essentially basing, painting, and texturing
your piece all in one step! You can also put down a coat of Gesso, and
then spray paint foam! It also helps a little with the protection of the
foam as it forms a slightly flexible plastic surface on the foam.
I use gesso to cover my foam trenches, hills, etc. I shape my terrain,
get a pair of rubber (dish washing, household cleaning type) gloves, an
old plastic butter tub, and a natural sponge, and a plastic drop cloth.
First set up the drop cloth to protect your work surface. Simply put on
the gloves, fill the butter tub with water, dip the sponge in to wet it
completely and then squeeze out the excess water, and dip the sponge in
your gesso (or your gesso/acrylic paint/sand mixture) and apply it to
your terrain with the sponge. If the gesso is to thick, thin it a little
by putting more water in the sponge - just don't make it to soupy or it
will take a lot longer for the really wet spots to dry. I typically do
the bottoms of my terrain in plain gesso and then once it's dry, I do the
top with any texture, paint combo I'm going to do. I texture and base
paint things like shell craters in a single step - and then go over them
with highlights, add flocking, etc. As for my hills and trench sections
- I do them in plain gesso, and then spray paint them with the exact same
colors I did my table top in so that they blend in with it perfectly.
Gesso is great stuff! You can mix acrylic paint in with it, acrylic
modeling paste (great for making weird textures and patterns), small
gravel and sand, and lots of other stuff.
Hope that helps,
Myrmidon
"Introducing the world to the joys of art supplys - one grasshopper at a
time."
Myrmidon
says...
cut the wire, or did regular wire cutters work ok? Also - you get
special props for being the first contributor to the FAQ!
Thanks again!
Myrmidon
art...@inlink.com says...
> Plasti-kote's "Fleck Stone" doesn't melt Styrofoam, and leaves it looking
> like stone in many different colours. ;-)
> http://www.plastikote.com/homefash/template.cfm?product=fleckstone
>
> I made a dungeon for both warhammer and mageknight just a month ago with the
> stuff. Its cheapest at walmart (US) about 6-7$ a can.
>
> --
> ARTEMIS
> www.inlink.com/~artemis
>
>
>
Raletha
> Hello,
>
> Well, I've been around here long enough, and I still have yet to
> see a terrain making and/or a painting FAQ. So, I've decided to get the
> ball rolling and start with a Terrain Making FAQ. What I'm looking for
> is your answers to the following...
>
That's a really good idea! Something I would definitely reference! Anyway,
here are a few comments of the top o' my head.
Some of this is probably just common sense, so just discard the silly bits!
> 1. Preferred basing material(s).
Hard board, because it doesn't warp, it doesn't fray, and it can be into neat
shapes with a jig saw. Drawbacks are that it's heavy and not as cheap as
cardboard et al. But, the weight does make it suitable for basing heavy
terrain items.
> 2. Favorite construction method(s)
It's not so much a method, but I find that foam core board makes really good
light pieces that are very solid and durable once coated with glue and/or
textured paint. It looks better than thin cardboard too. Drawback is that's
it's more difficult to cut unless you have a very sharp blade.
I've also found that dried beans are a good thing to incorporate into
terrain. They make nice looking river stones after they've been textured and
painted.
> 3. Favorite finishing method(s)
Textured paint works wonders, but if you can't get hold of that, mixing sand
with a matte varnish that comes in a bottle (instead of a spray can) works
well. I mix this stuff up and keep it in old empty paint tins. Flock will
also stick to the varnish so it can be used instead of glue for flocking
miniature bases or terrain pieces. It dries flatter and clearer than PVA
glue, and you don't have as much trouble with warping on paper surfaces.
You can also buy jars of gloss varnish which has a kind of rubbery & thick
texture once it's dry, and a slight iridescent sheen (at least the stuff I
have does). It works really well for finishing rivers, or anything else that
you want to look wet, like the mouth of a dragon or the blood on a sword.
> 4. Favorite Terrain piece you've made.
I have some neat town houses I'm working on for WHFB made out of foam core
board. I was inspired by an old WD article on the same. The shingles are
turning out really well.
> 5. Favorite tool and/or construction tip(s).
Seal everything that's papery with PVA glue because it's quite hard once it
dries and makes paper terrain more durable.
Another thing that's neat, driftwood makes great gnarly dead trees if you can
find some interesting bits. Just cut an end to be flat and glue it onto some
hard board. Then, you can add a bit of flock to parts of it to look like
moss or lichen, a bit of detail to the base. They look quite dramatic.
My favourite tool is a little serrated craft knife. The blade is long and
fairly thin so it's like a combination of a coping saw and an exacto type
knife. It gives a lot of control over cutting curved bits into softer
materials. You can probably find this sort of thing in a hobby store.
> 6. Best 'time saving' tips
There are a lot of neat shapes to be found in packaging that can, with a bit
of glue and paint, be turned into nice terrain. e.g. aluminium pie plates
turned upside down and scrunched in the middle make really good craters.
Don't use modelling paints, craft paints are cheap and come in larger
volumes. They often have a much larger range of natural looking colours -
and you can use them on your minis too. Buy big brushes too, especially for
drybrushing.
I hope this was the sort of thing you were after. If I think of more stuff,
I'll post it.
Raletha
Myrmidon
says...
> Subject: Re: [model] making a Terrain FAQ
> From: Raletha <raleth...@attglobal.net>
<snipped a great reply!>
This is EXACTLY the kind of thing I'm looking for! Thanks, and if
you do think of more ideas to add, post them as you will. All
contributions are greatly appreciated!
Later (time for sleep now!)
SecretAgent1945
[00011010][MCoPS]
Myrmidon <junkema...@woh.rr.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.153073193...@news-server.woh.rr.com...
I used lots of pipe cleaners. They don't need cutting, and when coated in
PVA prior to painting they give a really weird textured effect that looks
quite nifty. Not sure how expensive this wouild be though as I just had them
lying around so sisn't have to buy them. My trees are part of my Chaos
blasted wastes terrain, so they are nice and spiky, barren looking, and
several that I shaped the branches of to form vague claws and hand shapes,
which looks pretty nice.
Alex Slater
Some great ideas posted :-)
Go and check out http://www.terragenesis.co.uk/
Just about all of the ideas mentioned here are demonstrated there. The pipe
cleaner trees section is there with some great pictures.
I also use plastic plants designed for aquariums, they're cheap and come in
all sorts of shapes and colours.
Cheers,
Alex.
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USMC
need to lay on 2 coats to be sure you have good coverage. I wanted to get an
off white, or even grey, so I could see where the coverage was thin, but the
paint was free from a house job and my terrain is almost 95percent made from
free stuff. When the galon runs out (prolly sometime next YEAR) I will buy
grey.
Used this to seal my foam castle, then spray painted it. No problems. Now I
just need to cut the 12000 shingles for the towers...snip snip snip snip
Jimbo
JS Turner
I have had some luck with Testors model master spray paints on styrofoam. It
depends on the exact nature of the foam though.
JS Turner
JS Turner
>> 1. Preferred basing material(s).
>
>Hard board, because it doesn't warp, it doesn't fray, and it can be into neat
>shapes with a jig saw. Drawbacks are that it's heavy and not as cheap as
>cardboard et al. But, the weight does make it suitable for basing heavy
>terrain items.
I have managed to warp hard board. It takes a bit of water to do it, but it can
be done... For this reason, I always paint the entire base (top and bottom)
before I start modeling on it. I love using hard board though. Better strength
than cardboard, cheaper and easier to work than plywood.
Here is a tip on modeling storage tanks. Water bottles (evian, ozarka, etc.)
come in fabulous shapes for storage tanks, just be sure that when you cut and
glue them to the base that you do not seal the tank. An afternoon in a hot car
will pop the tanks. I solve this by drilling a small hole up through the bottom
of the base prior to assembly (and painting the hole to avoid water problems
listed above). This lets the air expand and contract with the surrounding
atmosphere.
JS Turner
Mark Story
Well, you can just hand paint the styrofoam. I usually use styrofoam
for ruined buildings, I find that the foam thingys that come with
stereos etc. sometimes are perfect for building shapes, and when the
styrofoam is melted it has a real run-down ruined look to it.
-Mark
-Mark
--
Me Fail English, that's unpossible.
-Ralph Wiggum
--
Hard work often pays off after time,
but laziness always pays off now.
--
Is adult Entertainment killing our Children?
Or is killing our children entertaining adults?
- M. Manson
--
"Sure you can trust the government. Ask
an Indian."
-Vine DeLoria
Mark Story
>
> Hello,
>
> Well, I've been around here long enough, and I still have yet to
> see a terrain making and/or a painting FAQ. So, I've decided to get the
> ball rolling and start with a Terrain Making FAQ. What I'm looking for
> is your answers to the following...
>
> 1. Preferred basing material(s).
I like to use cardboard, that has all the edges taped to make a smooth
edge, this is because it is cheap like me. Also I think that MDF is a
very good base material, although kind of expensive.
> 2. Favorite construction method(s)
I like to use things that aren't bought, saving me money. It is also
fun to try and find alternative uses for objects. Things like sprue
offcuts are good for metal/wood bars. GW Paint cans(with the logos
sanded off) Make good containers/bins, Thread spools and some modeling
putty make good barrels. styrofoam ends from electronics make good
ruined buildings. Corks from wine bottles as concrete pillars. Stuff
like that. I usually glue everything onto the board using a suitable
adhesive. And paint it.
> 3. Favorite finishing method(s)
Spray varnish the whole model and cover parts that need added
durability, with watered down PVA. The ground covering (flock or painted
sand) especially gets this.
> 4. Favorite Terrain piece you've made.
My set of ruined buildings. They are made of the styrofoam ends from a
radio. They look like someone riddled them with thousands of bullets
thank to melted styrofoam. And my tank traps.
> 5. Favorite tool and/or construction tip(s).
Paint brush, and exacto knife. Can't build terrain with out these.
Construction tip, don't really have one.
> 6. Best 'time saving' tips
Plan ahead, do some drawings of what it will look like, even if you are
very good at drawing, do some scribbling or notes of what you want it to
look like, this will help you in assembly. Also know your materials,
know that styrofoam melts from acetone, PVA glue is water soluble and so
on.
> 7. Anything else I've forgotten but would be helpful and relevant to
> terrain making.
Look at other people's terrain or photos of warzones, or whatever
setting you want to make and get ideas from that.
> Simple 'how to' type of articles are also welcome - and full
> credit will be given to each contributor in the FAQ. You're also welcome
> to email me directly, just remove the spamblocker from my email address.
I might do one of those sometime, we'll see.
RT Maitreya
> 1. Preferred basing material(s).
I used to dink around with foamcore and cardboard.
Never again. I use masonite (I think people call
this hardboard) for absolutely everything. It is
hard, doesn't warp, doesn't absorb water (except on
the edges, so you have to gesso/putty them up) and
lasts forever.
> 2. Favorite construction method(s)
Depends on what i'm putting together. Ruins are
easy, as are normal buildings, when using foamcore.
They cut easily with a sharp xacto blade (you will
want to replace the blade regularly during marathon
terrain sessions). They glue easily, and can put
windows/doors/whatever without work. Since the
center is foam, you can just poke an edge hole
with a nail into the middle of the foam, and insert
a balsa strip sticking out of the ruined wall edge,
and now you have instant destroyed wooden or steel
framework poking out of the center of your walls.
> 3. Favorite finishing method(s)
Paint-on gloss varnish. Makes things really hard.
Spray over this later with a dullcoat spray.
> 4. Favorite Terrain piece you've made.
A keep/tower made from foam sheeting that I glued
stonework wallpaper to the outside. I then put
arrowslits (GW ones) and a removeable roof to
get to the inside. It's beautiful! And cost $5...
> 5. Favorite tool and/or construction tip(s).
Dremel, absolutely. Jewelers' saw is another.
Favorite tip is to use textured wallpaper to
give you stone, ruined wallcovering, cobblestone,
thatch, whatever appearance you want that you can't
be arsed to make yourself out of putty or little
cardboard squares. It is an AMAZING timesaver,
and gives your terrain pieces a great level of realism.
> 6. Best 'time saving' tips
Use putty. Lots of different kinds for different
purposes. I have gesso, acrylic paste, wall spackle,
crack sealant smooth and chunky, and a fine grit
paste for doing texturing for walls. Whatever need
you have, grab a tub and slather it on. Wonderful.
You can give texture to smooth putty by applying it
with a terrycloth rag.
> 7. Anything else I've forgotten but would be helpful and relevant to
> terrain making.
Painting. Use latex house paint in maybe two different
colors (primary brown, grey, and/or greenish drab)
that you buy from the "off color" rack at your local
DIY warehouse superstore. They will have loads of
colors to choose from, and a can of paint will cost
you 2-6 bucks instead of many times that for a new
can mixed at the counter.
Use craft paints along with these, and you have the
ability to paint large and small surfaces, and the
ability to do washes and coats with any color you
want at $1 per 2 ounce bottle.
RTM
Marshall Dragoo
namely, Flex Paste, for covering foam for making hills. It also serves
as a filler. You can get a 4' x 8' section of R3 insulation foam from
your DIY/home improvement store for under ten bucks.
I have a website for everyone: http://nav.to/byers1
Has some terrain listed, as well as a how-to section for some projects
he has done.
Marshall Dragoo
John Graham
> >
> I'll do Kaine one better. Go on the web or to an art supply
> store. You're looking for "Gesso". It's basically an acrylic paint
> without any pigment in it. It usually comes in light tan or an off white
> color. You can get this stuff in Gallon buckets from places like Utrecht
> art supplies
>
> http://www.utrecht.com/
>
> (look under priming - acrylic - 2 one gallon buckets are about $40)
(snip)
I use gesso also and its a tool I cant live without, I let a small can sit
out a for a short while and let it thicken up a bit.
I make my bunkers/houses/ruins etc... out of regular cardbord and then use a
big paint brush and cover the whole thing with my thickened gesso, when it
hardens up it is rock hard and very sturdy.
For trees I "sculpt" (I use the term loosely) them with a sculptors wax
(cheap cheap) with or without a wire frame (although with a frame you can
get really fancy) and then make a silicone mold and then i just make copies
in resin and paint them all up
and cover with leichan (spelling?) or painted steel wool. This is a little
advanced but the results are great and is easy after
a little reading.
Using a Glue gun for ooze/goo/slime is easy and looks great just paint it a
suitably yucky color and use lots of gloss to get a shiny effect.
Cat litter is good for extra texture when combined with flock/sand.
Also Plumbing supply stores have great bits of pipe/couplings and fittings
that can be used for drainage pipes and barrles.
and as a side note: The plastic sprue after you've romoved the mini has
little nobs and bits (usually what hold the mini on),
some are very usefull, For 1 example, I use the little round cylinders as
silencers on my scouts bolt pistols. ;)
Cheers,
Evan
Kick2kil
> 1. Preferred basing material(s).
Hardboard is best. That stuff that clipboards are made of, if you can get
it and cut it properly. I generally don't put bases on my buildings and
stuff, they usually don't need it.
>
> 2. Favorite construction method(s)
Foamcore. Be sure to push a few dressmaker's pins through the corners to
hold it while it dries and keep it strong.
>
> 3. Favorite finishing method(s)
Just seal it up with some semi-gloss sealant.
>
> 4. Favorite Terrain piece you've made.
Probably the "Villa," a 3-storey mordheim building with a huge mural that
went all the way up one side. It has a secret room with a guy chained to
the walls, Hellraiser-style.
>
> 5. Favorite tool and/or construction tip(s).
Know any architects? Draftsmen? Ask them for their old presentation
pictures, which are usually mounted on foamcore. Yes! Architect firms
throw out pefectly good foamcore by the carload.
Go to yr local game shop and ask yr buddy to save you the tube the receipt
paper comes on. I use these in all my sci-fi projects, from pipes to
chimneys to ship engines.
>
> 6. Best 'time saving' tips
Go to yr local hardware/DIY place and get Mortar Patch, the stuff they use
to fix cracks in cinderblocks. It's kinda like soft concrete, and has the
same texture of glue mixed with sand but stronger still. You can do all
sorts of special effects with it quickly and easily. Perfect for putting a
little rubble here and there, filling in seam lines and imperfections in
terrain, and defining roads over natural terrain. I use it in almost
everything.
>
> 7. Anything else I've forgotten but would be helpful and relevant to
> terrain making.
>
Hit the library, refer to photos of real buildings and places for
inspiration.
-Kick2kil
Ancient Neophyte
> get a pair of rubber (dish washing, household cleaning type) gloves, an
> old plastic butter tub, and a natural sponge, and a plastic drop cloth.
> First set up the drop cloth to protect your work surface. Simply put on
> the gloves, fill the butter tub with water, dip the sponge in to wet it
> completely and then squeeze out the excess water, and dip the sponge in
> your gesso (or your gesso/acrylic paint/sand mixture) and apply it to
> your terrain with the sponge. If the gesso is to thick, thin it a little
> by putting more water in the sponge - just don't make it to soupy or it
> will take a lot longer for the really wet spots to dry. I typically do
> the bottoms of my terrain in plain gesso and then once it's dry, I do the
> top with any texture, paint combo I'm going to do.
One point here is so critical, I felt the need to emphasise it. Whether you
use latex paint, Gesso, glue/water, do both sides (even the BOTTOM). If you
don't, when the sealing medium dries the surface tension applied by the
drying medium WILL distort the final terrain piece. I know of what I speak!
I did about 10 terrain pieces in a batch for Mordaheim, and did not seal the
bottom. The fit the warped post apocalyptic genre - But they wobble as they
are all distorted by surface tension. Instead of attempting to repair them,
I keep them as a reminder of this point.
Ancient Neophyte
Ancient Neophyte
JS Turner <aver...@ev1.net> wrote in message
news:mmmect4r2tgkivp92...@4ax.com...
Great tip - I wish I thought of it. I made a tower for a friend with a
plastic bottle for the main structure, only to watch it distort from the
heat!
Ancient Neophyte
Fog
"Ancient Neophyte" <kaosinc...@attcanada.ca> wrote in message
news:xP7y6.15886$TW.6...@tor-nn1.netcom.ca...
<SNIP>
> I did about 10 terrain pieces in a batch for Mordaheim, and did not seal
the
> bottom. The fit the warped post apocalyptic genre - But they wobble as
they
> are all distorted by surface tension. Instead of attempting to repair
them,
> I keep them as a reminder of this point.
I see I'm not the only person with "Mountain Wobble."
--
b
Son of Captain - Unnotcontinued inuninuninvincible net warriors of RGMW
Reiner Zetsche
Large miniatures, with suitable paint jobs can be used as
statues. The following description would be my take on making
such a scenery piece.
For a marble statue:
1. Primer black.
2. Heavy drybrush with "Codex Grey"
3. Drybrush with "Fortress Grey"
4. Careful drybrush with 1:1 mixture of "Fortress Grey" and
"Bleached Bone".
For a golden statue (Painting the Deathwatch Marine this way
should result in yours getting an Oscar ;-).):
1. Primer black
2. Heavy drybrush with "Tin Bitz"
3. Heavy drybrush with "Shining Gold"
4. Ink with "Flesh Wash"
5. Drybrush with "Shining Gold"
Now finish the models:
Put the model on a pedestral. Wooden ones for showcase miniatures
are especially suited. Make a small piece of terrain to attach
this pedestral to. A crossing or marketplace would be a very good
choice.
--
Reiner, last normal resident of Santa Mira
Ancient Neophyte
> Hello,
>
> Well, I've been around here long enough, and I still have yet to
> see a terrain making and/or a painting FAQ. So, I've decided to get the
> ball rolling and start with a Terrain Making FAQ. What I'm looking for
> is your answers to the following...
>
> 1. Preferred basing material(s).
Hardboard, although I have used art board ( for painting pictures on)
> 2. Favorite construction method(s)
I get 2' x 3' pieces of foam core board free at work (old promo signs) This
is my main material for buildinds. I still use the directions from some old
WD's (131, 132, 137). Check it out if you can. If someone wants - email
me - and I will paraphase the articles. I also use styrofoam, balsa, floor
leveling compound. Floor leveling compound is like spakle, but is more
coarse, and hardens within 15-20 minutes. It's a must when your impatient
like myself.
> 3. Favorite finishing method(s)
I use Krylon's gloss varnish, followed by Krylons dulling spray. Gloss
because it is the most durable, and the dulling spray because I really hate
the shine! These should be available at any good North American art store.
> 4. Favorite Terrain piece you've made.
This is a toss up for me.
1) A ruined castle for Mordaheim. The castle walls were made from styrofoam
tile boxes scavagened from a construction job I was working at. They made
fantastic buttressed walls. I sealed the styro foam with white glue/ toilet
paper ala 'Art Attack' The mainfloor was made the hard way with rough cut
flag stone made from card. The upper two stories floors were made with pine
off cuts from the construction job cut down to a 1/4" crosssection for the
posts and beams. The floor boards were made with scale lumber from the
local hobby shop ( I felt it just wasn't worth the effort to cut down all
the required strips that were 3/32" x 3/16"). The front fasade was intact,
with the back nothing but rubble. This allows easy access to any area
within.
2) actually a diorama, but worth mention for the tecniques used. It's a
forest medow scene with a rocky outcrop made from bark off an old oak tree -
GREAT natural texture. The rocks were painted dark grey and dry brushed
with several lighter shades of grey. I cheated on the trees and cut some
branch tips from a juniper tree and sealed the ends with glue. The trees
were then put into holes drilled into the base. From the rock a spring
issued. This incorperated a small waterfall and river made from polyester
resin. The white water in the falls were made by streching some cotton over
the area, and then pouring the resin over it. The base was made from 3/4"
pine board to fasilitate carving out the river bed. I added some unicorns,
a beautiful girl, and a simple camp site complete with campfire and tent,
and 'Virgin Forest' was born! The diorama measures 11" x 16" and won first
place in the diorama class at GenCon93. As a side note the trees stayed
green for 2 years! One of these days I'm going to replace the trees and
then I post a pic.
> 5. Favorite tool and/or construction tip(s).
Tools : Dremmel, Olfa razor saw ( a must), small files, pin vise and
selection of bits ( I have bits from size #60-#80) and the good old Exacto
knife.
Tips : Measure twice, cut once! lets face it some things are a bitch to
cut. Do it right the the first time.
> 6. Best 'time saving' tips
See above. Also. Plan ahead! Think the project through to the very end.
There is nothing as frustrating as disassembling an hours work to paint a
unsightly area that you can't get to! (same applies to miniatures/vehicles)
> 7. Anything else I've forgotten but would be helpful and relevant to
> terrain making.
Materials : I'm a fanatic for found materials. I recently used the dried
top of a pumpkin stalk turned upside down as an alien plant form to base a
Tyranid warrior on. It looks great, took two minutes to 'make', and is
unique. Keep your eyes open for things that say 'I'm a great terrain piece/
weapon ect.' You will be amazed what you will find. Ever take appart a
disposable lighter...
Ancient Neophyte
kaosinc...@attcanada.ca-PISSOFFYOUSPAMBASTARD
Jon Wright
of a spare wire from a hot cutter and some angle brackets. Hook it up to a 6v
battery and cut the thickness down. When I got ready to paint it, I first mixed
a VERY thin mix of white glue and water in a spray bottle. Several light coats
were applied and then I primed the model with Wal Mart Spray paint. It did eat
some of the foam, but not much, as I was spraying from about 18" away. When I
was done, I had a very lightly textured bunker that was ready for drybrushing
and washing to finish it out. Looked just like coase conrete.
Jon
In article <20010331195613...@ng-bk1.aol.com>,
--
Jon Wright, Network Administrator | 5700 SW 34th St. Suite 1235
Info Tech, Inc. | Gainesville, FL 32608
jon.w...@infotechfl.com | (352)375-7624 Voice
jon.w...@cloverleaf.net | (352)373-9586 Fax
Bo Mathews
etc.) Look forthe "mis-mix"paint section. I paid $1.50USfor a quart of
Interior flat latex, which is great for sealing styrofoam (or anything
else). Oh- did I mention I lucked up and found the perfect grey for
concrete?
"Bo"