Subject: 7.0 How do I make ...
	7.1 Hills, Dunes, Drifts and Craters
		There are two basic techniques for building hills as follows: Hint: Don't forget to make a selection of hills of different sizes then you can stack them up to make taller hills or mountains. Remember to make sure your models can stand on this terrain without becoming unstable and falling over.
		Layered: Cut sheets of foam or corrugated cardboard into roughly circular pieces and carve or sand to shape. Foam polystyrene roughens up nicely if you want rocky edges. Test to make sure your models will stand on the terrain. I have heard of people cutting hills from wood sheets (they're heavy, but then they don't move around!) Hard Shell: Cardboard or wood is cut to profiles and then covered with a web of masking tape, thin card strips or mesh, Paper towels or strips of brown paper or newsprint are soaked in plaster (hydrocal best at a thin creamy consistency) and layered over the formwork to make a thin, hard shell. Papier mache could also be used. Texturing: Both methods of construction require some degree of texturing. The simplest method is to apply a layer of white glue and sand, but I prefer to add a layer of plaster as this makes the terrain stronger. Paint a thin mix of plaster and either sprinkle on dirt, or mix dirt into your plaster before application. The plaster could be coloured to avoid the glaring white spots when terrain is damaged. "Zip" Texturing: Some modellers finish their scenery with powdered plaster mixed with dry pigment paint. This is sprinkled over terrain which is first dampened with water spray. Extra water is then trickled over the landscaping from the top with an eye dropper or baster. This washes crumbs of plaster into the gulleys to produce a very quick and realistic texture. Earth and rock texture is usually applied first with grass added last. Flock is often added to the dry grass mix.
	7.2 Rocks and Cliffs
		Materials: TBD Techniques: Always sink your rocks into the "soil". They rarely look realistic when piled on top because they don't look as though they have any weight. You should also consider weeds or other growth around the base. Use tree bark chips for rough boulders (available at most home landscaping stores.) Plaster can be cast into commercial model railroad rock moulds or homemade rock casts. Before the plaster is set the filled mould is applied to the terrain and the mould peeled off as the plaster begins to set. You can make a simple, disposable rock mould by crumpling up some aluminum foil into a tight ball (the stiffer baking foil is best.) the ball is then carefully uncrumpled and used as in the same way as the commercial rubber mould above. Cut and carve boulders from Styrofoam. Styrofoam can be given a realistic rock like texture by roughing it up with a knife or the edge of a saw. Other modellers have had success melting the foam with a soldering iron or by spraying it with a solvent based paint. Boulders can be piled into heaps to make larger elements. Small pebbles can be used as rocks. Ironically, they usually need painting to look realistic! Cork bark looks like rock and can be used as is or to make a rock mold. Remember that rounded rocks are usually found near streams and rivers and brocken, sharp rocks are usually at the bottom of cliffs.
	7.3 Water
		Materials: Textured plastic sheet from hobby stores or diffuser material for flourescent lights. TBD Techniques: Paint the banks into the water then paint the darker middle of the water with spray paint. This effectively shades it for you! According to most successful modeller railroaders, the base colour for water is black or greenish black - not blue. The reason is that this, when varnished, reflects its surroundings more realistically. TBD
	7.4 Plants
		Many plants can be reproduced in miniature from full size plant material. Honeysuckle, caspia, and baby's breath can be dried very effectively.
	7.4.1 Grass
		Materials: TBD Simplest: Green cloth cut into shapes and placed on table. Simple: Sand applied to white glue or mixed into paint, drybrush with yellow and lighter green. Off the Shelf: Grass Mat. Can be torn into rough outlines to add interest. Sand Method: Mix sand with white glue and dark grass coloured paint and apply to terrain. Drybrush highlights with light grass, yellow and white.
	7.4.2 Trees and Shrubs
		Materials: TBD Trunks: Twigs, twisted wires wrapped in bandage, epoxy putty, plastic or metal trunks from kits, drinking straws textured with hot glue, bump chenille stems. Foliage/branches: Wire wool, lichen, loofah, teased foam scouring pads, foliage cloth, loofas, pinecones. Leaves: Flock, sand, dry tea leaves, cut from card, etched metal, plastic aquarium plants, ground foam. Forests: Your troops must be able to march through forests, so rather than making large numbers of individual trees, make sections of forest. These are bases edged with trees. GW actually suggest that you define the forest and then any model inside it is hidden from view. This reduces the number of trees you have to model and allows easier placement of figures (don't forget reduced movement rules.) Very Simple: Pine Cones - collect cones which have opened (you have to hunt for those which are strong enough as they tend to go soft.) Pull out some of the segments to make a less symmetrical tree. Glue them to you base and spray black. Dip in glue and roll in ground foliage sponge (available from most model railroad stores). Dry brush some highlights. Spray with white glue if you're concerned about the sponge rubbing off. Simple: Trees can be made from wire and broom bristles. The bristles are place between wire doubled over on itself. The loop end of the wire is placed over a hook and the loose ends are place in the chuck of a drill and twisted (I suggest a hand drill unless you want to have fun with a power drill!) The wire is then cut in half to make 2 trees. The bristles can be trimmed to make a variety of different shapes, usually conifers. The whole thing can then be sprayed black and leaves applied. Basing: Smaller individual trees could be mounted on heavy metal washers to give them stability. I have seen some permanent and modular scenery made with pre-drilled holes so trees may be placed in different places. Most trees, however, will need mounting to a heavier base as they often get knocked over. Complex: Take a bundle of florists wire as thick as you want the trunk to be and twist them together. As the trunk gets higher of your model "ground, twist some lengths off as side branches, Keep going until you have a trunk of reduced branches. Trim and attach foliage material, then add leaves. Shrubs: Basically make small trees. Detail: Most forests will have dead trees, either standing or fallen. There will also be stumps and stacks of felled wood. You could add clumps of lichen around the stump to create "second growth." If the lumber has only recently been felled, there will be piles of brush that has been cut off the trunks. In most cases, this can be simulated with chopped up pieces of lichen. Hedges: Fold scouring pads in half, glue and roughen before flocking. Glue to bases with angled ends to allow them to be combined at different angles. You can make tall topiary hedges with this method, but they're probably best modelled at waist height of your average miniature and roughened up to look more realistic. Vines: Excellent means of covering up construction errors in your buildings. Paint PVA glue onto walls in a vine pattern and flock. Woodland Scenics foliage fabric can be stretched out thin and twisted into vine like strings which you then glue in place.
	7.4.3 Succulents
		Simple: Pipe cleaners coated in plaster Small plastic cactii from craft stores can be quite effective after a black wash. Foam balls covered in flock with red toothpicks has almost become a GW trademark.
	7.5 Walls and Fences
		Materials: TBD
	7.6 Roads and Paths
		Materials: Gray paint with sand sprinkled over it. Craft stores sell coloured sand which can reduce painting time. Consider adding painted traffic lines onto the pavement. You can add power/telephone poles alongside you roads. Cut from dowel, use beads for ceramic insulators, bent pins or wire for setps. If you mount poles on your road bases then you could even string the wires!
	7.7 Bridges
		Materials: TBD
	7.8 Buildings
		Materials: TBD Easiest: Pieces of expanded foam packaging from consumers electronic equipment. Paint them black and drybrush in your choice of colours. Card: Cardboard or Foamcore. Plaster can be applied to represent stucco and can be scored when dry to model bricks or stone blocks. It can also be modelled when wet into rougher stone construction. I usually add powder pigments to avoid the harsh white colour that shows with damage. A layering technique using geometric shapes cut from card will improve the look of your buildings. Sand Casting: Take a container and fill with damp sand (must be damp to hold its shape.) Fine "Play" sand is best. Press shapes into the sand to make a mold, bowls and balls are good as are kid's space toys. Pour plaster into your sand mould and pull out when dry. This techniques could be used to make repeating elements of modular buildings using your own masters. Resin: Used in some commercial kits. Can be used to cast repeating elements to make complex or modular buildings. Painting: I usually spray buildings black and paint using a drybrush technique. This is the fastest way I know to recreate very effective light effects and emphasize textures. If you are using a very light or bright colour scheme, I suggest a drybrush coat of white or primer first. Remember to stroke over the model in the direction of the light for best effect. Detail: Vines are an excellent means of covering up construction errors in your buildings.

Back to Grey Knight's Home Page

This page is hosted by Get your own Free Home Page