Rocky cliff, with grazing bison and roof tops
Little Logging Railroad
Rock, Earth, Grass and
Brush
(click to view series of images).
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Rocky cliff, with grazing bison and roof tops |
I built the contours of the terrain foundations with one-inch thick Styrofoam "ribs," and covered them with Woodland Scenics Plaster Cloth. On this base and with a palette knife, I fashioned some basic rock formations using Sculptamold. I also used rock castings from some Woodland Scenics rock molds. A nice effect results. I used three color washes over the "rocks," one of burnt umber, another of raw umber, and a third of a combination of burnt sienna and yellow ocher. Be sure your Sculptamold and plaster is completely dry before applying the washes, or the washes will all wash into a "generic gray," as I discovered. And let each wash dry before applying the next color. I have also blown some fine red rock sand (Arizona Rock product) onto the rock face of some of the rock area, in so doing add some texture. But don't over due it. As a final touch to the rock cliff, where the rock cliff meets the roadbed or valley floor, I've added varied sized and colored Woodland Scenics talus. I really like the grass clumps of Scenic Express' spring and summer Buffalo Grass, liberally attaching them to all the ledges that might have foliage. I'm always amazed to find grass and foliage growing in what seems to be the least hospital of rock cracks along a cliff.
After painting the non-rock areas valley areas with a light brown earth shade, I covered the rolling hills and valley floors with a layer of Woodland Scenics fine "earth blend" Blended Turf. On this base, I've added some patches and scatterings of Arizona Rock and Mineral Co. fine sand and earth (Cajon Sandstone of sand, gravel and rip rap sizes, along with Light Tan Earth Kaibab Limestone, and High Desert Sand). This is a great product, contributing another level of realism to the landscape. I've also added some larger stones, Woodland Scenics talus washed in the same colors as the "rock" areas, and Arizona rip rap, to the landscape. I then added Woodland Scenics "yellow grass" fine Turf to some of the hill tops to simulate a drier areas. For some grassy areas, I added a lot of patches of Woodland Scenics' "light green" and "medium green" Foliage. I love the Scenic Express spring and summer Buffalo Grass, and have been applying it liberally here and there. I've also been adding little clumps of the Woodland Scenics "natural straw" and "light green" Field Grass. For them, I first create a small hole with a pick in the desired location, add glue a small bundle of the grass and place it into the hole. I like fanning out the grass, and allow it to dry. Then I trim to the desired height, varying it with other tuffs, and "round the edges of the grass to give it a "bush-like" effect. I really like pulling individual branches from the Super Trees (a Scenic Express product) and making very small trees and a variety of sizes of bushes from them, covering them with Woodland Scenics "light green" and "burnt grass" fine Turf. And finally, I've added some small to medium sized bushes made from the Woodland Scenics Clump Foliage, both the "light green" and "burnt grass" colors.
As a final touch, some Static Grass Flock, both the Harvest Gold and Burnt Grass colors, to some of the open areas, With with my tweezers, I take a small clump of the flock and spread it over the desired areas. Spray it with "wet water" and add a few drops of watered-down matte finish. This adds a nice grassy texture.
I know this may sound like shrub over-kill, but in all the years of fly fishing the local streams and walking to them through the forested regions, there is a lot of underbrush and shrubbery in my area. I like the effect all these layers of greenery add to the diorama; a personal choice.
As general adhesives, I've been using white glue, and for the large terrain areas and deciduous super trees, a mixture of matte finish and water (letting it stand for a week or so a straining it before using). I used "wet water" to hold a grassy or turf area in place, spraying it over the area prior to adding the matte-water adhesive. For "wet water" I add a drop or two dish soap to the sprayer of water. For some fast drying action for wood structures or brush, and on any metal or plastic parts, I rely on the "thick" type of cyanoacrylate glue (CA).
Roads (click to view). I used a dried soil from the backyard, finely sifted, to create the road bed. After drying the glued soil to the designated areas, I smoothed the surface by pushing a small spoon over the surface, and added some "wheel" ruts with the end of a paint brush. The crossings are pretty simple, with bolts placed in the ends of each plank.