robvulcan Posted September 25, 2013 Author Share Posted September 25, 2013 Morning folks. Last night I decided to abandon using the T gauge trees for this first diorama In favour of these. I wanted something finer and I really wanted to model deciduous trees and see how the Precision Ice and snow would settle on the branches. These are simply weeds plucked from our lower garden area nice big tall overgrown weeds (yea gardening ...) I cut them down and left enough to mount them and still look like they have a trunk. I washed them off then put them on a backing tray in the oven to dry them out and then I dipped them in a bath of klear and let dry on a stack of kitchen towels In a bit to preserve them. However this might make them more fragile or perhaps I overcooked them. The kitchen now smells like a forest Its rather beautiful way to model I must say. This being my first time doing anything like this. I am going to use a tea bags contents for modelling the fallen leaf mulch and I am currently microwaving some soil again from the garden for the soil area. I am hoping this with some varying size bits of twig and some small stones will create a pleasing little dio effect. I have just put some more paper on the base and painted it dark grey I will then brush on some brown and go from there. Cheers Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted September 25, 2013 Share Posted September 25, 2013 Where does the big crystal fit in? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robvulcan Posted September 25, 2013 Author Share Posted September 25, 2013 HAHAHa That will be the for holding the tea leafs. lol. Cheers Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr22 Posted September 25, 2013 Share Posted September 25, 2013 Those weeds as picked look remarkably good for winter trees Rob! Some of them are still looking good after your attempt to incinerate them as well!! Unfortunately my missus is a keen gardener so I won't find any like that in our garden!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted September 25, 2013 Share Posted September 25, 2013 Those "trees" do look remarkably good. Nice and thrifty too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robvulcan Posted September 25, 2013 Author Share Posted September 25, 2013 (edited) Well I am having fun today. Just got some nice goodies through the post. work on the snowman and tree dio is taking shape now. First I stuck the snowman backside to a cocktail stick ouch! then Then I have started putting progressive coats of Precisions Ice and Snow onto it then blowing off the excess and re-coating. This is the first coat just blown off. This is the snowman before the first coat. This is the nice sieve you get with the Precision Ice and Snow pack. After a few more coats While I let the snow man dry and bit I turned to the garden again and dug some soil up. then microwaved it for a good 10 mins to Kill any germs Its a good idea to pass a magnet through first! Be careful soil keeps heat for ages an ages... I poured the soil into a sieve and got myself some real fine soil to use. The snow man is still indulging himself on the super fine powder ! The base complete The first tree goes in Real trees in the background and for once wanted weeds in the foreground. Cheers Rob Edited September 25, 2013 by robvulcan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robvulcan Posted September 25, 2013 Author Share Posted September 25, 2013 The trees on their base and the soil added over a good layer of PVA glue. I am pretty happy with the results so far. As they say in Game of Thrones "Winter Is Coming" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted September 25, 2013 Share Posted September 25, 2013 Looking good, can't wait for the snow to fall. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robvulcan Posted September 25, 2013 Author Share Posted September 25, 2013 work on the snow man continues. The cock tail stick tip will become the nose. Now for the hat and scarf.. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Laidlaw Posted September 25, 2013 Share Posted September 25, 2013 That's brilliant! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted September 25, 2013 Share Posted September 25, 2013 His arms look like cloves, have you been raiding the spice rack? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr22 Posted September 25, 2013 Share Posted September 25, 2013 Good thinking on the cocktail stick!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robvulcan Posted September 25, 2013 Author Share Posted September 25, 2013 Here he is next to a pound coin. The arms are not spice just of a bush. Hes looking pretty cool now... literally. I need a hat and scarf then I can make a simple little dio for him and snow it, then add the snow man and give a final few dusting coats of snow to blend him in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr22 Posted September 25, 2013 Share Posted September 25, 2013 He's excellent!! I think you're going to find yourself on Christmas decorations duty from now on....!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robvulcan Posted September 26, 2013 Author Share Posted September 26, 2013 Hi Keef thanks. Yea hes pretty fun looking aint he. I should make another snow man to go next to him with his head turned towards him and put a little plaque on the dio saying (As he turned to me he said "can you smell carrots").... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr22 Posted September 26, 2013 Share Posted September 26, 2013 Hi Keef thanks. Yea hes pretty fun looking aint he. I should make another snow man to go next to him with his head turned towards him and put a little plaque on the dio saying (As he turned to me he said "can you smell carrots").... With the first one responding - 'Parrots'?? (well, he's got no ears, so would be a bit mutt & Jeff....!! ) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robvulcan Posted September 26, 2013 Author Share Posted September 26, 2013 Ok so I have been back to it this morning and its time for an update. This is my first ever attempts at doing any scenery and I am very happy how its coming out. After a second layer of soil over pva last night this morning I dry brushed pva around the tree bases and sprinkled on tea leaves to represent dead leaves twigs and mulch. I am thinking tobacco on top of this could be nice to add more of an orange autumn look. Next I rinsed off the soil residue left in the sieve and got myself some nice little stones to glue on and ad more tea around. I did the same with the left over bits of twig from the tree/weed backing in the oven (that sounds really bad don't it !) then I added tea around these too. I then added two grades of woodland scenic's flock powders to represent foliage moss etc. and I know have this my first bit of scenery ever. Cheers all next a light frost effect and then maybe full snow fall. But next the snowman needs mounting on a base and having his hat and scarf fitted. Rob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted September 26, 2013 Share Posted September 26, 2013 Tea, tobacco, weed and strange powders, sounds like you are having a pretty good party there. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robvulcan Posted September 26, 2013 Author Share Posted September 26, 2013 With the first one responding - 'Parrots'?? (well, he's got no ears, so would be a bit mutt & Jeff....!! ) Pardon.. Hahaha. Very Funny. Now every time I see a snowman I will want to put on some joke plastic ears. Its been a really blast making this dio I have long wanted to get around to doing some and this Precision Ice and snow has provided me with a great reason to get around to trying it. It has actually been really refreshing compared to my usual build a kit modelling genre and much more rewarding knowing that most of what is visible was plucked out of my own garden provided and made by nature and simply arranged by me. I defiantly want to do more of these. I really like the winter woodland look. I can't wait to get more stuff like this done for the railway dio/micro layout. Cheers Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robvulcan Posted September 26, 2013 Author Share Posted September 26, 2013 Many thanks for the for the heads up on all those Its much appreciated I will check them out some deer would be very nice. Update time. my mrs helped me out and enjoyed sanding the next dio base to shape. She wants to have a go herself now which is brilliant. This is what she come up with. the first coat of Precision Ice and Snow before the excess is blown and tapped off. ...And after drying for a few mins and removal this is whats left. for this one I have used 3M spraymount exclusively. which takes longer to build up than hairspray. Then the second coat is put on. I am very happy with this result. It is very nice looking for a quick throw together of stuff I cant believe it the closer you look in person the more real it looks me and the mrs were lost staring at it very close for a good few mins. Being outside and hearing the birds tweet and general ambiance really gets your imagiation going. Cheers Rob 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robvulcan Posted September 26, 2013 Author Share Posted September 26, 2013 I urge you to right click and save as on the last photo and then zoom in and scroll around the photo the Precision Ice and Snow is so amazingly fine I love this stuff. It Rocks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr22 Posted September 26, 2013 Share Posted September 26, 2013 Great work Rob & Mrs. Rob!! That stuff is really effective looking, I've got a couple of 'snow products' in stock, but none of them give results that look as realistic as that ! Hope you put a link here when you get to do your layout. Talking of which, have you seen this micro on RMWeb? http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/53438-stoating-bank/ Snow does make a nice difference to a layout! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted September 26, 2013 Share Posted September 26, 2013 This looks absolutely amazing now, brilliant work. Where is Mr Snowman though? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robvulcan Posted September 26, 2013 Author Share Posted September 26, 2013 Mr Great work Rob & Mrs. Rob!! That stuff is really effective looking, I've got a couple of 'snow products' in stock, but none of them give results that look as realistic as that ! Hope you put a link here when you get to do your layout. Talking of which, have you seen this micro on RMWeb? http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/53438-stoating-bank/ Snow does make a nice difference to a layout! I will be sure to check that put I can't wait to get the layout started too I am very much spurred on by this and can't wait to make more deciduous trees. Cheers Rob This looks absolutely amazing now, brilliant work. Where is Mr Snowman though? . Many thanks I'm glad you think so its my first ever attempt at scenic modeling and I think it looks good too. It's also quick cheap and easy. As another poster said thrifty The snow man is going on the dio base holly shaped up earlier. The woodland will likely have a shy deer appear cautiously over the steep bank onto the dio soon and I'm sure there's a hedgehog hiding in that hollow log on there. Haha I love dioramas this is also my first diorama too cheers Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted September 26, 2013 Share Posted September 26, 2013 As another poster said thrifty No, it was I that said thrifty. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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