Quick and grassy

[Heather Kay]

I’ve needed a better display board for posing my model aircraft on photographic sessions. The current board is now too small, and used a rather fluorescent and regular grass mat. I had to be able to do something better.

 

 

With just the pair of us here, and while the Christmas dinner was cooking, I let my inner Jackson Pollock loose on a sheet of A1 foam board with various water-based paints of earthy hues. I planned for something like a concrete perimeter track across one corner. That would be made using a printed sheet of concrete track, and blended in. Well, that was the plan.

 

 

By the time dinner was ready to serve, I had more or less got this far. The rather threadbare and close-cut grass typical of the average 1940 airfield was my aim. Using the usual kind of flock material beloved of railway modellers, and spreading diluted PVA about, it began to take on the rough appearance I was after. Since this photo, I’ve covered the entire board with flock, and I’ll let things dry overnight. The track suffered from the misted water I used to help the PVA spread, so I expect I’ll have to rip that out and do it again.

 

Anyway, that was my Christmas Day! I will post again as things progress to the final version.

[busnproplinerfan]

Quick and simple is good, I have to do something like this to, need to practice dios. They're a genre all their own.

[Heather Kay]

Sometimes, simple takes longer than doing it properly the first time. Oh, well.

 

 

Having let the PVA dry overnight, the first job was to vacuum and brush the loose material off the board. I rather expected the foam board to take on a slight banana shape, which it has, but that doesn’t worry me unduly. The printed "concrete" track didn’t look any better, so I ripped most of it off with the idea of sticking some new printed stuff down.

 

I patched areas where the flock didn’t stick, which explains the slightly darker areas because they’re damp after more glue dropped on. I quite like the effect, so I’ll see how it looks when dried. If necessary, I’ll see if I have slightly darker flock material in the scenic box.

 

 

I wondered if it might be easier to simply paint the track in. With nothing to lose, and enjoying myself, I dug out some artists' acrylics and a flat brush. Black, white and burnt umber were mixed and splodged about until I had something I fancied resembled a tatty asphalt track. I’ll let that dry and see how it looks, because the colours usually dry a little lighter.

 

My day job is building models that are supposed to look like a specific thing. While I enjoy the process of building, having a definite end point can be a little tiresome. Doing this kind of free form "try it and see" stuff is very refreshing.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 26, 2019 by Heather Kay
Proof radeing fial.

[Heather Kay]

 

I think I’m happy with that. I can always revisit and refine at a later date when the mood strikes.

 

I think a photo session later will prove whether it suits or not.

[Pete in Lincs]

Nice one, Heather. 

[CedB]

Bookmarked! I must get around to doing one, one day