Winter ridges

[CSXTer]

How would one go about modeling the forest canopy of Appalachian Mountains (that is so often seen on layouts of that region) if you were modeling a winter scene? You couldn't use green clumps for the canopy. Trunks are visible then. Would it just take patience and thousands of small winter trees?

[tom mann]

I would use a lot of super trees with a lot of stretched and spread grey/brown painted aquarium filter material.

[NorfolkSouthern9708]

I just found a large batch of weeds that look good as trees, but without a fine detailed tree sturcture, like super trees, so they may work good as background trees.

[CSXTer]

Thanks for the quick replies. Both are good ideas. Mr. Mann, I received your book on weathering over the holidays. Great book with some interesting techniques. 

[Caleb Austin]

I agree with Tom. Super trees are great for winter trees. In a box of the super trees there are lots of "scrap" pieces of the material, If you were to take the scraps and spay paint them grey/brown and glue them to the hills I think that would look good. Weeds, like NorfolkSouthern9708 suggested could be used with them. And you could transition them into full sized super trees.

My dabblings in winter trees...



Good luck!

[SirTainly]

If you buy grapes in bunches, the stems can make good trees if pruned and the bits where the grapes attached removed. Not quick but cheap.