This was a big week.
The whole module set got a base coating of random rocks, ferns and dead fall.
I used sticks gathered in my yard for dead logs. But needed fallen trees that looked half dead as well. The trees on my Rutherford Creek module for this description. So I pulled them all off. It will get better looking trees.
Here are some pics of those trees redeployed as sad fallen trees.
The abandoned right of way was next as it gets buried in the under brush.
Here’s what I was after for inspiration.
I used a piece of Micro Engineering C40 flex with the weathered rail, and painted the spots next to the rail with glue. Then I sprinkled green fine turf on it for moss.
To prep the road bed sprinkled down a decently thick layer of sifted dirt, and then gently pressed the finished piece of flex track into it.
The area was then soaked in alcohol and thinned matte medium to secure it.
And here’s the finished result.
From here the whole module set got soaked in alcohol and then sprayed with thinned matte medium as there was a TON of loose scenery material. This application will happen many times as I have several layers to go.
Next I moved on to trees… which will be never ending… and I can only take them in doses lest I start dreaming about them…. Ugh.
Anyway, as I’ve posted on before I’m making hundreds of tall trees for the forest, but I need a massive amount of stuff in the understory first. So this week I dedicated some time to taking an inventory of what I have.
Over the years I’ve scooped up every kind of tree I could from shows, estate sales, eBay etc etc.
I have loads of the cheap Chinese ones from eBay
Here’s some that I went at with clippers to try to make them more random. They would be smaller younger trees. I’ll likely come up with a lighter “young tree mix”, paint these brown and sprinkle them. Not too bright though as I’m modelling fall.
These I was surprised to find they are wire armature trees with clump foliage. I like the colour of the trunks and foliage and will likely use them as is. Here’s a closer shot. Although they are actually a darker green like above.
I have DOZENS of these in three sizes.
I figured I’ll hide these in the brush randomly and to make them less bright, I shot them with brown spray paint and then shook a 50/50 mixture it Woodland Scenics Coarse Conifer and Medium Green Static Grass Flocking.
Here’s how they turned out. Not great but definitely better than eBay green… and these will be blended into the understory.
Here’s some rough looking bottle brush trees. I’ll flock them or something.
I also had a bunch of these little guys. They are wire armatures with clump foliage too. And they got me thinking about possible candidates for small Arbutus trees.
They just need to be thinner. So I sat down with my clippers and got to work.
Once trimmed I felt they had a passable look so I set those aside for paint and flocking.
As I was rummaging I found a box of random trees that were pulled from a layout that was being torn down.
The I completely forgot I had this box. It was time to sort it.
On top was an unopened bag of Woodland Scenics deciduous trees. These will become relevant shortly.
A whole bag of trees made from the WS kit
A huge amount of random conifers in sizes ranging from scale size x-mas trees to maybe 70ft.
More wire armature eBay trees.
And some pretty nice looking taller clump foliage trees. I think these are WS tall trees from the same line as above. I kind of like them and will likely use them as is.
So I’ve established that I have a ton of trees. Many of them useable with just a little effort.
However…. A critical tree is missing. The Arbutus Tree. I don’t need many of them. They grow at the forest edge or water’s edge, on rockier areas, in families. So a little grove of them here and there will do. But because they are so informant… they need to look good.
I had found those eBay wire armiture trees and trimmed those up as shown earlier, and will still give those a try, but I was inspired by the WS kit. Its plastic armitures really had the right look I thought.
So I got to twisting.
@CNR5529 pointed out they needed to be more knarly and suggested I bend them with pliers… so I did.
I also thought they needed to be fuller, and some had multiple trunks. So I got out the belt sand and hot glue and custom made a few.
I covered them in a very thin whispy layer of green poly fibre.
I then shot them with a coat of Rustoleum red primer and very carefully sprinkled Noch leaves onto them. I used a 1:1:4 mixture dark green, medium green, light green.
Here’s what I wanted to accomplish.
The result was this.
So far I’m very pleased. I’d like to find a way to make some taller ones. I’m thinking of pulling the clump foliage off of the taller eBay wire trees and do the same technique to them. But so far I’m very happy with the over all look.
