As i have said before in previous articles, i have tryed many different ground foam textures and tones and just cant quite get one to what im looking for. I am currently modeling norfolk southern in virginia in the 1980’s. I have all the correct equipment, but the scenery just doesnt match!
Any suggestions?!
Thankyou
Keith
Can you post any pictures?
Yes i have 1 picture that clearly shows my problem.
Im not sure how to correct it?
Do you have pictures of the countryside you are trying to model? It will probably be hard for other people to tell you what to use if they don’t know what “look” you are striving for. I use a combination of many different Woodland scenics ground foams.
To get this look I used several textures of green, burnt, and yellow ground foams. Obviously, not much yellow. I find that they work great for my purposes. First, I paint my base an earth/dirt color with acrylics, so if I miss a spot it is not white underneath. This is about all I can say. Hope I’ve helped a little.
Smitty
I agree with getting a picture of an area you are trying to model. Colors are vital, texture, and proportions are equally important.
When I think of a nice Virginian type layout with excelent scenery, I think of the V&O, the Allegheny Midland, or other Eastern RR’s layout displayed in Great Model Railroads…and I am sure there are plenty more, don’t be discouraged if you need to start over, start again, until you have the look you are striving for… practice makes perfect…
I would begin by nixing the tall grass, plastic pine trees and opt for a brighter green foam, Rock formations are more white/grey unless you are looking at shale deposits…
i have found a great picture of what i have been trying for since 2005
what should i use to create something like this?!
I have to agree with you that it does not look as convincing as it could. It may be the camera angle but, the grass/weeds look kind of tall. 3’ tall grass in HO (if this is the scale you are working in) is roughly 7/16" tall. Being you are trying to represent Virginia I would go for more decidious trees (leaf bearing). Fields will have tall grass/weeds. I am modeling the middle portion of New York and the terain is rougly the same as Virginia. The hills might not be as tall or steep but, the covering is about the same. I have to second the advise about getting a pcture or two hundred to try to copy the sceens from. While on a trip thru the area I am modeling I took some country roads and got some scenic pictures to get an idea of what the “ground cover” looked like. I would maybe start with more trees with some scrub brush along the right of way.
The tall weed material is way too tall. Its not meant to be used out of the package. Cut it to less than 1/2’ and that will look much better. Put down a little dot of Alene’s tacky glue and place a little clump of the weed material in it and then continue to make a patch. Yes its tediuos, but a couple of football games later you’ll have it done and it’ll be GOOD. For your pines you can use what you have but spray them with a light coat of 3M contact cement and sprinkle on a coat of burnt grass color. Stay away from the bright greens and yellows. Subdue and blend your colors. Bring sample of grass and leaves in and try to copy the colors. Don’t try to use what you THINK they look like.Like the dude sais try to use more leafy trees instead of conifers for Penn. scenery.
Thats a great picture to work with. Light green fine and coarse ground foam to start, followed by spurts of coarse burnt grass or yellow ground foam to simulate the brown and yellow grass tufts growing in, and then I would use some sort of tall grass around the fence, and in random areas. Several firms make tall grass. Some make tufts (clumps you can plant). The scenic Express catalog has tons of ground covers and plenty of pictures. I really think if you sat down with that picture and the Scenic Express Catalog you could figure out how to model that area. Get the texture and collors you think are right and practice on a pice of cardboard or something that resembles your scenery base. I really can’t think of more to say. I think practice and the right colors will get you the scene you want.
Good Luck,
Smitty
The first thing to do, Keith, is to forget you ever heard that slogan at the bottom of your posts. It reflects exactly why so many hobbyists end up with such poorly scenicked layouts. Next, go to Scenic Express’ website (www.scenicexpress.com/) and order one of their catalogs.
With that in hand, begin by removing all the vegetation you already have in that scene you posted, especially that full length yellow field grass. Start over by first spreading a thin layer of very finely sifted real dirt over the scene and securing it with diluted matte medium (an art store product). Irregularly cover this with a fairly thinly spread blend of ground foams, followed by a sprinkling of coaser foam tuft. If you are tending toward autumn, as in your photo, stay mainly with the lighter green shades and mix in some browns and yellows, plus a bit of autumnal colors. Glue all these down.
Obtain some of Scenic Express’ Prairie Tufts or a sheet of their similar long grass which you can tear up to make weedy patches any size you wish. Spot these around your scene, gluing them down with Elmers. Take tufts of that long yellow fiber, cut to varying lengths of around 1/4-1/2 inches in length, poke small holes in your scenery, put in a drop of Elmers and stuff them in about a third of the way. When dry, push a pencil tip into the middle of the bundle and force the individual fibers outward. Use the tip of your finger to spread them more, if you wish.
Obtain a box of Scenic Express Super Trees. Practice on a few (a box makes 250-350 trees) creating good looking tree armatures from these, it’s an easy technique to learn. Follow any of the various on-line tutorials regarding how to make and flock Super Trees. Plant the trees in holes poked in your scenery. Plant a few without any “leaves”, as well. From broken off fragments, or bits of the Super Trees, create bushes of varying sizes.
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