Not a big waterfall like ArtHill’s Yosemite Falls, but a narrow canyon filled with boulders and a series of smaller falls an inch or two high. I think I could do a lake, lazy river or stream, but I don’t have a clue how to make waterfalls look good.
How do you do it?
Post pretty pictures of results please.
For water cascading over boulders, Woodland Scenics Water Effects would be one choice.
For a curtain of water, you could build the falls with strips of Scotch tape then apply coats of matte medium until you get the effect you want. I’ve also seen a similar technique done with pipe cleaners to shape the falls.
I don’t have any pictures because I haven’t built my falls yet but I intend to do something similar to what you have in mind.
I apply gloss medium to a piece of glass. After it’s dry, I peel it off, cut it to size and paint it in place with more gloss medium.
Chip,
Send a PM to Rexhea (here or “across the street”), he’s done exactly what your’e talking about and has the pix to prove it!
Chip,
I saw in one of the MR books where the author (I think it was Lou Sassi) used a strip of mylar for the backing of his waterfall and coated it with Realistic Water, or one of the other imitation water products available. The author secured the mylar at the top of the falls (probably with silicone), bent the mylar to achieve the radius arc that he wanted, and secured the other end at the bottom of the fall.
Initially, his waterfall was somewhat uniform but he broke that up using WS Water Effects (or something like that) for the foaming water effect. It looked very convincing.
Chip, I don’t know how big of a waterfall you are looking to build. I would think that 2 or 3 mylar strips, bent at different arcs, might make a nice cascading waterfall effect - especially as it hits rocks on the way down the canyon wall.
Just some thoughts…
Tom
I remember another article where the author used (dare I even say it) clear caulk as the basis for the waterfall form, then covered it with more traditional water products for the final effect.
–Randy
Chip,
I use several methods.
Natural falls:
I installed and painted rock castings along the face of the fall. Then, I laid verticle beads of a clear sealent called LEXEL over the castings and dabbed some along the base of the falls for rapids. After then LEXEL cured, I drybrushed on some white paint to both the falls and rapids. I finished up with a couple coats of acrylic gloss medium to bring the shine back up.
Man-made:
I created the dam using WS retaining wall castings. The stream is WS course ballast. Then, I made the outfall from a piece of .10 clear styrene, drybrushed with white paint. After, installing the outfall, I piled up some talus at the outfall’s base. When the glue was good and dry, I covered the talus pile, and stream beneath the outfall with LEXEL. Finally, I drybrushed the rapids with white paint, and covered the outfall and rapids with acrylic gloss medium.
I also used LEXEL to make a fast moving stream, but don’t have any pics at the moment.
Nick
You might want to get the new book, How To Build Realistic Model Railroad Scenery.
There are some new products that will help you.
Woodland Scenics Realistic Water, is one that you make strips with the acrylic gel.
Glue in place and use other Water Effects for detail.
You might want to get the new book, How To Build Realistic Model Railroad Scenery.
There are some new products that will help you.
I think that there may be two issues here…
How to get the disturbed water at the foot of any waterfall… where the water tumbles around like the water in a washing machine.
How to think through the effect of moving water on the river bed… I think that I might be able to offer some ideas on this.