Hello I am working on a mountain and would like to fill it up with trees lots of trees. I am trying to get a full look. You will see tree trunks at the cliff edge but as you go up it’s hard to pick out one tree. I tried some ground foam I made but did not look good at all. I was thinking cotten fiber but sure how that will look. Here is a pic of what Iam going for. Any ideas ? Thanks Frank
Hi!
A big factor is the distance to the viewer. I’m currently planting trees at the furthest point on my HO layout and the obvious point is the further away the less detail needed.
You pointed out that on the edge of the scene you can view the tree trunks. So I would “plant” trees for the forefront area, and then use the same type foliage (as in the trees) for the rest of the area where you won’t need to show the full tree (i.e. trunks & big limbs).
I think the trick is to use the same stuff - whatever that may be - for the back area as used on the foreground trees.
One thing that may also work is to take bits of lichen, spray it with glue, and then dip it in ground foam.
The recent project layout series in MR on the Virginian included an article with info on making puff-ball trees, a long used technique that might be just what you’re looking for here. That should help you with the further away trees. Use detailed trees up front as Mobilman44 indicated and you should be good.
You might want to check the August issue of MR. On page 50, in the article “Mountain Scenes of The Boston & Maine”, by Bill Moore, he details how he made a thick forest canopy. Sounds like a technique that might be just what you’re looking for.
Several techniques will work. As others have indicated, the key is to use highly detailed trees in the front where the viewer sees the whole tree (2-3 rows of depth should be sufficient).
Puffball trees are a great, relatively inexpensive option.
Another way to do it is to take bamboo skewers (the kind you get at a grocery store), cut them to appropriate lengths (use several different lengths to simulate trees of differing heights), and paint them a bark color (greenish gray, not brown). Plant these sticks at intervals of about 3" (HO scale) over the forest area.
Cover the sticks with polyfiber (either use the green stuff you buy at hobby stores, or buy the cheaper white stuff at a craft store and paint it), gluing it on to your bamboo sticks. Drape it so it has a bumpy appearance. Cover with the adhesive of your choice (hairspray, dilute white glue / matte medium, 3M spray, etc.) and sprinkle on ground foam in various sizes and colors. This method creates a somewhat smoother appearance than the puffball tree method, and is great for covering large areas quickly.
In fact, if I’m remembering correctly, Woodland Scenics now makes a polyfiber and ground foam product ready made for this exact method. Like everything else in this hobby, the DIY method is cheaper, but more time consuming.
I am surprised that you did not like the look of ground foam for this project.
Woodland Scenics makes two products in at least three different shades of green, Bushes Clump-Foliage and Underbrush Clump-Foliage,that would seem ideal for this purpose.
As far as seeing tree trunks at the cliff edge, Woodland Scenics also makes tree kits with lots of bare trunks and branches which you could cut down to just give a glimpse of tree trunks at the edge of the woodland area.
Rich
As you can be seen from your photo, you start at the top and paint in a faint blue mountain. Then dry brush stipple on varied colored green on top of a dark black (or dark blue)background. For the actual trees on a mountainside you can use varied green “clump foliage”. Then,for closer trees, one can use stained wooden olive skewers, with green painted screen wire circles pushed on, and sprayed with hair spray or spray adhesive. I hold bunches of three trees together, and sprinkle on fine or medium varied green floc-foam. For foreground trees, I prefer to use saqe trunks and Scenic Express Super Trees, sprayed with hair spray and sprinkled with fine or medium Floc-foam. I just purchased Scenic Express Super Tree super crate for $98, that produces over 300 very realistic trees. Another idea for making a conifer canopy on a narrow ridge, is to cut out sheets of packaging sponge, cut it into zig-zag triangular patterns and layer these on the ridge top Bob Hahn 
I vote for a few “trunked” foreground trees where visible, then for poly-fill “puff ball trees” for the rest. The further away from the viewer and in the “mountains”. They are cheap and easy to make and real trees on a hillside “look” like “puff ball trees”{at least in my area of Upstate NY},and as does your picture. {polyester fiber fill from the Fabirc and crafts stores Such as JoAnn Fabrics}
Simply ball up some fluffed fiber-fill and spray paint green , spray with hairspray or a glue mixture and roll in some ground foam if you like then glue to the mountainside.
Cheap and easy and plenty full.
[8-|]
Hello sorry it took so long to get back. It seem like as soon as i start to work on the layout something else comes up and takes all my time. I will pickup a copy of the MR and check it out.
Rich I think it will work if I get some better ground foam. I made mine from left over carpet pad from a job. It looks like it is turning blue. Maybe I should try a diferent foam? I should have some time this weekend maybe I can get something done. Thanks for the help Frank
Hello well I finely got some time and made some puff ball trees. They were easy to make I could not find a copy of the MR lhs was out. So I gave it a try from what I found on line. I used poly-fill, ground turf and green spray paint. And this is how they look.
I still need a bunch more trees and a lot more work to the rock. So do they look like trees? Have a nice day Frank