Well I am moving along on my first layout a 4x6 with a 2X4 extension for a yard.
I did a decent job carving out my foam base down to my plywood in the shape of a river. Now to paint it, how do you folks do it? What colors and do you blend as you rise up the banks? I plan on using the water products out there after the painting but, not sure what colors show through properly, Any help would be appreciated, Thanks, Joe
I use any sandy color tan or buff for the shoreline, and Pullman Green for the deeper parts in the middle. Then I dab on Artist Gloss Medium (Grumbacher) and let it dry.
You must first seal the stream bed with some kind of plaster. Then paint that. Then you can add whatever water effect you want. Without the plaster seal coat what ever you use will drain out where you do not want it.
I had asked the same question a few weeks ago… I used arylic paints from local craft store, and used a 1" to keep blending colors together…
Here’s the thread:
Thanks for the link, I missed that one, it does the trick, Joe
Hi,
Expanding on ARTHILL’s advice: The river base must be perfectly level. I like to use Hydrocal Plaster for any work of this nature. Hydrocal forms a very hard, nonporous surface, that will never crack. You might want to first glue plastic window screen to the wooden surface, to make sure that the hydrocal stays in place. If you intend a shallow strean, be sure to place flat bottomed rocks (gravel),or fly fishermen (with parts of their bootlegs cut off) on the stream bed, before you apply the “Magic Water”.(or whatever water plastic you use) Include “tree” branches,and debris,etc. If you are planning to have cascading rapids, you should glue the 1.5 inch strips of plastic (with Liquid Nails) along the top and bottom surface, of the drop in river surface ( I first tried using CA glue and white glue, and the plastic came loose !) The cascading water is tinted slightly white in irregular strips. Be sure that the film plastic (storage bag plastic is best), has no leaks, where the water plastic can seep through. For a large river with tug boats, yachts, or barges, I like to use a base of randomly rippled Plexiglas (not the uniform row patterned kind), I have found that glossy dark blue-green painted on the bottom of the Plexiglas, or gradated dark blue to tan, near the shore, (on the primed sealed wood base), make a very realistic surface. You can apply a thin layer of “water resin” (painted on), if you so desire. Once again, if you have pier posts and boats,etc., place them on the surface before you apply the “water resin”, so that it appears that they are submerged in the “water”. But, remember: They cannot be moved later! I have just completed a sawmill with logs in a pond.The logs are nearly half submerged in the plastic “water”. Incidentally,the plastic takes several day
You want to use a dark color in the center and work out to a lighter color at the bank.
I used a dark brown for the bottom of my stream and tan along the banks, then I put 4
coats of POLYACRILATE from MINWAX, it has a high gloss and the brush cleans up with
water.