I wanted to increase the height of this tree, made from twigs, wire and coconut fibres. I added more twigs and pre-painted fibres. Some fibres were added in clumps, others individually.
Close-up. Glue is still wet.
The finished tree
I made a good root system for this one because it’s intended to be something of a landmark in the village. Roots made with modelling clay and wire after the tree was planted, then painted to match.
Still plenty of landscaping to do. Scale is OO [4mm] Mike
Great concept. I have never tried that. I hope you will share more and maybe some others can add to the idea. I am a few months away from trying something new, but that looks great.
Great use of a (mainly)unthought of product, very nice results. I will have to see how readily available these coconut fibres are down here in the deep south… I also love that root structure.
Great work, its these new(to me) scenic sensations that keep me coming back here to learn more.
Karl.
Thankyou Art and Karl.
It’s too brown initially, so I rip masses from the main clump and dump them into a plastic pot with plenty of mucky grey acrylic paint, and I stir it all around with a stick, then leave it to dry. Some strands take more pigment than others, so you end up with a good variety of shades.
I’ve found that the fibres can also be kinked then glued into the new shape. They’re very tough and also form the basis for most of my shrubs and hedges.
If you grab a bunch, twist one end tightly then tease out the strands at the other end, and snip through any loops, you get a good framework for shrubs, or for dense masses of twigs in trees.
After it’s been glued to the main tree branches I cut through any loops that I’ve formed with it, if they look like they might still be visible once the foliage is added.
I expect most plant nurseries would sell it. I think if you gave it a go you’d be pleased with the results.
Mike