Tree Building using plastic armatures in 4mm scale

[MAP66]

21 minutes ago, Mikkel said:

Looks good. Nice weathered look. That's one of the things I like about modelling: You can spend 5 days building a whole layout, or 5 days detailing a single structure. And the choice is our own.

Thanks Mikkel, I enjoy adding the little details.  I hate to think how long it would actually take me to build an actual layout, given that a cake box size diorama can take me several months to complete. 

[MAP66]

Well, I'm still on the greenhouse and have added some interior bits including flower pots and seed trays. The roof is completed with an opening window on each side. Next will be to glaze it and add the guttering, here's how it looks at the moment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 24, 2022 by MAP66
Restoring lost images

[MAP66]

The diorama continues for the Silver Birch, the greenhouse roof is now glazed and I got bored with that so have made a start on the garage. Got bored distracted with that and so started on the driveway up to the garage. Back to the garage next to fit the doors which are a brass etch. Not sure what colour to paint the doors and the garage itself which is wood planking? I have painted the roof to represent asbestos corrugated sheets.

 

I forgot I had a little Austin 7 still in the display case which looks good on the driveway. Maybe someone washing the car, but then I want someone mowing the lawn and digging over the vegetable plot and relaxing in a deckchair and feeding the chickens (In a moment of madness I ordered a chicken coop and a couple of beehives) and then someone pottering in the greenhouse - blimey, how many people live in this house. Time to start on the vegetable plot me thinks, starting to get distracted with that garage driveway now. Here's some more progress pics...

 

p.s. that last pic shows the start of a rockery, but I got distracted again  Oh yeah, someone planting flowers in the rockery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 24, 2022 by MAP66
Restoring lost images

[MAP66]

I had a short word with myself, as I had decided that to get this diorama finished, I needed to focus on one section at a time. The garage is actually now more advanced than the greenhouse and more straightforward to finish, so that is my priority to complete first, then the green house. I am painting the garage to represent faded wooden planking and the roof to represent asbestos corrugated sheets. I have some guttering to add and then to complete the garage doors, which are glazed at the top as I wanted it to look like a 1930's detached single garage.

I'm aiming to get back onto the theme of the thread (constructing trees) and when this little diorama is done, I'm thinking about a nice Oak tree using plastic armatures again but maybe not seafoam this time. Here's a couple of images of the garage. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 24, 2022 by MAP66
Restoring lost images

[Mikkel]

19 hours ago, MAP66 said:

I had a short word with myself

 

Don't be too hard on him - er, you - I'm enjoying this! 

[MAP66]

12 hours ago, Mikkel said:

 

Don't be too hard on him - er, you - I'm enjoying this! 

Thank you Mikkel, very nice of you to say so Sir.

My modelling discipline isn't great, I loose focus quite easily and instead of seeing the job through to the end, instead, I find myself looking for something else to start on.

However, I am getting better. I still remember as a kid, starting on Airfix models and completely rushing the construction phases as I couldn't wait to paint them and put the decals on. I seem to remember having several kits on the go at once and gluey fingerprints all over the fuselage and cockpit glass - arrgh!! Glad to say, I have left most of those old habits behind now and still manage to have fun in the process.

 

 

 

[MAP66]

Another short update, in which I'm quite pleased with myself as I've actually done what I said I was going to do. New territory for me this, will need to watch out as I might make a habit of it.

So, in short, the garage doors are on and I've made a start on the guttering. I'm currently attempting to line the downpipe up with the water butt (Ooh err Mrs). Thought I would stick a few images up as proof of evidence that sometimes I do actually stick to a plan (Hard landscaping contractor did the fencing and crazy paving, wasn't me Guv, honest!). 🃏

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 24, 2022 by MAP66
Restoring lost images

[MAP66]

The garage is now glazed with clear acetate for the side windows and Glue n' Glaze for the small garage door windows. Guttering complete, with down pipe going down into top of water butt.

I was annoyed that I hadn't fitted the ridge roof tiling strip centrally, which looked awful when viewing the images back. So I carefully prized it off and then removed a lot of the plastic from the underside with a graver tool which enabled it to fit a bit more squarely on the garage roof. Hopefully, my efforts show in the next images.

Before I go back to the green house, I am going to lay out the garden plan first, so fit the remainder of the crazy paving and fit garage permanently in place so that the ground cover can lead up to the walls of the garage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 24, 2022 by MAP66
Restoring lost images

[sb67]

Fantastic Mark, the garage looks superb 

[MAP66]

1 hour ago, sb67 said:

Fantastic Mark, the garage looks superb 

Thanks Steve, I'm pleased with how the garage turned out and that I decided to reposition the roof ridge tile strip again. Also glad that I decided not to fit the doors which came with the kit. The glazed ones look better I feel.

[chuffinghell]

Fantastic Mark, great stuff 

[MAP66]

1 hour ago, chuffinghell said:

Fantastic Mark, great stuff 

Thanks Chris, Loving the goods shed build 

[MAP66]

I had a little more thought about making an Oak tree and will make a start on it soon by running the build alongside this diorama. Thought that would be best seeing that this thread is meant to be about tree building and there hasn't been much activity on that front for a while, as there is so much which needs attending to in the garden and its sort of taken over the thread a bit.

Speaking of which, the lawn and crazy paving are now down. The lawn is in a state of half mown and I tried to lay the static grass in two lengths, the mown section being shorter with the lawn mower being placed where the two meet (all done with a puffer bottle using 1mm and 2mm grass).

I keep on thinking of more things to add and I've decided the garage needs some barge boards fitted and a weather vane. The greenhouse also needs some bargeboards to disguise the join where roof meets wall section. I still need to lay out the vegetable patch, chicken coop, compost area and then add some plants and vegetables. Here's a few more progress pics...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 24, 2022 by MAP66
Restoring lost images

[Mikkel]

Hi Mark, that's excellent again.

 

Inspired by your methods and Kaustav's video I have started making trees that combine homemade wire armatures and sea foam. Still learning and it doesn't compare with your work, but am enjoying it.

 

Can I ask how you add the scatter/leaves to the seafoam on your earlier trees? I see some people spray on hairspray and then sprinkle/dip scatter on, but Kaustav is more selective, adding glue to individual branches and then positioning the foliage - presumably to avoid leaves sticking to the trunk etc.

 

I look forward to the oak!

 

[MAP66]

3 hours ago, Mikkel said:

Hi Mark, that's excellent again.

 

Inspired by your methods and Kaustav's video I have started making trees that combine homemade wire armatures and sea foam. Still learning and it doesn't compare with your work, but am enjoying it.

 

Can I ask how you add the scatter/leaves to the seafoam on your earlier trees? I see some people spray on hairspray and then sprinkle/dip scatter on, but Kaustav is more selective, adding glue to individual branches and then positioning the foliage - presumably to avoid leaves sticking to the trunk etc.

 

I look forward to the oak!

 

Hi Mikkel

Thanks again, just looked through Kaustav's video Wow, I certainly would not have the time and dedication to produce something as detailed as that.

The method I used for applying the scatter as follows;

I used a scenic aerosol can spray glue from Wws Scenics (other glues are available). It’s true, if you blast the glue inwards into the tree canopy, then the glue will stick to the trunk and branches and so will the scatter material, which is not a realistic look.

I start by holding the tree upside down and working on a small area at a time, I spray outwards, just catching the ends of the seafoam and then immediately sprinkling on the scatter material. Complete this and then do the same again with the tree held upright. Finally, the same again with the tree held horizontally, each time just catching the outermost seafoam sprigs with the glue. This way you should have all sight angles covered with a good spread of foliage over the entire tree canopy.

I then give it all a liberal spray of hairspray just to ensure any loose bits of scatter stay in place. When doing the spray gluing make sure you have some old card or something to protect the surroundings from any surplus glue and then have a bowl or something beneath the tree when adding the scatter to catch all the surplus which doesn’t stick.

 

Now that Oak, I am going to try a different material than seaform for the branches. If it it turns into a disaster I will still post anyway, just so others can avoid my mistakes and learn from the process. After all, its all about trial and error in this game. Worst case scenerio, you can always buy a ready made Oak, or any tree for that matter, but where's the fun in that!

[Mikkel]

Many thanks for that info Mark, very useful. I'll have a go.

 

Yes Kaustav goes into amazing detail sometimes. This one is his quick method! 

 

Good luck with the oak. What I like about trees is that each one is so different. Chances are that even a failed attempt  will have a similar looking prototype somewhere!  

[MAP66]

Well its back to tree construction at long last with me making a start on the Oak tree. I've gone for a tree about 50' tall with a girth around the base of the trunk of 17' in 4mm scale. This places it at about 300 years old or thereabouts. I am using plastic armatures in 6 sections, all glued together with superglue gel. Before I did this I manipulated all the branches into the directions I wanted using the usual immersing in very hot water method - ouch, fingers.

 

 

 

I had decided I wanted to use a different material instead of seafoam and have been looking into hemp rope. It certainly has potential for the root system and I'm sure I can model the gnarly, bulbous type of roots, using hemp, that you see on some Oaks. Not too sure about its use for the smaller twiggy branches as it takes a lot of teasing out and fathing about with to get it to look right. Might have to be sea foam after all or copper wire. I am going to experiment with both on a couple of single plastic armatures to see what looks best and put it to the vote.

 

Next stage was to add the filler, allow to dry for 24hrs and then cover in a dilute wash of black grey and black brown acrylic paints. The washes highlight the bark detail and show where additional filler is required which you can see on the images below where I have added more filler.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 26, 2022 by MAP66
Restoring lost images

[MAP66]

Starting to add some colour...

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 26, 2022 by MAP66
Restoring lost images

[Mikkel]

Very nice. The filler is very effective, but your photos also show how important the painting is, I think. Patches and variation clearly very important.

[Re6/6]

Excellent work! You've got the texture and colour just right.

[MAP66]

8 hours ago, Mikkel said:

Very nice. The filler is very effective, but your photos also show how important the painting is, I think. Patches and variation clearly very important.

Thanks, Mikkel

I agree with your comment on trees earlier, each one is so different. I think people have general perceptions of what a tree should look like though and yet in nature you get all sorts of oddities and fantastic formations which if you modelled faithfully, would probably be viewed as not realistic – you would then have to constantly pull up an image of the real thing to prove a point that the tree actually exists.

I am aiming to keep my trees visually acceptable, if possible, but at the same time keep them all different. This is actually quite easy to do by using different armatures and forming the branches to different angles. However, the real magic happens when you apply the filler as even if you tried to replicate the last tree you did, it will always be different. The minute variations in the surface texture of the filler will cause the washes to behave differently when applied resulting in different light and dark shade variations. Then a few pinches of tea dust sprinkled here and there while the washes are still tacky forms the basis of where the moss will grow, which springs into life with the aid of some green oxide weathering powders.

 

If you have a go, I would be interested to know how you get on. I think you will produce something incredible, being the master modeller that you are.

Good luck 

[MAP66]

8 hours ago, Re6/6 said:

Excellent work! You've got the texture and colour just right.

Hi John

 

That's very kind of you to say so. I've just spent some time looking through some of your blogs on tree making. I need to go back and have a more thorough look as they look incredible. I really need to get Gordons book and bag some postiche, hadn't thought on using that before!  

 

Regards

Mark

[sb67]

I'd always recommend looking at the Gordon Gravett book, his method's and work are truly inspiring and stunning.

I've got to say though your trees are equaly so, the texture's and colours are spot on! 

[MAP66]

1 hour ago, sb67 said:

I'd always recommend looking at the Gordon Gravett book, his method's and work are truly inspiring and stunning.

I've got to say though your trees are equaly so, the texture's and colours are spot on! 

Thanks again Steve and guess what, I went online last night and managed to purchase a copy of Gordon Gravett's book on trees part 1. Can't wait to get my hands on it, so I can see how to do it properly. This making it up as you go along malarkey is very tiring on the old noggin.  Great fun though.

[sb67]

7 hours ago, MAP66 said:

Thanks again Steve and guess what, I went online last night and managed to purchase a copy of Gordon Gravett's book on trees part 1. Can't wait to get my hands on it, so I can see how to do it properly. This making it up as you go along malarkey is very tiring on the old noggin.  Great fun though.

 

Enjoy the book, do have the modelling grasslands one? 

I'll look forward to some more masterpieces