Inspiration from the various threads here - Trees & Bushes

[47406]

I spent several evenings the week before last ploughing through all 17 pages of the static grass thread and riveting reading it  was. It isn't the only thread in this section that I've been reading (and often re-reading). So many fabulous pictures that are pure inspiration - a massive thank you to everyone who has shared their work on here !

 

As i said, inspiring - so much so that i spent an hour or two each evening last week trying to put some of that inspiration into practice. Here's some of what you folks have stirred me into action with - comments and tips are most welcome !

 

Here's the product of last week's efforts:

 

Most basic of them all, I ordered a pack of those cheapo Chinese trees off of ebay a few years back to try & use as a starting point, something to get an idea of heights from, structure, that sort of thing. They came, I took one look at them, went "yeah, right..." and tossed the bag in a tub - "Chernobyl Green" just didn't work for me as a colour.

 

A bit of spray adhesive, a bit of green scatter and they're now totally different animals. Well worth using them as the guinea pig for the spray & scatter technique:

 

Here's a bunch of different experiments using Seafoam bits for the structure, spray adhesive & static grass applied, then everything spray painted either brown or a grey, then more spray stuff and green static grass of different shades for the foliage:

 

To the naked eyeball they don't look too bad. When you get really up close or see them in the enlarged pictures I think i should try shorter length static grass next time, these used 4mm stuff which in the pictures looks a bit long and pointy, so worth trying again with 2mm lengths next perhaps. I've started installing some of them on the layout & they really don't look too bad.

 

These ones are offcuts of Seafoam with static grass attached with the spray stuff to form smaller branches, everything then sprayed brown or grey, then green scattery stuff spray glued on. I'm liking how these are looking.

 

After all, everyone wants a Shrubbery, right ?

 

Just to create something to compare with those, these are just seafoam offcuts with the green scattery stuff applied directly, no static grass to form a layer of smaller branches. Really shows what the static grass can do when you compare with the pictures above.

 

Still, not too bad. I do remember seeing plenty of scrubby looking things like things on cuttings and embankments where I grew up in Somerset, so they've gone on to the layout.

 

Now, second Monty Python reference - what to do with all those "Emperor Stringettes" ? Well, more inspiration i found here - bits of string, glue one end, tease open the strands at the other end then spray brown then spray adhesive & green static grass.

 

Not too bad I am thinking... Next batch (and there's about 6 feet of Emperor Stringettes glued and ready to go in the basement) I think i'll try different lengths of static grass and also try doing a mix of with and without green scatter stuff on top.

 

I also have a nice big pack of Crayola crayons chilling in the freezer downstairs - another piece of inspiration I've gleaned from here, so i'll be trying that out shortly.

 

 

And finally, some electrical inspiration. These trees are all made from electrical wire twisted together, painted with a latex mix to cover copper wire and make it look like a trunk, then painted grey/tan shades (some i've added green washes do with a dry brush to create moss), then that Woodland Scenics Polyfiber stuff for foliage mass, then spray adhesive & different green scattery stuff.

 

I'm mixing these in with the Seafoam and Chernobyl trees & they don't look too bad. These are mostly taller trees, i was intending to have these rising above the main height of the tree canopy. We'll see how that pans out when i get more in place.

 

Here's a tree without the foliage:

 

Well there we - I figured showing the inspiration you folks have caused in action was the best way of saying thank you

[toplink@()1989))((]

Nice selection of trees, I wish I could get mine to look as good.

Just a suggestion. The little black specks on the seagrass are seeds, if you shake them off into a container, you can grow your own trees, sow them around March time on your window cill or green house in a seed tray, then plant them out into the garden once they've started growing and the risk of frosts have passed. When they've died off you can harvest them with loads of seed for the next crop.

 

Cheers, Pete.

[47406]

On 29/01/2022 at 02:50, toplink@()1989))(( said:

Nice selection of trees, I wish I could get mine to look as good.

Just a suggestion. The little black specks on the seagrass are seeds, if you shake them off into a container, you can grow your own trees, sow them around March time on your window cill or green house in a seed tray, then plant them out into the garden once they've started growing and the risk of frosts have passed. When they've died off you can harvest them with loads of seed for the next crop.

 

Cheers, Pete.

 

And a very good suggestion that is too - thank you !!