Glorious NSE Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 We're working through and upgrading the scenery on RS Tower for Exeter this year, we're using the static grass for a basis and that's very good, but tends to look very uniform and "lawn-like" when used in larger area's - not a problem on those area's that you want to look lawn-like but on less maintained bits it's not the right look. We've some fairly large tracts between two parrallel mainlines, and between a main line and a parrallel yard that need "scruffifying up" in that way. We're US Midwest based so some inspiration shots I think would help - i'll add some links below from some net trawling! I've not put this in "overseas" as the plants being modelled are from a fairly temperate region so probably wouldn't look too out of place over here either...plus techniques can be adaptable. The scale we're working in is 1/87th / HO. We need to be using synthetic materiels as well - where the layout gets stored does occasionally have a visit from hungry animals or insects - we've lost a few trees that way already! So i'm looking for some idea's, hints and tips on successfully modelling some weeds and bushes to a similar standard as the static grass so that it doesn't look like we've just randomly sprinkled a bit of scatter on it.... So - what sorts of effects are we after: Looking to the right of this image the base coat of static grass I think would be fine, but there are two or three different types of small bush mixed in, there's some different coloured patches of grass which shouldn't be too hard to do... http://www.flickr.com/photos/17445219@N02/4822235055/sizes/o/in/photostream/ Looking to the left of the train here - long "golden" coloured grass - presume I could use suitable static grass or is there a better option? - and how would I model those bushes near the tracks - the "details" I suspect are too big to fudge it? http://www.flickr.com/photos/17445219@N02/4036234302/sizes/o/in/photostream/ How would we model these things? http://www.flickr.com/photos/cobalt/4931520597/ And similarly these things which are somewhere between being a bush and a small tree! http://www.flickr.com/photos/captainredstorm/1456208483/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/captainredstorm/1456208183/in/photostream/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/captainredstorm/1457073742/in/photostream/ Overall shot http://www.flickr.com/photos/captainredstorm/1457070748/ Idea's gratefully received! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium BR60103 Posted February 10, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 10, 2011 One modeller's work on desert plants: http://www.the-gauge.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=3983 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorious NSE Posted February 10, 2011 Author Share Posted February 10, 2011 Ta - although we're modelling somewhere that's a long way from the nearest desert there's a few good tips in there Any more for any more? If it helps, this is the bit in question: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 Have you taken a look at this US site? http://www.sceneryexpress.com/departments.asp?dept=1001 The problem with the kind of "scrub" or "brush" you mention is this: I asked a tree specialist about the very same thing when he was around at my place cutting down 5 trees that were in a dangerous condition and he's response was: "Those? they're just trash trees"! Some of the woods in New Jersey are literally impenetrable because of this kind of ground cover (and don't get me started on the poisonous kind....). It just makes me wonder at the first guys that mapped the 'States out on foot. Trust this helps a little anyway. Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorious NSE Posted February 10, 2011 Author Share Posted February 10, 2011 That's exactly the kind of thing in my mind - not at all "pretty", not good for anything much, and largely too dense to enter - weeds at a tree-ish scale almost! Thanks for that link - it takes a lot of digging around but I think there's some materiels there that could help. The wire frame former from David's desert link plus http://www.sceneryexpress.com/prodinfo.asp?number=NH07144 might work for modelling something like: http://www.flickr.com/photos/captainredstorm/1456208183/in/photostream/ ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 Yep, "Tree 14" is the kind of thing I mean - and they grow right next to each other with all the various limbs entangled....... Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stadman Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 Martin, We've just purchased a Noch static grass system for the club, tried it out last night first time. the longer fibersseemed to give better results and I think some even longer ones can be had. Certainly echo your sentiments on the smaller being to uniform (Wimbledon tennis lawns) I'll update teh clubs website when I get used to my MAC for website editing etc Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 Martyn - any minute now the Garden centres will be getting the basket liner in - Homebase do a good one - either stick it down, let it dry and then rip off the top, spray with glue and throw noch leaf scatter on it, or pull it up into clumps then spray with glue and sprinkle. - alternative pull lump off, tease out as far as possible, and when you have reached possible, make a hole in the ground with a bradawl, squish some PVA glue into it, screw the end of your teased out possible into a narrow cone and push it into the hole. Rubberised horsehair (upholsterer?) pulled apart , and leafed,works too http://www.modelrail...highlight=trees http://www.railroad-...archTerms=trees http://www.railroad-...archTerms=trees Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorious NSE Posted February 10, 2011 Author Share Posted February 10, 2011 Yep, "Tree 14" is the kind of thing I mean - and they grow right next to each other with all the various limbs entangled....... I think one of the hardest bits of doing this was trying to work out what *one* of them looked like on it's own to try and model it - like you say they tend to end up in huge masses! Thanks for all those suggestions guys, lots of stuff for us to follow up there. Kevin, look forward to seeing how the club gets on with the static stuff - we've had some really good effects so far, especially where you get to fairly quiet bits of track, you can do an amazing "two rails through the grass" effect with it. B) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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