Copper Beech Trees

[Wear Valley Wanderer]

Around where I live there are a lot of copper beech trees, particularly near and along the old railway routes. I'd like to model them to add a nice splash of colour to the layout, however I am left scratching my head as to how to do the leaves. Noch don't seem to do the colour I'm looking for, and I'm not a huge fan of using foams. I'm hoping someone may be able to point me in the right direction.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

[phil_sutters]

I recently saw a method, which I think was for brambles, using dried leaves that had been put in a blender and ground down to small flakes. You would obviously have to find a fine material to put over the basic branch framework, onto which you could glue the leaves. The copper beech I can see from my window is very dark - almost a purple.

[T0ny]

"brambles, using dried leaves that had been put in a blender and ground down to small flakes."

 

Have you thought of using herbal tea? There are many shades of various leaves that if suitably sized, ground, sifted could be used effectively. I use chamomile for autumn coloured trees.

[Zero Gravitas]

I use standard loose tea leaves, applied in the time-honoured fashion with cheap hair spray (cheaper the better - it's stickier). The trick is then a waft of satin purple over the foliage with the airbrush.  Not very much though!

 

When you look at the leaves of the copper beech they have a distinct purple tinge  - to the extant that it's sometimes referred to as the purple beech.