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Other Stuff => Workbench => Tutorials => Topic started by: Malebolgia on July 01, 2019, 12:39:47 PM

Title: Tutorial: adding Sea weeds and algae to models and scenery
Post by: Malebolgia on July 01, 2019, 12:39:47 PM

A quick tutorial on making weeds, moss or algae. Perfect for you Swamp Zombies and to make spooky terrain.

You will need the following:
* Woodland Scenics Poly Fiber
* Fine Turf (I use Woodland Scenics Fine Turf)
*Vallejo Still Water (you could use PVA glue, but that dries too fast for my taste and the opaqueness of the wet glue makes it hard to work with).
* 2 tweezers
* Container of some sort (I used a plastic cookie tub)

(http://paintoholic.nl/images/seaweed/step1.jpg)

Step 1: squirt some Still Water in the container and add the Fine Turf and mix it well. It's important to make sure you keep the mix wet and liquid; the Poly Fiber will also soak up the liquid and you don't want to have a dry mix.

(http://paintoholic.nl/images/seaweed/step-2.jpg)

Step 2: Pluck several small patches of Poly Fiber from the package with your tweezers and add this to the wet mix. Mix it well, so the poly fiber and turf gets mixed well. Add some Still Water if necessary.

(http://paintoholic.nl/images/seaweed/step3.jpg)
(http://paintoholic.nl/images/seaweed/step4.jpg)

Step 3: Take a second pair of tweezers. Using one pair, grab a ball of the mixed stuff and use the second to pull out a strand of poly fiber with enough turf on it. You -can- use your hands, but it's really messy and if you're not quick it becomes a lot of work to get off your hands. Keep pulling stuff off until you have a nice workable strand of weeds of about 4-5 cm long.

(http://paintoholic.nl/images/seaweed/step5.jpg)

Step 4: Start at one point on the miniatures and place one edge of the strand on it. I then dab my finger on that place to keep it in place and use the tweezers with my other hand to wind the strand around the miniature. Do this with 2-3 strands and you have a cool Swamp Zombie.

(http://paintoholic.nl/images/seaweed/step6.jpg)

Step 5: You can add some patches of turf + still water to add some moss or algae to places like the hands, feet, base, top of the head. Not everything needs to be covered in Poly Fiber, this really works to add some extra finishing touches.

(http://paintoholic.nl/images/seaweed/step7.jpg)

And done! Now let it dry well.

This method can be applied to scenery as well. See below for examples.

Swamp Zombies
(http://paintoholic.nl/images/swamp_zombies1.jpg)
(http://paintoholic.nl/images/swamp_zombies2.jpg)

Swamp ruins
(http://paintoholic.nl/images/mossyrocks.jpg)

Spooky Trees
(http://paintoholic.nl/images/scenery/spookytrees1.jpg)
(http://paintoholic.nl/images/scenery/spookytrees2.jpg)

Title: Re: Tutorial: adding Sea weeds and algae to models and scenery
Post by: Hu Rhu on July 02, 2019, 04:46:54 PM

Great tutorial.  I am sure I can use it to drape over old buildings etc.

Title: Re: Tutorial: adding Sea weeds and algae to models and scenery
Post by: sundayhero on July 02, 2019, 08:03:05 PM

Very clever idea, as said it would be great for wall ivy, or for tank natural camo for instance.

Title: Re: Tutorial: adding Sea weeds and algae to models and scenery
Post by: OSHIROmodels on July 02, 2019, 09:21:59 PM

Brill  8)

Title: Re: Tutorial: adding Sea weeds and algae to models and scenery
Post by: snitcythedog on July 02, 2019, 10:35:02 PM

Very nice.  You should be able to use gloss medium instead of the still water.  I will have to give it a go.