Winter terrain - seeking advise

[Ragnar]

I am looking to do some winter terrain, for the Ardennes, at least to start with.  I have a winter mat already so just looking at solutions for suitable drop terrain.  I will be going with snowy forest bases with loose trees, firs/pine as well as deciduous (bare because winter) trees, both of which I already have.  The advise I need is;

1. To make the trees snowy, what do people recommend to give them a frosty look?  A quick dust with a cheap white rattle can?  Something else?

2.  Considering the forest bases, I imagine drifts with the occasional bit of earth showing through.  What are people using to do the drifts?  Again, I don't think the cheap rattle can will really cut it.

3.  Has anyone experimented with putting temporary snow on existing buildings?  Something that can be easily removed afterwards?

Thanks!

[Fitz]

I doubt that white out of a spray can is likely to make your trees look snowy without a very heavy covering; the aerosol paint will tend to just make them look kind of grey.

I'd suggest that you might get better results by wet-brushing with a very heavy white gouache or gesso. Maybe sprinkle some baking soda over it while the paint is still wet, to give it a hint of a crystalline sparkle.

I've never tried xmas-tree spray snow for modeling, so I can say neither yea nor nay about that.

[Ragnar]

Thanks Fitz, I had thought about trying baking soda... somehow but was put off by the stories I have read of it yellowing.  Something to consider.

[Mindenbrush]

Setting the Scene by Pat Smith has great ways of making winter scenery http://wargamingwithsilverwhistle.blogspot.com/