Winter In New England

mikelhh Apr 3, 2013

  1. mikelhh

    mikelhh TrainBoard Member

    1,007
    306
    23
    Thanks for the replies!

    Well I hope that's just propaganda spread by Canon or Nikon :)

    Mike
     
  2. rapidotrains

    rapidotrains New Member

    7
    0
    9
    Mike, your modelling is an inspiration. Have you thought of writing a book on your techniques, both for modelling and photography? There are a lot of us interested in modelling winter and so little has been written on the subject.

    -Jason
     
  3. Candy_Streeter

    Candy_Streeter TrainBoard Member

    2,582
    6,039
    71
    Please please please, tell me how you did the muddy ground? Redheads need help
     
  4. wmcbride

    wmcbride TrainBoard Member

    199
    7
    23
    I was going to try tile grout and run some vehicles thru as a start...
     
  5. mikelhh

    mikelhh TrainBoard Member

    1,007
    306
    23
    The dirt road is about 9 ft long and was done in two sections.
    I used water putty with fine sand rolled into it while it was setting. I worked some ruts into it with a small paintbrush handle. Some of the ruts were too deep, so just as the putty was hardening I scraped it back with a craft knife blade. Also, to get very slight undulations, I scraped putty from some places and piled it up in others, figuring the ruts would mostly be in the wetter depressions. That was another good reason to scrape it back with the blade, because initially I was a bit too enthusiastic with the ruts.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    The second pic shows it after I had tried some paint for a pretty poor result.

    After scraping it back I had to add more sand, saving it mostly for the middle and edges...

    [​IMG]

    Side view showing the undulations...

    [​IMG]

    I think this shot was taken after I had added some paint.



    Then I painted it with acrylics
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 10, 2013
  6. mikelhh

    mikelhh TrainBoard Member

    1,007
    306
    23
    Paint was probably a mix of burnt umber, raw umber, black and white.

    [​IMG]

    With a thin brush I ran darker paint along some of the ruts

    [​IMG]

    The paint ended up ok, but I felt it needed more, so I powdered plenty of pastels and rubbed them on once the paint was well and truly dry. The pastels gave it an earthy look that I hadn't achieved with paint.

    [​IMG]

    I made a point of adding the same pastels to the road's surrounds as well, to help it to belong there.

    [​IMG]

    I hope this gives you some ideas.

    Mike
     
  7. JimJ

    JimJ Staff Member

    1,574
    2,271
    51
    Excellent scenery clinic. You are a true artist.
     
  8. Candy_Streeter

    Candy_Streeter TrainBoard Member

    2,582
    6,039
    71
    THANK YOU !
     
  9. StickyMonk

    StickyMonk TrainBoard Member

    1,941
    129
    36
    Your modeling is above and beyond what most of us could ever hope to achieve. How do you what method to use? Is it just trial and error?

    Sent from my HTC Desire HD A9191
     
  10. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

    67,560
    22,735
    653
    Seeing how well you do with winter keeps me wondering what the fall color season would look like, after your magic touch.
     
  11. mikelhh

    mikelhh TrainBoard Member

    1,007
    306
    23
    Thanks Jason but no I haven't given it any thought. If some people find my posts useful - as I do theirs - that'll do me, I think.

    Mike
     
  12. mikelhh

    mikelhh TrainBoard Member

    1,007
    306
    23
    Yes Matthew it's pretty much trial and error, and I have to make corrections. I often rely on paints and in this case pastels to bail me out :rolleyes:

    I like the water putty, but I well remember the first time I used it. I found it pretty unforgiving then, but it gets easier with practice. I prefer it to plaster because it's tougher and resistant to knocks.

    Boxcab I'd like a crack at Autumn. Maybe one day I'll change the theme of the layout. I don't think I'll ever get the chance to construct another.

    Candy you're welcome.

    Mike
     
  13. mikelhh

    mikelhh TrainBoard Member

    1,007
    306
    23
    I have planning permission to extend the layout around the corner which will be about 10 feet or so. It'll only be a narrow shelf, maybe a foot wide at most, but I hope to include some sort of low relief industry with a runaround siding. That will give trains a reason to head down there.

    Now I know where the main can go, I have to see about sorting out the remaining line that comes from the double-track bridge.

    Something like this, I suppose. There's no room for anything elaborate. There's a passing siding just the other side of the bridge which should come in handy.
    I can reclaim the gap between layout and temporary backscene, giving enough room for a couple of fifty-footers. Main to the right, end of the bakery line to the left. I plan to split the bakery line with a left hand switch, just like the prototype. Perhaps a printed or painted bakery as well.

    [​IMG]

    I'd like to screen the bakery line from the rest of the layout, maybe with double-sided flat buildings, or loads of pines, or a mix of both, or maybe I'll just place a backscene in there whenever I want to take photos.
    All suggestions welcome!

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  14. mikelhh

    mikelhh TrainBoard Member

    1,007
    306
    23
    Well ok then :funny:

    I made a dirt road from Agnew's water putty [Aussie brand]

    P1010411resized.jpg P1010418resized.jpg P1010427resized.jpg P1010429resized.jpg

    2nd photo shows it after it was partly set. 3rd pic I'm scraping it with a wet blade. 4th pic is how I left it.
     
  15. mikelhh

    mikelhh TrainBoard Member

    1,007
    306
    23
    Next came the paints

    P1010449resized.jpg P1010459resized.jpg P1010484resized.jpg P1010492resized.jpg

    Jo Sonja's acrylics Chestnut, Red Earth, Black and Warm White. Pic 3 shows crushed shellgrit glued on. Pic 4 shows it after more painting, darkest tones in the damp hollows, with earthy pastel dust to finish things off and to kill any sheen.
     
  16. mikelhh

    mikelhh TrainBoard Member

    1,007
    306
    23
    After I added some vegetation

    P1010530resized.jpg P1010710resized.jpg

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Mike
     
  17. RBrodzinsky

    RBrodzinsky November 18, 2022 Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter In Memoriam

    5,685
    2,780
    98
    Looks fantastic, Mike! Congrats on the new space
     
  18. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

    67,560
    22,735
    653
    How long does it remain workable?
     
  19. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

    67,560
    22,735
    653
  20. JB Stoker

    JB Stoker TrainBoard Member

    132
    0
    7
    Class A work Mike, and I thank you for making me think cold thoughts here in AZ for a moment while I looked at these pics.
     

Share This Page