Friday 1 March 2013

Terrain Boards - update.




A quick update on the terrain boards, to demonstrate that some progress is being made. The riverbanks are now done and I’m working on the water. Two of the double-length boards are shown here, with another standard square board also underway.

The riverbanks were textured with a mix of wall filler and PVA glue, with some sand glued on in places. These have been painted using my normal colours for groundwork; Citadel earth ('Steel legion Drab') followed by a drybrush of Plaka’s 'Gelbbraun' with white and a highlight of off white.

I’ve spent some time researching how others have done water features. One of the main considerations is what’s the correct colour – to which there are many answers. Water is of course transparent and it seems that the colour of a water feature is influenced by a combination of factors; the colour of the sky that reflects on the surface, the depth of the water and what’s under it, as well as the angle that you view it from. So taking all that into account, I’ve gone for a shade of blue...partly as psychologically this is the colour that I expect to see and a blue will create a greater contrast with the terrain boards. Also Cravant was fought in high summer, then I assume the sky was a cloudless blue that day!

The river colour is a mix of Citadel paints – Altdorf Guard Blue, Caliban Green and The Fang (a dark grey), in a 3:1:1 proportions mix. The lighter edges, representing shallower water, have had a light turquoise art acrylic added to the mix.  So far two layers of gloss varnish have been applied; the aim to have five layers in all (which should darken the colours a little more). I’ll then add some ‘water effects’ brushed on, using Realistic Modelling Services ‘ripple maker’, to try and create some surface texture.



So far, so good….

4 comments:

fireymonkeyboy said...

This requires some guy fly-fishing mid-stream.

Silver Whistle said...

Wow! That is going to be fantastic. I will have to come and dip my toe in at Salute. Thanks for the tip on the 'ripple effects'.
Cheers,
Pat.

Steve h said...

Looking great! I'll be stealing your ideas for sure ;)

Phil said...

Looking very nice!
Phil.