A Visit to the Pumpkin Patch
Landscape scenery is the glue that ties all of the various aspects of a model railroad together. There have been numerous volumes printed outlining and detailing all of the various techniques and strategies that can be used to construct scenery on a layout or diorama. While most of these are beyond the scope of this short piece a good overall working knowledge of the more common methods will stand the modeler in good stead. The focus of this piece is to outline the use of a number of new scenery products to detail a lay- out’s scenery in S scale, or, for that matter, any other scale. Since S scale is nestled between both HO and O scale in size, scenery materials and products labeled for either scale can be readily used.
Grass Roots Detailing – Scenery de- tails literally begin at ground level. Begin by choosing an earth base which is a mixture of different sized material. The farm diorama re- ceived a base layer of Monster Mod-
el Works’ Diorama Dirt. This was then shaded with washes of various shades of dark brown color to add depth and shadow to the ruts and furrows. When dry the entire sur- face was dry brushed with a light tan to highlight the dirt details. To add texture to the overall base
of Woodland Scenics static grass was applied over a coat of thinned scenery cement. A uniform applica- tion was avoided allowing for bare spots as well as thicker areas of cov- er. To get the right color of static grass, mix your own from several shades. Once dry add various types of additional vegetation, in this case JTT field grass and SilFlor grass tufts.
Choose a Season – No longer are modelers limited to the green of summer for their layout. This is demonstrated by the pumpkin patch out back of the tobacco barn. JTT pumpkins are mixed in with JTT dry vines and some Silflor Autumn Golden Rod tufts to capture the late autumn and early winter when the
See additional photos demonstrating a wide variety of scenery techniques on our web site:
:
www.rrmodelcraftsman.com/sscalecraftsman pumpkins are ready to harvest.
Harvested Fields – While not fre- quently modeled, harvested fields are a common sight. A few natural broom straws weathered with a di- lute black wash and cut to length then inserted into holes drilled into a sceniced field can easily create the look of a harvested corn or tobacco field. Add a couple of patches of sta- tic grass and a weed here and there to complete the scene.
Add Some Bio-Diversity – All too often our model landscapes are a mo- notonous expanse of ground foam, ground cover, and flocked trees. By planting groupings of different plants as shown here realism and in- terest can easily be enhanced. JTT Field Grass, Dry Foliage trees and Cat Tails mixed with Silflor Autumn Golden Rods, Woodland Scenics Sta- tic Grass and LifeLike earth add a new dimension to the backside of an otherwise plain building.
—George Riley SOME SELECTED SCENERY SOURCES:
JTT Scenery Products:
www.modelrectifier.com/scenery Life-Like Products:
www.walthers.com
Monster Model Works:
www.monstermodelworks.com Scenery Unlimited:
www.sceneryunlimited.net Scenic Express:
www.scenicexpress.com Woodland Scenics:
www.woodlandscenics.com
SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO RAILROAD MODEL CRAFTSMAN MAGAZINE • BUILDING IN S SCALE s13
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