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Lichen Scenery

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  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Lichen Scenery
Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, August 2, 2003 11:55 PM
I have recently found a great source for lichen for my scenery, but was wondering if anyone knew how to preserve and color it? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Lichen Scenery
Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, August 2, 2003 11:55 PM
I have recently found a great source for lichen for my scenery, but was wondering if anyone knew how to preserve and color it? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, August 3, 2003 9:50 AM
Wish I knew I found a place where it grows.
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, August 3, 2003 9:50 AM
Wish I knew I found a place where it grows.
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, August 4, 2003 9:53 AM
I remember that an old (80s) MRC had how to do it. You color it with rit dye mixed extra stong and then soak it like a week in glycerin from the drug store.
  • Member since
    April 2003
  • 305,205 posts
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, August 4, 2003 9:53 AM
I remember that an old (80s) MRC had how to do it. You color it with rit dye mixed extra stong and then soak it like a week in glycerin from the drug store.
  • Member since
    September 2002
  • From: Nova Scotia, Northumberland Shore
  • 2,479 posts
Posted by der5997 on Monday, August 4, 2003 8:23 PM
First, you have to get it to not dry out. Then, you have to get much of the twigs and leaves and insects etc. out of it.
(If it's dry and you try 2 before 1, you'll end up breaking a lot of the finer end bits off.)
You can dye it many different colours, so you may want to batch dye just some, and then do some more a different colour.

Now, to get it not to dry out, boil it up in a mixture of glycerine and water. Ask at the Drug Store where you buy the Glycerine if you want to know how dilute. That is if someone here doesn't tell us. I've forgotten, it's been 20 years maybe since I did any. Boil it up, I should say on a camping type fire outdoors in a container that you aren't going to cook food in again. The same one will do for the dye batches.

Once it's cool, you can move on to 2, which is picky work, so get someone els e who likes that sort of thing to do it if you are short on patience [;)]

Instead of dyeing it, how about you spray paint it a light grey or light brown, or both. Then, put on the greens, or Fall colours you want with ground foam. This will give you the correct colour for both the branches, and the foliage.

Hope this helps.

"There are always alternatives, Captain" - Spock.

  • Member since
    September 2002
  • From: Nova Scotia, Northumberland Shore
  • 2,479 posts
Posted by der5997 on Monday, August 4, 2003 8:23 PM
First, you have to get it to not dry out. Then, you have to get much of the twigs and leaves and insects etc. out of it.
(If it's dry and you try 2 before 1, you'll end up breaking a lot of the finer end bits off.)
You can dye it many different colours, so you may want to batch dye just some, and then do some more a different colour.

Now, to get it not to dry out, boil it up in a mixture of glycerine and water. Ask at the Drug Store where you buy the Glycerine if you want to know how dilute. That is if someone here doesn't tell us. I've forgotten, it's been 20 years maybe since I did any. Boil it up, I should say on a camping type fire outdoors in a container that you aren't going to cook food in again. The same one will do for the dye batches.

Once it's cool, you can move on to 2, which is picky work, so get someone els e who likes that sort of thing to do it if you are short on patience [;)]

Instead of dyeing it, how about you spray paint it a light grey or light brown, or both. Then, put on the greens, or Fall colours you want with ground foam. This will give you the correct colour for both the branches, and the foliage.

Hope this helps.

"There are always alternatives, Captain" - Spock.

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