Ok, now all terrain construction is completed and painted and rocks and stuff installed I am ready to start applying gound cover, dirt, bushes, etc. Looming problem seems to be an effective way to apply ground cover to some of my hillier terrain that has vertical or near vertical surfaces. I've tried a couple of techniques but the results are not consistent. I end up with blotches of heavy coverage and then some semi-bald areas. When I try to get a heavier cover in the balding areas then the contrast between heavy and light coverage gets worse. Any suggestions?
I'm actually tackling that issue right now on my layout. Here are a few thoughts:
-I try to minimize ground cover on very vertical surfaces. I set my model in Eastern Canada, which is pretty humid, but not at that point.
-Where there is a slant, I start by painting the cover, doing a bit of a patchwork between lights browns and light green - a bit like a camouflage look.
-I then paint on a light coat of white glue and spinkle some dirt, mostly on the different transitional areas between materials (near the rockwork, ballast, etc).
-Next comes the ground cover. For the non-flat surfaces, I apply some dilluted glue, and sprinkle the ground cover (I use foam) pretty much all over. I like using a burnt grass color, with bits here and there of greener foam to add a bit of variety. It's a bit of a messy job - you will need to use your fingers to get the foam to stick. After getting a reasonable amount fixed, I mist some alcohol and apply some dilluted glue to make sure the mix sticks well.
-Once you apply the glue, watch out for runs: glue can run down to your rockwork. Keep a clean rag handy to sponge up the running glue.
-After it dries, I find that I always need to cover some areas left barren. It's easier on the second round. I will leave some vertical areas barren - but that's OK because the ground should have some dirt (done at the first step), just like the real thing.
I posted a picture on the Weekend Photo Fun thread that provides an example of the resulting work. The scene is not 100% finished, but it's pretty close to completion (I need to add more shrubs and trees).
Simon
Why not use a soft, cheap craft brush to spread the ground foam around to reduce the clumps?
I've had some pretty good luck with the Faller 'Puffer Bottle' when applying ground foam and some shorter static grasses:
https://www.trainworld.com/noch-8100-puffer-bottle.html
After a little practice you get the hang of filling it to the right level and 'tipping, puffing, shaking, etc'. I tried various methods of using folded paper and flicking with a brush but found the 'puffer' to be a pretty good method.
Good Luck, Ed
mrnimble Looming problem seems to be an effective way to apply ground cover to some of my hillier terrain that has vertical or near vertical surfaces.
didn't Linn Westcott say that it was realistic that ground cover didn't adhere to vertical surfaces and only caught on the minor out croppings, that the vertical surfaces had to be rock and nothing would grow or accumulate on it
greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading
Saw this a few times and tried it. Didn't work out too bad. Apply you glue mix to the surfaces you want the ground cover to adhere to. Taking a sheet of paper fold it in half, giving it a crease. Now dump a small amount (about half a teaspoonful) of the foam onto the sheet of paper, concentrating it in the crease. Hold the crease several inches from the area to be sceniced and gently blow the foam onto the glued areas. Keep the paper moving so you don't get a heavy build up on the glued surface. Practice it a bit, mix various colors and it it probably look pretty good. I found this method easy to control and less wastful than just throwing foam at a glued hillside and watching most of it fall to the bottom of the hill.
Mark B.
Mark B Saw this a few times and tried it. Didn't work out too bad. Apply you glue mix to the surfaces you want the ground cover to adhere to. Taking a sheet of paper fold it in half, giving it a crease. Now dump a small amount (about half a teaspoonful) of the foam onto the sheet of paper, concentrating it in the crease. Hold the crease several inches from the area to be sceniced and gently blow the foam onto the glued areas. Keep the paper moving so you don't get a heavy build up on the glued surface. Practice it a bit, mix various colors and it it probably look pretty good. I found this method easy to control and less wastful than just throwing foam at a glued hillside and watching most of it fall to the bottom of the hill. Mark B.
Mike
I use this contraption for laying down short ground cover. Fill the bottle about 3/4's full and holding the bottle in your hand and blow very lightly in the long tube and the ground cover will come out the short tube and stick to the glue on the cliff. NEVER BREATH IN THROUGH THE TUBE, BREATH IN THROUGH YOUR NOSE. I need to try larger diameter tubeing and a bigger jar and see if I can do "clumps".
gregcdidn't Linn Westcott say that it was realistic that ground cover didn't adhere to vertical surfaces and only caught on the minor out croppings, that the vertical surfaces had to be rock and nothing would grow or accumulate on it
I agree with Greg. I have hiked many many miles through rocky terrain that had lots of vertical surfaces, and the only vegetation that was growing on those vertical surfaces was restricted to tufts of grass and a few stunted trees growing in the small cracks and crevises.
I think this is a situation where you need a picture of what you are trying to model. Too often we do things with our scenery that just aren't realistic. Putting grass all over a vertical rock surface is one of them. Even if there were only hills made of soil, most vertical surfaces would be of exposed dirt from erosion (maybe with the odd root sticking out here and there).
Cheers!!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
I just start with really fine real dirt and tile grout if I have the right colour on hand and shake it over the area with a kitchen sifter. I let it fall where it may and then take a large paintbrush to tune things up a bit. Same with some fine foliage. On the larger flat areas, I use static grasses and add deadfall and living trees and bushes. Don't worry about being consistent, the only thing about consistency in nature is its inconsistency. On larger flatter areas I'll paint on a little glue first but generally, after things have rained down over the terrain I use a fine spray of diluted glue to hold things in place. If you throw it against the wall and it sticks that's good enough for me.
I have not done any dirt or foliage on this part yet and those trees are just parked there temporarily. I need to do a couple of tune-ups with some washes and then I will start sprinkling away. Whatever makes it past the landscape to the floor gets vacuumed up and used next time.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."