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Lakes and Rivers

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  • Member since
    July 2011
  • 81 posts
Posted by CharlieM90 on Friday, September 2, 2011 5:12 AM

doctorwayne

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/doctorwayne/some%20water%20scenes/Foe-toesfromfirstcd272.jpg

All "water" is Durabond 90 patching plaster on plywood.  It was worked with drywall knives to create ripples, waves, etc., then brush-painted with latex house paint.  "White water" effects were added with a small brush and Pollyscale paint, then the entire surface was given three coats of high gloss water-based clear urethane, applied with a brush.  The surface is very tough and has withstood several years-worth of cameras placed on it for pictures like the ones shown.

I like the effect.

Did the urethane alter the base coat color when you applied (lighten/darken)? Any yellowing effect in the urethane?

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Olympia, WA
  • 2,313 posts
Posted by gear-jammer on Friday, September 2, 2011 9:22 AM

This was a fun project that took a long time.

I started with a waterfall that drizzles into pond, which overflows across the tracks into the main pond.  This water overflows and runs down the stream.  I used ground goop and placed my rocks into the stream bed. 

When it dried poured Woodland Scenics Realistic Water, being careful to be only 1/8 "  deep.  I gave it a week to dry.  My last 2 bottles had a different formula that was dry the next day.  I used green/blue in the beginning for the pond, but discontinued that.  With the ground goop, there was enough color.

  When the pond overflowed, it started running down the stream bed over the rocks and eventually ran off the layout.  I then installed the fascia  which formed the lake at the bottom.  I did all the pours from the pond so it took a while to reach the bottom.

Sue

Anything is possible if you do not know what you are talking about.

  • Member since
    January 2004
  • From: Canada, eh?
  • 13,375 posts
Posted by doctorwayne on Friday, September 2, 2011 4:21 PM

CharlieM90

I like the effect.

Did the urethane alter the base coat color when you applied (lighten/darken)? Any yellowing effect in the urethane?

 

Thanks, Charlie.  I didn't notice any darkening of the paint  when the urethane was applied, although it's a milky white at first, then clears as it dries.  I haven't noticed any yellowing either, and the water has been in place for several years.  I have a friend that visits often, mainly to shoot photos of his brass locos, and we often set the camera either directly on the water or on blocks of scrap wood which are sitting atop the water (like floatin', eh? Smile, Wink & Grin )  No visible scratching of the surface and no damage to any of the raise Durabond "waves".

Here's a couple of views also taken from the river, but on the opposite side of the tracks from that of the photo above:

 

 

Wayne

 

 

  • Member since
    August 2004
  • From: New Mexico
  • 139 posts
Posted by johncpo on Tuesday, November 8, 2011 9:12 AM

Great photos water effects,

For water in both my HO layout scenes and 1/35th armor dioramas I stumbled onto the "Minwax" brand wood sealer known as Polycrylic, sold in most paint and finish departmants of hardware, etc.

This product comes in a blue can with the above labeling and is about $15-20 for a quart and is worth the money. I poured it over colored sealing caulk as well as sand for great water effects. It dries clear after about 12-24hrs depending on the number of layers you pour it in. The deepening effect looks great when poured straight onto dirt or sand for a shallow river but could be done in more layers. It cleans up with water, which is great, mixes with acrylic craft paints (all I ever use) and goesover acylic caulk when dry. Another technique which I'm experimenting with is using all acrylic caulk, blended with earth tone colors and thinned with water to form a thinned paste that I brush onto all my scenery, as this dries I randomly sprinkle on the scenery material and if I want the wet look, i.e. puddles, etc. I pour on the wood sealer to make wet spots. This is great on snow and ice patches as well to add to the cold icy conditions in my WW2  Winter dioramas. 

Try this stuff, you might even use it on a wood project, hey that's what it was made for!

The best,

John 

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Flushing,Michigan
  • 822 posts
Posted by HaroldA on Tuesday, November 8, 2011 10:35 AM
What strikes me about many of the photos are the colors of the water. Some are deep, dark blue, while others look very muddy. I am also in the process of building two small lakes and a stream but haven't colored anything yet. Dave Frary suggests that the color should be black with earth colors feathered in the edges - which, to my eye, is too dark. As I have taken pictures, the surface of the water either reflects the sky resulting is the deep blue, or the water itself looks dark brown because of the tannin in it, or it looks muddy. I haven't seen much really black water and the pictures here bear that out for me.

There's never time to do it right, but always time to do it over.....

  • Member since
    April 2008
  • From: Columbia, Pa.
  • 1,592 posts
Posted by Grampys Trains on Tuesday, November 8, 2011 10:36 PM

I agree with you Harold, I used dark green camo paint to represent deeper water on Hammer Creek. DJ.

This shot of Roaring Creek shows the blue reflection of my backdrop.

Stoney Creek is also dark green in the middle, with light brown toward the shore.

And this shot of a small swamp at Blackwood Coal shows background reflection.

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • From: Martinez, CA
  • 5,440 posts
Posted by markpierce on Wednesday, November 9, 2011 3:43 PM

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