Hello I tryed making some new trees and would like to know what you think.
Do they look like trees. Am I close. Thanks Frank
Those trees look really realistic! What did you use to make them? Is that sedum ?(or what did you use for those great trunks and branches? I use furnace filter circles on stained skewers for distant trees, and then spray the filters with adhesive, and sprinkle on WS foam of various shade of green or Fall coloration. See my AVATAR. This method is great for turning out hundreds of trees, but dooes not match the realism of your "close-up" trees. Bob Hahn
I personally like the first two trees better than the last two. Of the first two, the narrower one bears a good resemblance to a poplar. The second one bothered me more, and it took a while for me to really put my finger on it. I'd say that the limbs are too straight and narrow relative to the overall tree size. Applying a bit more foliage to the body of the tree might help mitigate that, so that the skinny limbs aren't laid out so bare.
Overall you're well on your way to a really nice look. I just started making my own trees this past winter, so I've just recently trod the path you're on. Believe me, your trees are a far cry better than many of my efforts!
Keep 'em coming
Jim
"I am lapidary but not eristic when I use big words." - William F. Buckley
I haven't been sleeping. I'm afraid I'll dream I'm in a coma and then wake up unconscious. -Stephen Wright
The photos are a little out of focus, but it looks like a really great start. The ones in the first few photos are pretty good. The two in the last photo, not as much. For the first batch, I'd trim off some more of the "limbs" that are closest to the ground and maybe add a little more "volume" to the foliage (i.e. more poly fiber or whatever you're using for the main volume of the foliage).
You're off to a good start, though
Dan Stokes
My other car is a tunnel motor
Just a comment.Don't know if it matters but looking at you structures for size What would be the hight of your trees ? Purtty high second story building so the big tree would be very hard to climb and cut down.Do like them thoo.
slow train Ed
They look good. The tree in the first pic is right in scale for an established Eucalyptus tree. It's no secret here that I have a love for trees (model trees, I'm not a treehugger :0). Obviously it varies by location, but most "places" have lots of trees of varying age and size, don't be afraid to go big on some. Either way, it's your layout, if you like 'em (I do) then keep 'em.
San Dimas Southern slideshow
Hello well the trunk and limbs are some kind of weed that grows at the edge of my shop parking lot.Not sure if its sedum? I don't know a lot about plants or trees. I will get a pic up of what it look like before I started. The big tree I thought it look like some kind of tropical tree. We don't have many Eucalyptus trees in northeast Ohio. So I though it might make a good willow tree. I just need to figure out how to make it. They were pretty tall so I check them with a scale rule and the big tree was 65' and the rest came in around 45-50'. I pushed them down to 25-35' and they looked much better. The last two trees I thought look good before I add the foliage. They had some kind of little flower on them but everything was brown so I add the foliage for color but it made them to clumpy I spread out the limbs a pit and they look better but still a little clumpy. Maybe if I paint them? As I make more progress I will post more. Thanks for the info Frank
Hello well I rework my trees and I think they came out better what do you think.
the tree on the right in the last photo looks better on the layout it looks to thin in the photo. I think I am starting to get the hang of making trees. Ok lets have it better or not ? Frank
0-6-0Hello well I rework my trees and I think they came out better what do you think. the tree on the right in the last photo looks better on the layout it looks to thin in the photo. I think I am starting to get the hang of making trees. Ok lets have it better or not ? Frank
I think they look great. I would love to have them on my layout. The only thing I would do differently would be to shave the green hair on the trunk of the tree shown above, and maybe paint the bark a dark brown on the other trees. And I think anyone with the first name of Frank is probably very smart and artistic.
Frank......
Your first effort did not look bad but the second does make a difference. Somehow the trees just look right for the scene.
Bob
Photobucket Albums:NPBL - 2008 The BeginningNPBL - 2009 Phase INPBL - 2010 Downtown
I'd say the second effort represents an order of magnitude improvement over the first. Nicely done. Feel free to make as many of those as you're able and send them all directly to me.
Jim (but let me be frank)
It might just be your lighting, but the foliage looks a little too "electric" green to me... I prefer to go with more subtle tones. Also, the trunks might benefit from a shot of paint. I've found that flat black with a mist of grey primer produces a reasonably good bark color.
Here's some examples of trees I've done for my N scale.
I start with blooms from a Butterfly Bush (don't ask me the breed or phylum... no idea!) I break them up a little to get a decent size armature.
Then I shoot it with some flat black paint, or if the stem is dark enough, just some clear finish, which provides enough "sticky" for the ground foam.
Finally, the true secret to any successful tree model, is to bunch a few together to give a bit of variation to the height, volume and color.
I suppose the real trick is to simply go outside and study what trees look like. Just like any artist, we all start off with a crayon, a brown rectangle and a green circle on top. But the more we pay attention, the more we find we can capture with our drawing, or in our case, our models. Keep working on it, and keep us posted on your progress.
Lee
Route of the Alpha Jets www.wmrywesternlines.net
Hello
Diline smart & artistic not to sure about that. I went to the school of hard knocks and anything that is artistic must be luck. I have to work very hard to get what I see in my head to my hands and layout. But I am not afraid to try.
Mononguy 63 As soon as I get mine done I will start on yours. But you may be able to grow them faster.
wm3798 your trees look great. Not sure if it is the lighting the foliage is right out of the bag. maybe a shot of dull coat will help. I have been studying the trees for a while. I think it may help if I can find a place to look down at them instead of up. Everything is starting to bloom around here so my choice is are getting better to find stuff to make trees from. Have a good weekend Frank
Lee said:
"I suppose the real trick is to simply go outside and study what trees look like. Just like any artist, we all start off with a crayon, a brown rectangle and a green circle on top. But the more we pay attention, the more we find we can capture with our drawing, or in our case, our models. Keep working on it, and keep us posted on your progress."
I couldn't agree more. Just like modelling a piece of rolling stock or a structure, studying the real thing can help produce a a better model. A field trip to the area you are modeling in the time of year you are modeling will answer a lot of questions. Personally, I liked all of your efforts. Your first attempts reminded me of young trees or spring growth. Remember that the amount of leaves and shades of color will depend on many things, like time of year, age of the tree and soil/ climate conditions. I think variety is the key here.
As to the green on the trunks, look at the tree on the left of this photo. I am not sure what this "vine" is actually called, but it is not uncommon in Pennsylvania and I remember seeing a similar growth in the Southern states. Sorry it is not a better shot of it, but it is the only one I have available as I am at work.
Good luck and thanks for sharing.
Maurice