EDIT: I have added most info in a post 5 posts later, please read that for additional info.
Hi I did a small test piece for my scenery, any ideas and comments are welcome. Basically it's a small piece that I can out engines on when taking photos, the water effects have not dried up yet on these pics and the flash makes everything look a bot weird. Still, here are some pics.
Waterfall
A small creek
Magnus, sometimes pictures really do better than 1000 words, but a few more words wouldn't hurt. Did you use a gloss medium or W/S water on the rocks? It seems as if they still need to dry. Also, the rocks are too light...more brown and grey mixed into whatever colour you have.
The water bodies or courses should be smoother, such as with a putty or hydrocal, or something impervious that can be made into a smooth river or creek bed. You can add a bit of talus or rip-rap (larger boulders), but to create any illusion of depth, you should paint the creek/river bottom so that the edges appear shallow and the middle, or several deeper channels, are very dark, essentially black. Also, it seems that whatever you used needs both drying and several more applications to get some depth to it.
I don't know if you will find this feedback helpful, but it is my honest appraisal.
I think you have done quite well on the ballasting. Some painting/rusting of the rails and some grime and weathering of the ballast around the rails and between them would really make them stand out.
-Crandell
It really looks bad. I think the module is much better than the pictures. try, Try, TRY to take some pics without flash. And let's have a fresh look.
I would take the module you worked so hard on outside, and take a few pictures without flash in natural light.
I think the main problem is the rocks... they don't make any sense geologically speaking. Rock strata are typically horizontal, or angled to some degree or another, but not very frequently up and down. Not to say it doesn't happen...
You had me with the first couple shots, but the background rocks look unrealistic. To correct the problem, try using a different group of colors for the verticle piece, or just add a bunch of foliage to make it look like a brushy or forested hill side.
And what's the deal with the gloss on the rocks? Are trying for a mountain spring look? That probably wouldn't create a sheet of water like that. Some random streaks coming out of the cravasses would be more realistic.
And yes, turn off the flash, set your camera on auto pilot, and use natural lighting outdoors.
Lee
Route of the Alpha Jets www.wmrywesternlines.net
Hi everyone,
Thanks for all your honest comments. First of, Selector I should have written some more, I realize that now, I took a post of mine from a Swedish forum and removed the text and posted it here when I was in a hurry. That was a huge mistake, my excuse was that I was tired.
Now most importantly that I left out and was suppose to be into the text. This is only a work in progress. It's suppose to show something half done, not complete.
As for the picture quality, I know that it is poor and my goal is and have been to take some pics on Thursday when I can get some sunlight. As some of you know I live way up in the north so I don't get a lot of sunlight right now. So on Thursday I will be home when there is some sunshine and I plan to take the pics then. But I've added some new ones now when I have used a lamp and no flash, we will See if you like them better. Also the WS water effects have dried now and gives a better idea of how it will look in the end.
Here are the new pics:
As to what I'm going to do- Well pretty much all you described. The wall is so steep only because I need it to take up minimum space in the background. But it is going to come closer to the rail. Basically I'm going to bulk it out forward using a mix of gravel, foam and bushes. The entire wall will eventually be covered in bushes.
The water you see is on the vertical wall is going to be built up to a waterfall, this is just a try you should remember and the wall is designed to be lifted away and replaced should it go bad. It will have many more layers put on to it and the sides covered bushes to create a 3D effect.
The creek part is also going to have more layers and the goal is to make it more uneven to look more like a fast rapid. I'm going to tint this first layer bluish-green and then add several layers. But since it takes a day or two for it to really dry up it's a long wait in between layers.
The dirt seen will be covered in static flock, a mix of to WS colours and it will eventually cover most of it. I just have to wait so that the water effects are all dry before I apply it so it doesn't mix up with the water. I will also more of the tall grass around the creek.
Oh, I should ad that one of the rock haven't even been painted yet, it is just pure plaster. The other ones look quite good up and personal. My wife couldn't tell and neither have other people whether they are real rocks or not. Also small parts have been chipped of some of the during construction now. But I do not believe they need to get darker.
As I said, I hope you can give some more comments since I really apreciate them. Just remember the WIP stage and that I'm trying things out for the future, especially the waterfall is an extremely new thing for me to try.
I will get new pics as soon as I get some sun. I haven't been from the university a day early enough to catch some sunshine.
Greetings and many thanks from a sun starved Scandinavian.
Magnus
I don't find the back "wall" convincing at all.
It looks like a flat surface with rock molds plopped onto it.
The vertical nature of the wall makes it likely that the whole thing would be exposed rock, not a dirt surface with rocks sticking out of it.
Midnight Railroader wrote: I don't find the back "wall" convincing at all.It looks like a flat surface with rock molds plopped onto it.The vertical nature of the wall makes it likely that the whole thing would be exposed rock, not a dirt surface with rocks sticking out of it.
I agree, but as I said in my previous post the wall is going to come towards the rails making it less horizontal and covered in bushes. The moldrocks will there for be partially covered in the process
I like from the track down to the front. The culvert area is nice. I agree with the opinions so far of the wall. The rocks look like grips on a fake climbing wall. It sounds like you have already addressed that issue though. If the back portion is angled back and filled in with bushes and other scenery elements, I think it will turn out quite nice. Keep us posted on your progress.
p.s. I would trim the grasses down a little. Right now they are like ten feet tall!
secondhandmodeler wrote: I like from the track down to the front. The culvert area is nice. I agree with the opinions so far of the wall. The rocks look like grips on a fake climbing wall. It sounds like you have already addressed that issue though. If the back portion is angled back and filled in with bushes and other scenery elements, I think it will turn out quite nice. Keep us posted on your progress.p.s. I would trim the grasses down a little. Right now they are like ten feet tall!
I've been cutting away on som pink foam for the last half hour now. I also added more water, I find it difficult to get good shapes from the foam but that is what I'm trying to learn.
wm3798 wrote: I think the main problem is the rocks... they don't make any sense geologically speaking. Rock strata are typically horizontal, or angled to some degree or another, but not very frequently up and down. Not to say it doesn't happen...
Moreover the strata should all lie generally in the same direction. In the Appalachians you can get "folding" such that the striations lie in an arc, but you'd rarely have two horizontal rock faces with a vertical one right in the middle.
I understand that you haven't blended the rocks in yet, and they will certainly look more natural once you do... but being in the earth scienes such as I am I'd still get hung up on the strata thing.
Modeling the Rio Grande Southern First District circa 1938-1946 in HOn3.
Here are some more pics. I've added some depth, please tell me what you think.
Also, the vertical slice, my thought is that since it is a waterfall, it have cleared all dirt off. The grain isn't quite the same on that slab as one the other ones. But maybe I should paint it differently.
Thanks, Magnus
Magnus, the second set of images is much better and I like what I see...except you'll have to reorient some of the rocks....they have to lie naturally with not dissimilar orientations of their striae or stratum marks. Also, some of your rocks have been smoothed, as if plucked out of a river bed and then stuck on the slope. Next to them are craggy and jagged rocks of a different colour. Can't happen. Fool around with different sizes, but make sure their "lines" are all similarly oriented...not exactly, but mostly.
It is hard to tell in the very last image, but it almost appears as if the rocks have been painted with some glossy material...they look like they have small reflections of light on them giving the appearance of being shiny...which they must not. Are you using plain acrylic paints?
The image with the culvert and tracks looks very promising, and I like it. As the others have said, and I acknowledge your reply, the rear slope is all wrong. Twice wrong unless you figure out how to make rock faces that don't look as if they are applied with some glue behind them. I know you have to fix that, and that you know, but I wanted you to know that I know....oh, well...you get the idea. Keep working on it.
Above all, I hope you are enjoying yourself in the twilight. We have lots of sun down where I live on the west coast of Canada, but we just can't see it this time of year...weeks and weeks of rain and clouds. We just went through a big snow storm, got 30 cm of snow (somewhat rare here), and then when warm winds whipped up, it was nearly all gone by noon the next day! Gotta like that.
Mangus,
I like the way the rocks were placed, and makes sense with being a waterfall. When I saw your earlier series of images I was thinking that it would make a great water feature. And with the foilage in place it really looks better.
Are you going to add any more foilage details? I was just thinking that maybe some more grasses or moss on the right side of the waterfall would look nice too, but not as much as you put on the left side. Just a quick thought to run by you!
Thanks for sharing!
Ryan
Ryan BoudreauxThe Piedmont Division Modeling The Southern Railway, Norfolk & Western & Norfolk Southern in HO during the merger eraCajun Chef Ryan
Hi,
Once more thanks for all your ideas and input, good and bad. I apreciate the time you put into helping. The idea with posting this is precisely this, to get ideas on how to improve things. I just want you guys to know this.
The thing about the strata is something that I will think even harder on when I next do something. Just to clear something up, it's the middle rock that you guys find to be wrong right? The rest is OK or should I change any of those. On this little test piece I won't change that part since I'm not to bothered but I'm eager to learn so I won't make that mistake again.
Crandell, as usual, I like your replies. The colour of the rocks are identical. The only difference I would guess comes from the light in the room. And of course the middle rock is darker because of the fact that is covered in water effect which have left that impression. They are not shiny, except, once again the "water" covered one. They are painted with strongly diluted WS earth colours. The back wall now extends forward a good 8 inches now so I can't add more depth than on the last images.
I have also added more water to both the creek part and the waterfall part which will hopefully increase the depth some.
I also intend to ad more foliage, more grass and small rocks. Basically ad more detail in an attempt to ad depth to the scene just as you say Ryan.
I've learned a lot from this and from all of you guys, next attempt will be better, this is my first attempt ever at building any serious landscape which might be good to keep in mind.
Crandell, about the weather, so far this winther been kind of mild, -10 degrees Celsius a few days but nothing worse. We have only gotten perhaps 30 cm of snow yet so things are OK, only problem so far is that it have rained some days on the snow which makes driving a car a nightmarish experience. Especially on the small roads where the snow never is completely removed.
But one shouldn't complain, the colder nights means beautifull skies to take out the telescope, especially when the moon is not to bright since that and the snow makes fro very bright nights. At least in astronomy terms!
secondhandmodeler wrote:I know you like the way the original rock faces came out. If you gave them more of a brownish tint, they may blend in a little better. Right now, they are the only thing that isn't a shade of brown or green. Don't get frustrated, it's improving every time you show pictures.
I will try this and we will se how it comes out. You probably have a point, the rocks are to light in colour in comparison to the other nature. I have just painted them the way I see a lot of rocks around here.
Lillen wrote: secondhandmodeler wrote:I know you like the way the original rock faces came out. If you gave them more of a brownish tint, they may blend in a little better. Right now, they are the only thing that isn't a shade of brown or green. Don't get frustrated, it's improving every time you show pictures. I will try this and we will se how it comes out. You probably have a point, the rocks are to light in colour in comparison to the other nature. I have just painted them the way I see a lot of rocks around here. Magnus
Yes, he is right, the grey doesn't seem to "fit" with the taupe colour of the rest of the soil. I would use a very (again, very) light wash of burnt umber and some dark grey mixed and test that wash one one rock only. Let it dry, compare, adjust, and then do the rest.
I really like your culvert and wash scene...that is turning out quite nicely. My only suggestion is to make the wash less coarse/granular than the soil that does not spend much time under water around it. The wash will have more "fines" and silt, and will have more organic material supported by the water, so there will be some vegetation and medium/dark green slime here and there. Believe me, you are headed in the right direction.
Crandell, what do you mean by wash?
The wash is the part of the whole depression that gets the water run-off during snow melt, during flooding after heavy rains, etc. Presumably, where you have begun to overlay pours of the "water" will grow with each application until you are satisfied with its overall look and dimensions. Where the "water" has done the most erosion in recent years, say 20 or so, would be what I would call the "wash". That bed should be steeper at its very edge...the banks should be distinct, and the base of that wash should have more fines making the appearance of silt or fine sand settled at the base of larger boulders that have been either bared by water or placed there by rushing water.
The culvert is there to protect the sub-roadbed and everything above it from water erosion. So, it must provide a range of protection, not just mid-summer light draining, but the heavier flows that come during the spring and after heavy rains at any time. So, you should see a distinct preferred water course, not just water spread out over non-eroded terrain.
Does that make more sense?
selector wrote: The wash is the part of the whole depression that gets the water run-off during snow melt, during flooding after heavy rains, etc. Presumably, where you have begun to overlay pours of the "water" will grow with each application until you are satisfied with its overall look and dimensions. Where the "water" has done the most erosion in recent years, say 20 or so, would be what I would call the "wash". That bed should be steeper at its very edge...the banks should be distinct, and the base of that wash should have more fines making the appearance of silt or fine sand settled at the base of larger boulders that have been either bared by water or placed there by rushing water.The culvert is there to protect the sub-roadbed and everything above it from water erosion. So, it must provide a range of protection, not just mid-summer light draining, but the heavier flows that come during the spring and after heavy rains at any time. So, you should see a distinct preferred water course, not just water spread out over non-eroded terrain.Does that make more sense?
Thanks for the explanation. I understand what you mean now. Thanks for your help.