Sunday, October 2, 2011

Terrain: Fuel Station (2/2)

I decided to try something different with the basing of this project. My usual basing process involves gluing gravel/sand to the base, followed by a layer of Woodland Scenics Earth Undercoat which tends to do the shading on its own. Then static grass.

This time, I went with suggestions on a different style. I am thinking I did not do it quite right, as it did not come out how I was thinking. As a trial basing for 'desert' terrain, it was a fail in my opinion, but looks ok. Tried some new static grass types to get a feel for how they might look, also with mixed results. But, thats why I do them on terrain first, to see how they look.

Now, pictures:



This is the piece following gluing on the sand, and with the base half painted with the new basing.  It was a mix of Folk Art Coffee Bean paint (the cheap $1 paints - this was the only brown I could find at the time), PVA Glue, and water.



Here I have finished painting the base using the mix, followed by what it looks like after the drybrushing.  I used Vallejo Bone White across the entire thing.  You will also notice the difference in the fence.  Took a drybrush of rust to that as well.  It is worth noting that I think I overdid it in a few places, and when I make another fence like this I might try airbrushing the rust on instead because of that.  Not to say that if I was easier with the brushing it wouldnt of produced good results, but I might as well use the thing since I have it, right?

One thing I did notice while painting on the mix was that some places the sand came up.  I considered re-gluing it down, but decided to just cover it up with static grass.  The paint/pva mix should keep that from happening again, but I think I should of watered it down more.




Close up of the fence.  Nothing much of note there, just be careful not to do it too hard, it came unattached from the poles in a few places.  I also gave them a brushing.


Here is the final layout before gluing the tanks down.  Odd patches of Gale Force 9 Static Grass here and there.  Most are "Winter/Dead" grass, but I wanted to see how "Arid" grass would look so I added a few patches.  I put the trail through the middle using some Citadel Devlan Mud.  I love that stuff for just this purpose, it doesnt hurt the shading of what its going on, but makes a clear 'path' that you can see.

My thought for this project is a fuel or liquid storage facility that has been abandoned.  Once fence that looks like someone drove through it (and probably out the front, knocking down the gate that should be there), and another hole that looks man-made (they cut it close to the pole and rolled it up).  After that, it was just left there to rust.  The fence and containers are in poor condition, and other than people walking through it as a shortcut, it is of little interest to anyone.  Possibly due to the liquids stored there, or a spill in the past, grass only grows in odd patches, mostly dead (or weeds).  You could possibly use the old tanks for cover, but its not much of a defensive position.

The end result I am mostly content with.  It was a learning experience at the very least, and let me get some use from odds and ends in my terrain box.  Hopefully writing this will be of some use to someone else.  Now, the finished project.






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