Always remember to K.I.S.S. That is to say - always remember to "Keep It Simple - Stupid!". Whenever you start out making a piece of scenery - never plan something which you don't know how you're going to make. Thinking up brilliant ideas for amazing scratch built models and designing them is one thing but putting it into practice is quite another.
Always plan a project to be as simple as possible and then you can expand on it later if you can. This way you will never get de-moralised by ending up with a pile of cardboard looking more like a bonfire than a proud Empire fort.
OK - so some of you will be saying "what's so hard about stonework eh?". Well whilst you may be able to paint the perfect effect onto any surface, many of us can't (including me!).
However - rather than just avoid stonework for the
rest of my life I set about finding a solution to the problem. What I came
up with was this:
Stage 1. Go to a historic building which is of the same style as the model you are trying to make. (i.e. if you are making a fort - go to an old castle!).
Stage 2. Go Home again because you didn't read the whole section before you left home (eager beaver!) and so you haven't got you're camera! Go back to the place with your camera.
Stage3. Take a really boring photo of a section of the wall - quite close up of just the stones - no details wanted!
Stage4. Go home and get the image onto your computer via either scanning or direct input (digital Camera).
Stage5. Scale the image to the size stones you want and tile it to cover a large area.
Stage6. Print it off, cut it out and stick in the appropriate place on the model. If anyone tells you it doesn't look like stone you can honestly say that it is real stone!
This method works with any surface - from Wood framed houses (Very useful!) to concrete bunkers. Give it a go! Alternatively of course you can cut out images from books or other resources and stick them to the models.
Of course you could make do with the image I have included - taken from a picture in a magazine of a Castle in Dorset (UK), scanned in and slightly adjusted. This is the image I used on my 6mm City walls, which you can take a look at here.
Templates for a 6mm scale (1:300) City Wall:
On the way - I've got to get the scale right on the computer images before I publish them!
You know when you go to make a river you have 3 real options?
Either you can just pain a blue line and cal it true.
Paint a blue line and Cover it in layer upon layer of varnish, taking hours, smelling but the end result is often good.
Or Use Plaster to create a water like TEXTURE and paint that. Slightly quicker than #2 but the effect isn't quite up to the same standard.
Well, personally I never liked any of these - in my opinion they either took way too long or just plain looked awful (but then maybe that was just me!).
However - I have discovered that there Is another way! This is quick, cheap, as easy as painting, and gives a great looking river!.
All you need to do is paint the area you want as water in white (ie undercoat it). Then simply cut out a piece of Lighting gel of the required colour to the required shape and size. Glue in place around the edges watching not to get any glue in over the gel where it will make a mark and spoil the effect. Then - depending on the shade of the Gel you are using - add a wash or two to tone down the colour and add the dirty look to the "water".
DONE! Easy as that! An Excellent water effect in no time at all and with no hassle!
Lighting Gel is available in loads of colours from Good electricians or theatrical suppliers (its the stuff they use to make spotlights blue, green, yellow etc.) and shouldn't cost to much!
Templates for 1:300 scale Fantasy / Historical Buildings:
On the way - I've got to get the scale right on the computer images before I publish them!
Templates for 25/28 mm scale Fantasy / Historical Buildings:
On the way - I've got to get the scale right on the computer images before I publish them!
Cheater's Guide to Razor Wire:
OK - so the sheets of Razor wire which Forge World are good - they are nicely made, easy to use and have a good level of detail. However there is a Cheaper way! I'm not saying that Forge World's razor wire is over priced but it does mount up if you're trying to make a modulated terrain table for 40K with lines and lines of Barbed / razor wire.
All you need to do is get hold of some small metal mesh. This is available from most Mechanic's shops as it is used to epair holes in car bodywork. It comes in 30cm x 20 cm sheets for a reasonable price (£0.65 where I live). All U then need to do is carefully cut it into small strips - cutting half way between each of the lines of metal - and then wrap it around a pencil or something to get the right diameter of wire for the scale game you are playing! This is a tried and tested methond - so much so that it appeared in A GW publication (Space Marine Battles) a few years back so give it a try - its easy, cheap and works well!
Cheater's Guide to YOU!:
Eh? what? No I haven't come up with a cheaper, quicker and easier way
of making peaopl (personally I'm rather partial to the current methods!).
The reason for this section is to ask you to make an input into the site.If
you have any easy ways to make scenery that you think could benefit other
people, or have the plans to any cool models you have made then please
e-mail them to me and I'l publish them up here for all to see (with credit
where its due of course!). Thanks for any input!
