by Kumar Desai
Started working on the fence tonight. I used code 50 rail which I cut and drilled ready for wire to be strung between each post. My first attempt to thread the wire failed miserably. I used my telegraph wire first but I realized that it is just too thin. I pulled a metal strand from some bailing wire and I think that it will work just fine.
I’m still deciding whether to extend the fence all the way to the front of the diorama. I’ll do that part tomorrow.
I wanted to figure out a way to plant tiny plants. I find that the more plants I place the more realistic the scene looks. Although tiny plants and flowers can just be balanced on top a blob of glue the grass tends to get in the way and the plant sort of floats above the grass. I wanted to figure out how to plant plants so they they point straight up and are fixed solidly to the ground.
Not much to add about this other than that I’ve discovered the Lightroom app for the iPhone which uses the RAW image format. As such I’ve been able to work with white balance and exposure in a more precise way and produce some half-decent photos. I’m currently working on the west side but I’m continuing to add small details here and there on the east side. I’ve made some small changes since last time I posted this picture – see if you can spot the differences!
Work continues on the embankment. I’m doing a few items per night and then sitting with it during the day to figure out next steps. Continue reading “Flowers, trees, plants”
Hi everyone. Here’s an quick update on this project.
I’ve done the first pass over the east end (right hand side) of the diorama and added as much as I thought I needed in order to create a realistic scene. I’m happy with it so far. There are still more items to put into place but I’m going to take a two week break from the diorama to get back to the tracklaying on The Town. The last week has been an solid learning experience and I feel I’ve advanced as a modeler.
Hi all.
Here is the latest. I have to admit that the whole project has been stressing me out. The hard part is not knowing what the goal is. I mean I have figured out the stream bed and the road, but there are infinite choices for landscaping the embankment sides. As there are no rocks I have really only grass and I suppose stones to place. I started working on it earlier this week and then stopped because I didn’t know how to proceed. By yesterday I was ready to start again.
On a trip to the UK over the holidays I finally managed to purchase some Gordon Gravett books on grass and trees. I’ll say more about Gordon Gravett another time but in the meantime I’ve been wanting to get hold of these books for a while now. Unfortunately to have them sent to the States puts them in the $70 a piece range whereas I got them for about $30 a piece in the UK – affordable and well worth the price.
My Peco Static Grass Applicator arrived over the weekend. This is my first branded applicator as opposed to my hand-made (not by me) applicator.
The original Noch applicator (that introduced the static grass method a few years ago) is nearly $200 which is a crazy amount of money to spend on such a small and simple tool. Even though I could afford it I could never justify spending that kind of money and therefore via Ebay (and Australia and $30) I bought my hand-made flour-sifter version. It has served me well for several years now.