RIVER HEXES

		A small bridge crosses a rapidly-flowing stream
		A river / road hex, using GHQ's TMB-23 One Arch Stone Bridge.  The trees are a mix of conifers made "the GHQ way" and trees made with Woodland Scenic's Foam Clusters (see Trees for more information).
		I used Woodland Scenic's Talus (Rock Debris) in both Medium Buff (1271) and Fine Buff (C1270) to protect the bridge from erosion...  Actually, to "work it in" to the scenery!
		I made the "rocks" with small drops of a "slurry" made with gray paint and Durham's Water Putty.  I placed small drops of the "slurry" on a sheet of plastic.  While they dried, I streaked the water's surface with a lighter blue, to suggest a rapidly-flowing current.  When dry, I popped the "rocks" off the sheet of plastic, and glued them in place with Elmer's white glue.  Touch-ups of the lighter blue paint finished blending the rocks in; when dry, the water received a final coat of Future floor wax to give it that "wet sheen".
		Here is a sharp bend in a river, with two small islands... or maybe a small island and a sand bar.  The large island has a base made from styrofoam (cut down from a 1/4" hex piece leftover from making a river hex). The base hex was painted with two shades of blue and then coated with Future floor wax, while the banks were painted tan.  After everything dried, I glued the banks and island in place; then I blended them in with a mix of Durham's Water Putty and tan paint; I added the small island at this time, using the putty/paint mix.  Again after allowing everything to dry, I added the scenery.  The bottom picture shows the sharp bend worked in with other scenery; at the bottom center is a river ford hex, described next...
		Here is a ford across a small river.  After cutting the river banks, I made two very shallow cuts in the bank pieces, representing where the ford would be.  The base hex was painted with two shades of blue and then coated with Future floor wax, while the banks were painted tan.  After everything dried, I glued the banks and island in place; then I blended in the "cuts" made for the ford with a mix of Durham's Water Putty and tan paint; I used an old paintbrush to smooth the putty/paint mix.  Again after allowing everything to dry, I added the scenery.

   1.  The best way I've found to get a glossy, "wet" surface for my water is by using Future Floor Wax.  It is a clear acrylic finish designed to put a high-gloss shine on floors; it is relative inexpensive, and you can clean your brushes with soap and water!  I paint my water surface as described by GHQ; but before I glue on the riverbank pieces, I paint a coat of Future over the blue "water" surface.  Allow to dry thoroughly before gluing on the riverbank pieces.  Then at some point near the end of the scenicing process, I "paint" on another coat of Future onto the "water".  If you've spilled a little white glue or water/glue mix onto the river surface -- and it now has a flat finish -- the Future will re-coat the river surface with a high-gloss, "wet" finish.

   2.  I never seem to have a lot of luck getting "no seam" between my base pieces and my bank pieces on the outside of the hexes.  (I know, if I would take the time to apply the glue, then use a weight -- such as a book or two -- to "clamp" them together, this would be less of a problem.  But "table top space" seems to be at a premium; it seems I'm already setting things on top of other things all the time.  We won't even mention the "laziness" factor...)  To help eliminate this visual distinction, I paint the top edges of the base piece (and the bottom edges of the top pieces) about 1/2" in, using the same dark green color I use on the hex sides.

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