TREES
Deciduous Trees Done Dirt Cheap!
Deciduous Trees the GHQ Way -- mostly...
Winter and/or "highly-detailed" Trees
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Deciduous Trees Done Dirt Cheap! (uh, I mean easy...) (with apologies to AC/DC!)
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Trees made using Woodland Scenic's Foam Clusters and toothpicks sit on a small hill. | |
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More trees... | |
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Another view... |
Woodland Scenics makes a material called "Foliage Clusters"; it is a rather thick foam-based product, available in different colors (I've used Light Green and Dark Green). It comes in in large clumps, about 1-1/2" thick.
1. For tree trunks, I take an ordinary toothpick and color it with a brown Sharpie marker; let dry.
2. Break or cut the toothpick in half (or thereabouts; precision is not necessary!). Take a knife and sharpen the broken point of the toothpick; this is the end that will be inserted into the scenery.
3. Tear off a piece of the Foliage Cluster in about the size you want your finished tree to be. Watch for "flat edges" -- you won't see too many of these in nature. Pinch off pieces to round / roughen those edges. Save the pieces you remove to make bushes, etc.
4. Poke a hole in the bottom of the Foliage Cluster piece where you want the "trunk" to go (I use an old dental pick, purchased at a model railroad show years ago), and apply a generous drop of white glue where you poked the hole.
5. Insert the "sharp pointed end" of the toothpick into this hole. Do not insert it completely; leave about 1/4" or so exposed -- this end will be implanted into the scenery, and any part still exposed will be the "visible trunk" of the tree.
6. Select the site where your tree will grow. Poke a hole into the scenery and apply a generous drop of white glue where you poked the hole.
7. "Plant" your tree! To your visual "taste", leave a little bit of the trunk showing. Let dry.
That's all there is to it!
One other note -- hopefully, the "eagle-eyed" observer won't notice that your tree trunk has some "square edges". If you want to go to the extra effort, you can file / sand / carve those edges down and make them more rounded before you color them. But the toothpicks I've found lately have had those "square edges" -- and since they're barely noticeable, they're okay by me. (To each his own...)
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Deciduous Trees the GHQ Way -- mostly...
While I was rather skeptical at first, the method GHQ shows to make deciduous trees works pretty well -- it's not quick, but patience is a virtue... and you can make some pretty darned good looking trees, relatively inexpensively, using their methods. However... I do add two steps to their process.
1. After the Elmer's white glue has been applied to the "curled" form and the tree has been rolled in the ground cover -- and after that has dried thoroughly -- apply a liberal soaking of the water/glue mix. This will not only securely attach the ground foam to the tree, but will also give it some stiffness and help it hold the materials together when the tree gets nudged by fingers, etc.
2. After all the glue has dried, but before you would (according to GHQ's instructions) paint the trunk brown -- stop! Mix a small batch of Durham's Water Putty and paint -- a dark brown, grayish-brown, or whatever you want your tree trunk color to be. This putty mix should be about the thickness of a milkshake -- not so thick that it leaves "peaks", but not so runny that it can be easily poured. Apply this to the trunk; believe it or not, I've had good luck using nothing more than the toothpick I used to mix the putty and paint mixture! Not only will the putty mix hide the "twisted wire", but it will give the trunk a bit more thickness. Let dry thoroughly. Then... "plant" your tree!
Another thought on the GHQ method -- it lends itself quite well to making very similar sized / shaped trees -- excellent if you want to model an orchard! (See Orchard Hexes for more information)
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Winter and/or "highly-detailed" Trees
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Here are three "highly-detailed" trees, I made using the techniques described below. Nestled amongst the trees are GHQ R-5 JS-II tanks, placed to show a size comparison between the tanks and the trees. |
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...and without the tanks. (Maybe they've found better hunting elsewhere!) I've used Woodland Scenics' F52 Foliage - Medium Green to "leaf out" these trees. |
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This is a "comparison" shot, with trees made by hand, and three hexes with trees made from Woodland Scenic's armatures (see below). Once again, three JS-II tanks make an appearance for size comparison. |
In GHQ's catalog, they show "winter trees", made with picture hanging wire. This works very well, but I take mine a step or two further. Here's how I made my trees...
1. After I have "teased" apart the wires into individual strands (leaving about half the length still twisted together -- this will be the trunk and the "pin" that is glued into the hex surface), and then re-twisted a few of the individual wires together to make thicker branches... I cover the trunk of the tree with Sculpey. (I use a dark gray or a brown color; sometimes, I mix them together... The color doesn't really matter, because we're going to apply a coat of paint in Step #3.) I work the clay into and around the trunk to make a solid form -- to completely cover the wires. I do NOT try for a perfectly-formed cylinder -- look at a real tree, and you'll see many irregularities. Nor do I try to cover the "branches" -- we'll get to that in Step #2. I try to leave a thicker place at the base of the tree -- where the roots start to grow. Bake the tree (with the Sculpey) for about 20 minutes at 275°. The Sculpey will harden and form a very solid base for the tree.
2. I then make a mix of Durham's Water Putty and paint -- I use a mix of brown and dark gray. (The reason I use paint instead of "just" water is to carry the color throughout the putty mix. That way, if some of it should break or chip off, the remaining color will not be the very light tan... but a nice, "barely noticeable" color.) Add more putty (or more paint) and mix to about the consistency of a milkshake -- not so thick that it leaves "peaks", but not so runny that it can be easily poured. Paint this mixture onto the "branches" of the tree. You can use a toothpick or a Q-Tip for this process -- you're not trying for a perfectly smooth coating! If you do use a brush, make sure you thoroughly clean it after you're finished -- and before the mix sets up and dries! What you are doing here is (a) giving thickness to the branches, and (b) covering the "twisted" wires with a smoother, more "branch-like" coating. Allow the putty / paint mix to dry thoroughly.
3. Paint the "finished" tree with your color of choice; dark gray, brown, a mix, whatever... Again, allow to dry thoroughly.
4. Install the tree on your hex as per GHQ's instructions.
5. You can also use this "bare" tree as an armature for a fully-leafed tree; glue on foliage material, ground foam, etc., to "flesh out" the tree.
6. The ONLY downside to trees made this way that I have found -- they are rather labor-intensive. They are very inexpensive (material-wise); I purchased a 25' roll of picture hanging wire for less than $4. Even if you're using 3" pieces of wire -- and that will make huge 1:285 scale trees! -- you're only looking at about four cents per tree! By the time you add the Sculpey, the putty / paint mix, etc., I can't imagine you're still talking more than ten to fifteen cents per tree. But your time and labor involved are quite another matter. I don't think there are too many shortcuts available here -- this is where the finished product gets "expensive".
7. One other note... the "other" methods of making trees (listed above) will yield trees that are roughly an inch tall. Using the picture wire method, it is way too easy to make (relatively) huge trees. "True" 1:285 scale trees that are 1" (25.4mm) tall would slightly less than 24' (or about 7.23m) tall -- not very tall trees. A 2" tall tree (approx. 50mm) would "scale out" to less than 50' (15m) -- but it will dwarf the trees made "otherwise". Keep that in mind when you're making your "winter" trees! You might want to consider making a few "larger" trees for use in a scenic element used to photograph your models.
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A small hill hex, made with trees made "the GHQ way" (mostly). The deciduous trees on the left were coated with GHQ's TMA-5 Medium Green Vegetation, while the single deciduous tree on the right was done with TMA-7 Dark Green. The larger bushes are Woodland Scenic's Foam Clusters, while the small ones are GHQ's TMA-5 and -7. | |
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I used my camera's flash on this picture; it shows more of the "painted highlights" I mention in my notes. (It also shows some of the wire armature of the tree... drat!) |
The "base material" for conifer (or evergreen) trees is known as "bump chenille" -- it looks like a regular pipe cleaner, except that instead of a uniform cylindrical shape, they "wave" in length of each individual "thread" in a repeating pattern. The longest of these "threads" (distance from the wire-wound core to the tip of the thread) form the basis of their stated measurement, usually in millimeters (mm). I believe the ones GHQ sells are 4mm; I have also obtained some 7mm from a craft seller via eBay, which allowed me to make some bigger trees.
GHQ sells two different "tree kits" -- one in dark green (TMA1) and one in light green (TMA2). In my personal opinion, the light green is a rather garish shade of green... almost a "day-glow" Kelly green. I've been told it is a wonderful color for making tropical (i.e., south Pacific) palm trees. I've only tried once to make one of those... and it was a pretty crummy effort. I will have to practice more... The dark green, however, is an excellent color for almost any other tree -- African palms, and a good base for any conifer or deciduous tree. I heartily recommend it -- except for one thing. In my personal opinion, I find GHQ to be just a "wee bit" on the pricey side. My comparison is based on price ONLY compared to what I can get at a local craft store, or on my somewhat limited searches on the Internet.
However... the materials used in the bump chenille that GHQ sells seems to yield much better conifers. I think it is somewhat more "absorbent" than the "other brands" that I've acquired. (More on that in a moment...) Also, upon close examination, the 7mm bump chenille I got off of eBay has a "metallic sheen" to it -- the trees I've made have required painting to hide the metallic look. Now, this is not THAT big a deal, because I've now decided to paint all of my conifers anyway. The reason is -- the twisted wires that make up the trunk are too visible to MY eye -- too many years of model railroading have "taught" me to "see" the wires. I use the "cheap" craft paints, such as Apple Barrel or Ceramcoat -- for scenery, I find they are of good enough quality, and their price is much more within what I prefer to spend... after all, the less I have to spend on any one particular item, the more items I can acquire with my limited hobby dollars!! Anyway, I use a darker green (no particular color, I just mix a little bit of black and a larger amount of green... sometimes add a dab of blue or yellow to vary the shade...) and a cheap paintbrush (you know, the "kids ten for a dollar" ones!), and dab paint onto the twisted wires in the middle of the bump chenille.
The GHQ method of making conifers works quite well -- with GHQ's tree kits (bump chenille). Unfortunately, GHQ's instructions are a little sparse -- in any single one of their publications. When I started making terrain using Terrain Maker, I purchased both their Terrain Maker video (VT1) and their "Normandy" book, as well as hexes and tree kits. All are helpful... but it would have been nice to have had a "complete version" in one single reference. (Oh, well -- so it goes...) The instruction sheet with their basic 1/2" thick hex (TM1) has a good "starter" for making conifer (pine) trees. (The tree making kits, TMA1 and TMA2, focus mainly on palm trees, and were of little help for either deciduous trees or conifers.) I don't recall if I learned any one particular trick from the video, but I do recall it was somewhat helpful... The "Normandy" book (sections 5.0 and 6.0), combined with the sheet in the TM1 pack, gave me most of the info I needed. (And the "Normandy" book shows making deciduous trees in pretty good detail!)
One note -- I usually make 15 to 20 to 25 trees at a time, assembly-line style. I usually quit with I get bored with it!
Cut the chenille into pieces as shown in their instructions -- steps 1 and 2 on the TM1 sheet. Next, using scissors, trim the top of the tree into a point. Now at this point, they suggest using the scissors to trim off the threads (or fibers) at the bottom, leaving the trunk. But I use the "melt them down" method, using the hole in a hacksaw blade and a candle, as shown in their TMA1 (tree kit) instruction sheet, and in the "Normandy" book. This method works quite well -- just be patient as the threads melt and become a "gooey coating" on the trunk of the tree. If they catch fire... (hey, I'm not perfect!), just blow it out and continue until you get a somewhat smooth trunk, with no fibers sticking out. Set aside to dry / cool, and do another tree... and another... and so on...
After "melting down" the threads or fibers which will form the trunk of the tree -- and after painting the twisted wires in the core of the tree itself -- now comes the part which sets the GHQ bump chenille apart from the competition. Holding the "trunk" with your fingers, or with pliers or tweezers if you prefer, LIBERALLY coat the bump chenille with Elmer's White Glue, full strength right out of the bottle. Then take tweezers and start "clumping together" the glue-coated threads (or fibers) into what will become the "branches" or "boughs" of the tree. This is where GHQ's bump chenille is better than the "other brands" I've tried -- the glue seems to "soak in" to the threads (or fibers) better, allowing them to "clump" together better.
Work your way around and up and down the tree -- you don't have to go in any particular order or fashion. As you work with the tree, you will see the branches "clumping" together and the conifer forming... it's really pretty cool to see a piece of bump chenille turn into a miniature tree! Add more glue if you need to -- I guess it's always better to add more if needed than to have too much to begin with. You'll get the hang of it pretty quickly. Angle the "branches" in slightly different directions, and at different angles -- the ones nearer the bottom should be more parallel to the "ground", while the ones nearer the top should "hang" at a sharper angle. When you are satisfied with the "clumping" of the branches and the overall shape of the tree, place the "trunk" in an old piece of styrofoam and let dry thoroughly.
After the trees are dried, GHQ says to make a small hole where you want the tree "planted", squirt in a little glue, and "plant" the tree. However, I do one more step... I mix up a "slurry" of Durham's Water Putty and dark brownish-grayish paint, then "paint" the trunk of the tree -- this not only hides the twisted wires, but also makes the trunk thicker and gives it a bark-like color. Let this "slurry" dry -- it's okay to lay the tree on its side now.
Okay, I said one more step... sometimes (but not always -- depends on my mood!), I'll do TWO more. One, paint the trunk with the "slurry" and let dry thoroughly. Two... take a different, usually lighter, shade of green paint and drybrush the top surfaces of the "branches" and the tree itself. This shading is an effort to duplicate the way light hits off those surfaces on a real tree, leaving darker shadows underneath. And by using slightly different colors for your drybrushing, you can really give each tree a different look!
Now, when all of the paint is dry, you're ready to plant your trees!
Sometimes, I'll just sit down and make some trees... I try to keep a few completed trees, both deciduous and conifers, on hand, ready to "plant" as I finish off a hex. It's a nice "change of pace" project from some of the other terrain making processes!
I hope this will help you "get to where you want to be" with making some trees! And sometimes, the best way to learn is to "just do it"!
Another tip regarding scenery, if I may... Take a look at what the model railroaders do with their scenery. Some of "those guys" are nothing short of phenomenal when it comes to scenery! But something else I've learned -- if someone else can do, then why can't I!? Seeing other's works and reading their tips and techniques have really helped me to get to where I am now -- along with just "rolling up my sleeves" and doing it myself! And if I can help other fellow modelers "get there", then I'm glad I can be of assistance.
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Two deciduous trees made with armatures from Woodland Scenic's TR1120 Armatures 3/4" - 2" package. These trees are set on a small hill hex; under the trees is a GHQ R-5 JS-II tank. |
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Trees without the JS-II |
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A larger tree from the TR1120 package, with two JS-II's |
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...and without the tanks. |
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A conifer / evergreen tree from the TR1124 Armatures - Pine 2-1/2" - 4" package, again with a JS-II for size comparison |
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...and once again, without the tank |
Woodland Scenics makes model trees; these come in various heights beginning as little as 3/4" (about 18mm) tall. They have completed versions, kits with the armatures and ground foam / covering materials, and just the "armatures" themselves, with no foliage included. Years ago, Woodland Scenics started with "soft metal" armatures, which one would bend to shape (they were "flat", not "three-dimensional" like a "real" tree), paint, then glue on ground foam, etc. for the small branches and leaves. Now, they have a line of armatures made from a hard, but flexible plastic, molded in a dark grayish brown color. All one has to do is bend the branches (they're still molded "flat") into the shape one wants, then add ground foam, etc., for the small branches and leaves. The plastic ones come with bases -- excellent if one wants to place the trees in different locations each time you use them. Or, one can "plant" them into one's hexes (or terrain) without the base, by using the molded-in "pin" at the base, and a little glue.
In these pictures, I've finished deciduous trees made from TR1120 (Armatures 3/4" - 2") and an evergreen tree made from TR1124 (Armatures - Pines 2-1/2" - 4"). I've used various ground foams glued to the branches. The TR1120 pack contains 114 armatures, while the TR1124 pack contains 70 armatures. Each pack costs about $12 USD at retail price, and does not include ground foam and/or glue. While they are larger than trees made using other methods, I find them to be a nice alternative to those other methods.
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