Not sure if this is the right place for it, but in case someone finds it helpful here's how I built a tree recently. I started with three different gauges of wire, with the heaviest - about 1mm thick - being cut the shortest. The thinking is that the heavy wire will give bulk and strength to the lower parts, including the first few branches, before it runs out and the finer wires take over at the outer ends of the branches and at the top of the tree. I bundled them all together, making sure all the heavier wires started here and not halfway up the tree. This will form the tree's base The finished framework with some solder to stiffen some of the finer bits, along with filling up some depressions in the trunk... And here it is with some glue - Selley's All Fix which is very pastey...
The whole thing was brush painted [spray can would be much easier] and then it was time for some foliage. I used Woodland Scenics foliage mat medium green #F52 in small pieces, glued on with PVA... Once the mat was on I added some loose scatter - Heki spring green #Nr1564 - which was almost the same hue as the WS mat. It didn't add much in the way of looking like new growth, but it certainly added some nice texture. In the next pic you can see some darker green scatter that I added close to the trunk to add depth... Roots were made with modelling clay moulded onto and into the trunk and ground, then painted to match... I hope someone finds this helpful. Mike
Excellent job Mike! I've recently been reading a few of the forums that the guy is on who does these. It looks pretty intimidating to me. You got it down perfect! Mike
The appearance of bark is excellent! Is that all done with just paints? Or did you also work at that with a tool? Boxcab E50
It is a very nice tree you have made, Mike. I look forward to seeing it on display. Thanks for providing the tutorial.
Thanks guys. Boxcab - the glue provides the texture. I did smooth it here and there, but it tends to spike up a bit. I felt that I might as well leave it to dry in a rough state because I would be able to scrape it smooth if needed when it was dry. I decided to paint it just as it was, and I didn't do anything else to it. The paint is just thin washes - Jo Sonja's Background acrylics [highly recommended for anything and everything] colours used Charcoal, Chestnut and Linen which is a greyish off-white. Mike
Shortround - For the two finer gauges I stripped the plastic off some mains cable and an extension lead. The heavier wire was obtained from some leftover layout bus wire that had just the three wires in it. Sorry that's not very precise technical info. I can't tell you the actual gauge - I'm not a very technical person. Mike
Top notch work Mike! One of the best looking trees I've seen. Thanks for sharing. Wondering if I can adapt this to N-scale...
Mike, that's a very good looking tree, typical of the Oaks I remember throughout northern New England.
Thanks again guys. Hank I'm glad you say it looks like an oak because I'd like to think it does, but if anyone asks me what type it is I say it's a genericus :tb-biggrin: MIke
Great tree! I did mine similar. At least the wire part. But I've used sawdust and white glue for the thicker trunk. Wolfgang
Mike, it occurs to me that you model a New England winter. If you are considering using the tree on your layout, it should be nearly bare. The reason I say "nearly" is because oaks retain a few dozen individual leaves scattered about at the ends of branches. These leaves are colored a deep maroon, similar to a well-aged burgundy or cabernet. Most people think that hardwoods are totally bare in winter. However, there are many leaf stragglers adhering to the ends of branches that must be forced off by the new leaf buds in the spring. I guess they are just like some folks who can't give up when it's obvious the pub has closed, and must thrown out bodily.....:tb-tongue:
Mike, that is one of the best trees I have seen in a while - certainly better than anything I have done! I never could seem to get the foliage mat to look right, but obviously if used correctly it looks superb. Maybe I have been using too large pieces. Will definitely give the method a try, thanks for the inspiration.
Alan I'm glad it might be of some use. Hank - yes you're spot-on about it being wrong for a New England winter. My longterm plan is to build an English diorama/mini layout with woodland, a stream etc and I'll be putting it away for that, along with all those salvaged from my old British layout. Thankyou for the advice about how they retain some leaves, because I have many more trees to make for New England. Making bare trees is so much harder though. When they're in leaf you can hide all the bad bits with foliage. I use tea leaves for the remnant leaves, but I must say I hadn't thought of having some burgundy on them! Thanks again. Wolfgang - I'll be having some birches too. Your example is very good. Mike
Tracy, that tree on the left is gorgeous!! It has the perfect density for a fall tree. :thumbs_up::thumbs_up:
