Rick, Being a native AZ person, you need to add white to your mixture on the Saguaro's. As for the cactus needles, that is tough. Their needles are spaced about 2 inches apart, and the the needles are a good 4-6 inches long. Oh, and the needles are only along the ridges of the Saguaro's "wrinkles" Static grass would make them too fuzzy.
David, are saying give the saguaros a bit more of a white highlight (along the ridges), or just lighten up the wash a bit? I've given up on the needles
Rick... The 'ridges' of a cactus only look darker because that is where the 'pods' of neddles grow. http://www.123rf.com/photo_2396736_saguaro-cactus.html The rest of the cacus is a light green. I think you have the original darker shiny green toned down ok. I see darker lines on yours but cant tell if its the ridges or valleys. On the other hand...shadows of the ridges will make the valleys look dark to.
After the paint/wash, it is actually the ridges which are darker, and the valleys which are light, as the blotting removed the paint from the high points. I think for my next desert project (which will be a module for the SV FreeMoN group, I will stay out of the Sonoran and come back to the Mojave, or maybe High Basin). Actually hadn't planned Sonora Desert, except the saguaros came in the package (was looking for other cacti, this was the only product I could find).
I think it looks GREAT! Reminds me of the drive down from Payson to Phoenix along the Beeline Hwy ! http://www.azphotoblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/2010-01-30FS02.JPG http://www.azhikers.org/reports/q_2006/pix2006/Ballantine06a.jpg
Rick, I was just saying that they are a lot paler green than what I saw in your photos. They are indeed darker on the ridge (wrinkle) lines because of the needle pods like George said. If you think Saguaros are difficult, try working on a represent-able Joshua tree!
After seeing the close up photos from George, I now have it. I actually started lighter but still wrong shade, and went slightly darker, since the few photos I had pulled up were darker (older?) . Maybe I can try Death Valley. Except for the palms around the lodge and golf course.... I've always wanted to take a piece of white foam, and call it a dry salt bed. LOL
Back to building more of the Downtown Deco kits. This building is the Lucy's Tatoo Parlor, but some input from family and friends, and we decided, instead, for a kosher butcher and deli. This building is lit to allow the details in the shop window and door to be seen. Have to still put a staircase and landing on the last side, as well as details such as exterior lights and roof detailing.
Amazing Rick ! I started reading the string at the 2009 beginning and followed you here ! the desert scene is spot on ! Sometimes I miss the smog filtered sunshine from Long Beach and Corona .... ok, wait , did I just say that out loud , nah, must be the snow we got today in North Idaho.... :teeth:
I got the remaining detailing completed last night, after figuring out how to build the fire escape ( Randy includes the RSLaserKits fire escape, but no instructions - don't know if Rich actually has any, either). Decided not to put on the exterior lights, at least for now. And, started Adams Ave #3, the three story hotel
A bit more progress this afternoon on the hotel. Major painting is done, now for windows, doors, signs...
Rick, looking good! Can you show us how you do the lighting in your buildings? I have a few DPM buildings with interiors that could use some light. Thanks!
Hmm, ok. I will see what I can do. I've used a number of different techniques, depending on what effect I was trying for. Mix of SMD LEDs and regular. Let me pull a couple of the buildings off the layout over the next couple days, and take some photos of not-so-pretty interior wiring. (It is like movie sets, if it can't be seen, it doesn't matter!)
Pretty much finished up DD's Adams Ave #3, the Palace Hotel, Red's Bar and the Downtown Apts. And, since it is such a bright sunny day, decided to use natural light for these shots The front and right side and, with ruler to remind folks of scale right side and back back and left side left side and front
Interior Lighting Part 1 For Jim and others interested, a quick photo-tutorial on how/where to place lights for the effects I have achieved. I do not attempt to describe how to solder LEDs, particularly the SMDs from Ngineering (great tutorial on their website) First off, though, is selection of LED to use. This is critical for the effect you want. In this series of posts, I will show two different effects. The first is the recent butcher shop, using a Downtown Deco building. This is actually a very simple install, with a single LED, from Radio Shack This LED gives a fluorescent light effect, and is great for back lighting through a photo. I have also used it for the ceiling lights in the underground train station. It requires a 440 ohm resistor to come off the 12V auxiliary buss I have. Here you can see the entire building, with the disconnectable power cable (micro connectors from MicroMark), the LED (with a small piece of .010 styrene glued to front as light diffuser) mounted to .020 styrene, and the "door" photo, on the left, offset a bit. The photo for the main window of the butcher shop is actually in the window (in the wall above the diffuser). I etched out the plaster from the window and door openings, using very fine file. Probably one of the best things I did was use these micro connectors. Each lit building can be easily removed; nothing is hard wired onto the layout (well, except that underground station, since it was my first structure, but even that ceiling is movable). The effect I wanted on this building was "looking into" the butcher shop. I found two photos to use via Google Images, one for the main window, and one for looking in the door. The latter is the butcher standing behind the meat counter, and barely shows up. I offset it back, as he wouldn't be smack up against the door. Since the main photo is of a butcher shop window, looking in, I have that flush with the window. In this close up, you can sort of see the butcher and meat counter. The idea is that the window photo is backlit, while the reflected diffused light illuminates the butcher. Here's the final effect
