Here are a couple small projects I worked on recently. First was making a big batch of new ocotillos to expand the foliage on the layout. I start with florist’s wire, which has a green plastic coating on it. I use a couple different thicknesses, either individually, or mixed, depending on the size of the plant I want to model:
The next step is painting them with gesso. That’s the stuff they use to prime artist’s canvases. While the gesso is wet, I sprinkle on some fine grain sand available from the craft store. This goes on mainly at the lower end, to thicken the branches near the base. Then they’re hung on a wire to dry:
Next I paint them with a coat of grayish-brown latex house paint. While the paint is wet I sprinkle on some green plastic grit from Plastruct, catalog #GC-104. It is then hung up to dry again:
I’ve found that the green grit fades, so the next step is to dry-brush on a bit of green latex paint:
To finish it off, I cut off the hook used to hang them. Then I paint some of the tips with red latex paint to represent the flowers. Finally the whole thing is given a couple coats of Krylon UV-resistant matte clear. Here are a couple photos of the plants installed on the layout:
The other little project was a test piece. I wanted to see if I could use Sintra to make a stone wall that matches the pinkish rocks on part of my layout. (I’m not sure but I think they may be rhyolite.) Here is a photo of the rocks on the layout, followed by a photo of the test piece:
I think it still needs a little work but it’s getting there.