Some more "Tree-xperiments"

madmike

Member since
July 2003
From: Perth, Western Australia

Posted by madmike on Tuesday, March 11, 2008 7:20 AM

You should see my lady wife's collection of twigs, branch bits etc. All varying sizes and shapes, ready for construction into trees. A big A3 photocopy paper box full.

I am "allowed" to rumage from time to time. Smile [:)]

Cheers

Mike

"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use." - Galileo Galilei

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IanIsBored2000

Member since
August 2006
From: The Green "Mountains", Vermont

Posted by IanIsBored2000 on Sunday, March 9, 2008 12:21 PM

Thanks guys! DetailFreak: the trunks are just some sort of stick/twig, that was fairly straight. I just cut off all the bark and either sharpened them to a point for a full tree, or snapped them for a broken one. Unfortunately, that's about as specific as I cant be. I just loaded up a backpack full of sicks on the way home from the bus stop, so I'm not quite sure what kind of plant/tree they're from. I just got some styrofoam, so I might be starting the dio soon.

"Scanlon: work your knobby hands on the table in front of you, constructing a make-beleive bomb to blow up a make-beleive world."

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detailfreak

Member since
December 2006
From: t.r.f. mn.

Posted by detailfreak on Saturday, March 8, 2008 7:30 PM

cool trees ian.got donors in the yard.was the happy recipient of some very nice shrubs that co-incidetally make very nice trees.will send photo of some i made.anyone who needs drop me a line.what was the basis for your trunk.and will you disclose the origin.it's been awhile since we've seen any of your great builds.there must be something grand up your sleeve.

[View:http://s172.photobucket.com/albums/w1/g-earl828/]

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Sic Semper Tyrannis!

Member since
May 2007
From: The Socialist Republik of California

Posted by Sic Semper Tyrannis! on Saturday, March 8, 2008 5:35 PM

Freakin' genius Ian!

That looks really good! My wife is experimenting with trees as well. She is attempting a Black Oak using 9 braid twisted copper wire, milliput, smaller diameter wire for thinner branches and some really nice leaves from Hudson and Allen. She wants to include it in a dio of a German soldier having a picnic with a French woman. I am extremely excited about her interest in the hobby and try to encourage her often.

Keep up the outstanding work Ian. I look forward to seeing this project progress.

SST

On the losing end of a wishbone, and I won't pretend not to mind. ----------------------------------------------------------- 1/35 Dragon SdKfz 251/1 sMG Various 1/35 Figures 1/35 Dragon Stug III Ausf B. (Balkans)

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dupes

Member since
November 2006
From: Coastal Maine

Posted by dupes on Friday, March 7, 2008 12:36 PM

wing_nut wrote:
I found this a while back...
http://www.trevinocircle.com/sippin/index.html

That's pretty nifty! I really want to give this one a shot. Guess I'm headed off to the craft store again...

http://www.mycyclinglog.com/profile/dupes

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aussiemuscle308

Member since
September 2006

Posted by aussiemuscle308 on Thursday, March 6, 2008 6:55 PM

Nice looking trees. they have to be since you can't hide it with foliage.

IanIsBored2000 wrote:
I find it easiest to model realistic fauna (or is it flora?)

that would be flora (as in flower) not fauna (as in fawn (deer)).

My gallery: http://www.thepartsbox.com/BB/viewforum.php?f=252

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IanIsBored2000

Member since
August 2006
From: The Green "Mountains", Vermont

Posted by IanIsBored2000 on Thursday, March 6, 2008 3:00 PM

dostacos wrote:

very nice indeed, how did you manage to get the roots on the standing trees.

Thanks Dostacos. The roots were pretty simple. I just broke up some more small sticks/twigs and glued them sticking hoizontall outwards. I then used a little bit of wall spackle/joint compound/filler putty-stuff and used it to smooth out the transition from the tree to the roots, and make them look seamless. Luckily most of it will be buried, so I only had to make a tiny hint of roots.

"Scanlon: work your knobby hands on the table in front of you, constructing a make-beleive bomb to blow up a make-beleive world."

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dostacos

Member since
December 2003
From: Los Angeles

Posted by dostacos on Thursday, March 6, 2008 2:03 PM

just terrible, throw them away and start over. ah...better still carefully pack them up and send them to me

very nice indeed, how did you manage to get the roots on the standing trees.

and be sure to give us an update when you finish the trees

Dan support your 2nd amendment rights to keep and arm bears!

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madmike

Member since
July 2003
From: Perth, Western Australia

Posted by madmike on Wednesday, March 5, 2008 7:02 AM

dupes wrote:
Like the looks of that one! We going to get an explanation, Mike? Or at least what issue she's basing that off of?

December 2002 FSM

"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use." - Galileo Galilei

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wing_nut

Member since
April 2005
From: Piscataway, NJ!

Posted by wing_nut on Tuesday, March 4, 2008 6:38 PM

I found this a while back...

http://www.trevinocircle.com/sippin/index.html

Marc

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madmike

Member since
July 2003
From: Perth, Western Australia

Posted by madmike on Tuesday, March 4, 2008 4:43 PM

dupes wrote:
Like the looks of that one! We going to get an explanation, Mike? Or at least what issue she's basing that off of?

I will get back to you after I ask her. She has a photocopy of the article taken from my mag stash.

Cheers

Mike

"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use." - Galileo Galilei

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dupes

Member since
November 2006
From: Coastal Maine

Posted by dupes on Tuesday, March 4, 2008 11:23 AM

Like the looks of that one! We going to get an explanation, Mike? Or at least what issue she's basing that off of?

http://www.mycyclinglog.com/profile/dupes

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madmike

Member since
July 2003
From: Perth, Western Australia

Posted by madmike on Monday, March 3, 2008 10:15 PM

Ian

This is how my wife makes trees for her diorama's, based on a fantastic FSM article from a few years back.

She showed me how to make the one on this base...

Cheers

Mike

"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use." - Galileo Galilei

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dupes

Member since
November 2006
From: Coastal Maine

Posted by dupes on Monday, March 3, 2008 12:18 PM

IanIsBored2000 wrote:
The moss and flakey bark are made from, well, moss and flakey bark,

On the phone with a customer when I read this....started laughing out loud in the middle of talking to them.

Trees look realistic to me - lot cheaper going this method than buying armatures, too.

http://www.mycyclinglog.com/profile/dupes

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IanIsBored2000

Member since
August 2006
From: The Green "Mountains", Vermont

Posted by IanIsBored2000 on Sunday, March 2, 2008 3:36 PM

Thanks Steve. Nope, no wire in these guys. Actually, that was a lie, I did use little bits of wire for the roots of the tipped over tree. Trunks and roots are made from sticks, branches are made of little twigs. The moss and flakey bark are made from, well, moss and flakey bark, all painted with endlesss amounts of drybrushing.

"Scanlon: work your knobby hands on the table in front of you, constructing a make-beleive bomb to blow up a make-beleive world."

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SteveM

Member since
June 2006
From: AusTx, Live Music Capitol of the World

Posted by SteveM on Sunday, March 2, 2008 2:42 PM

Yeah, these look good. Are they the twisted wire- formed variatah (where'd Cartman come from?!)?

Don't give up on the foliage quest. Have you ever tried silver birch catkin seeds? I've got a ton of the stuff, still trying to perfect the usage. But I am constantly on the look out for something better.

I'd say your on a winning path with your latest experiment.

Steve

Steve M.

On the workbench: ginormous Kharkov dio

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IanIsBored2000

Member since
August 2006
From: The Green "Mountains", Vermont

Some more "Tree-xperiments"

Posted by IanIsBored2000 on Sunday, March 2, 2008 2:26 PM

Congratulations if the poor title pun didn't scare you away . Anyways, I've been experimenting with different methods of making 1/35 trees for the Soviet boat/dock dio I'm starting. I haven't been satisfied with any of my foliage attempts, so I decided to try making some dead coniferous trees, like cedar, and spruce. I find it easiest to model realistic fauna (or is it flora?) after places I've already been, so I'm working from pictures of trees from a place in the Adirondack Mountains, NY that I go camping with my family every year. So, here are my results so far with the trees: