Possible new grass and roads idea...
On my 1/72 scale Willys jeep project diorama/ ground detail, I used elmers white glue, and spread it eavenly on my base. Then, I added some more to certain areas so that the ground wouldnt be perfect, as real terrain isnt. Then, I spread on some fine sand where I wanted the dirt road, and some grittier sand where the grass was to be. I let it sit, then dumped the excess sand off. Now I had a nice platform. I played around with mixing paints to get the perfect grass color for a fall setting. When you paint the "grass" area, it comes out like model railroad grass, only smaller for a more scale apearance in these smaller scales. After it starts to look like grass, Now take an earthy color, and dry brush over your grass for added texture and realism, as all grass isnt uniform in color. I will post some pictures of my small diorama tonight, with this style of grass and dirt/ mud. I also have a stone bank on one side, made with real rock. The only thing that I bought was the paints, and as far as I am concerned, I believe it fits the scale a little better. Depending on your opinions, I may or may not use this technique on my next diorama. My next one will have a tiger tank creeping up a hill with an unseen trench on the otherside with allied troops inside ready for an ambush.
I guess I really dont know if others have used this idea before, but I foud it is what works for me so far.
regards,
MARC