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Modeling in General
General discussions about modeling topics.
How do you stick bark on a wire tree?
zemzero
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Posted: Thursday, January 14, 2010 - 07:21 PM UTC
I have bathroom tile grout and a paper mache like product that I try to use as a coating over a wire frame. The trunk goes fine and looks good, but when I get to the branches I just can't get the stuff to stick properly.

The stuff either blobs up, so it looks like a snake swallowed a bunch of golf balls, or it just falls right off. I have used it thin, thick, with and without white glue and it just won't stay on. I can balance the stuff on top of the wire, but that looks horrible, and would require sanding. No way I'm doing that on every branch.

So I ask anyone who has made a wire tree with a bark coating, what did you do to get your medium to stick?
bilko
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Posted: Friday, January 15, 2010 - 01:10 AM UTC
Eric

I haven't used the combination of materials that you have used. I used Magic Sculpt to make trees and while the branches were a bit tricky with a little patience they came out alright. I just roughly shaped the branches and then let them sit for about 20 minutes until they hard set a bit and then smooted them down to shape with water on my fingers.

Also I didn't make my branches "perfect" as they were mostly covered with leaves - if you are trying to do a bare branched tree then more work would have to go into the branches.


It isn't the best photo but you can see that the smaller branches are completely covered.

Maybe with your mixture you might have to let it set up a bit before you try to work it. Or then again maybe what you want to do is just beyond the abilities of that medium. Maybe someone else here who has used what you are using can assist.

I know that it was a while ago that I made a few trees and from memory there was a fair bit of trial, errot ( And PATIENCE ) involved.

Brian
zemzero
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Posted: Monday, January 18, 2010 - 10:32 AM UTC
Thanks for the response Brian, the trees were too large to justify the use of magic sculpt so I just used some joint compound and it worked great. I can't believe I didn't use this stuff before. I never thought about letting it sit for awhile before forming it, that really made the difference.



There are some cracks and wobbly spots, but I like you said, the leaves will cover most of it. Maybe I'll add a thin coat of the sandy tile grout for a bark texture. For a first real tree, I think it's coming along alright.
bilko
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Posted: Tuesday, January 19, 2010 - 12:52 AM UTC
Eric

Looking good. See a bit of patience and experimentation can work wonders. I haven't tried joint compound before - do you think it would take some pigment or acrylic paint? If so then you could add a dark brown/gray into the mix so you don't get white spots showing where you miss with the paint (or it gets chipped).

Keep having fun.

Brian
slodder
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Posted: Tuesday, January 19, 2010 - 01:54 AM UTC
Just saw this one - joint compound is the trick. I use it too, I use it for A LOT of applications.
dioman13
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Posted: Wednesday, January 20, 2010 - 07:07 AM UTC
Eric, some good looking trees there . When I make wire trees I usually get the thick crazy glue and coat the tree and limbs with it. Just helps to streagnthen it. I then use a mixture of testors putty and liquide glue and make a mixture like paste. This I brush on all over, let it set and then using an old brush I add streaks up and down and through out the tree. It seems to give it a solid base that doesn't crack apart as you work in your funace filter for the smaller branchs. Paint and add your leaves and crown your self as mother natures helper. If you caught my vignett ( through the valley of death ) you'll see what I accomplished with this method. I also shaved bark from a large branch and glued it to a partialy submerged tree in that vignnet. Hope this is of some help. bob d.
zemzero
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Posted: Tuesday, January 26, 2010 - 05:31 PM UTC
Bob, after the plaster I added bathroom tile grout, mixed with water and white glue, to the tree and it seemed to do a good impression of bark. Adding the glue helped with the strength, for sure. I didn't see your vignette, can't find it after searching, but sounds like a good idea. And next time I'm gonna die the plaster a brownish color, like Brian suggested, as you can see some of the bark chipped when I was handling it. Nothing a short touch up can't fix though.

Painted them brown, with some various filters and this is the result:








Are the random limbs poking out too showey? I wanted a wild untamed look about them. An M18 is gonna sit in between them, with foliage camouflage.

montythefirst
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Posted: Tuesday, January 26, 2010 - 05:43 PM UTC
what did you use for your foliage?
zemzero
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Posted: Tuesday, January 26, 2010 - 06:58 PM UTC
The main bulk if it was parsley flakes over steel wool, with other spices and some outside crap found on the ground thrown in for good measure. I also added bits of dried flowers I bought from the art store "Micheals". The purple stuff is Candytuft and the thin stuff poking out is Caspia, they were about $3 for a bunch. I plan on using those for the foliage camo on the tank.

I airbrushed different shades of green all over everything, then added a little more parsley to it.
bilko
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Posted: Tuesday, January 26, 2010 - 11:42 PM UTC
Eric - great looking tree. I especially like the bark effect with the "mossy" green touch.

Parsley looks pretty good too - I seem to recall using parsley, oregano and some other dried spice that had a "leafy" look to it, just to give it some variety is size and shape within the foliage mass. Made it all smell pretty good for a while .

Brian

montythefirst
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Posted: Tuesday, January 26, 2010 - 11:52 PM UTC
great work and a good idea
dioman13
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Posted: Wednesday, January 27, 2010 - 01:34 PM UTC
The moss look is terific. Too often overlooked. Nice touch.
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