Do you think it will work if i get some compost or mud from outside, mix it with a little white glue and stick it on a diorama etc? and to make it look wet what to i do?

Also what is the easy way to make puddles, preferable cheap because im a little skint at the moment!

It is much easier to use ordinary building gypsum, shape it while it has not set, paint it the colour you wish and spray it with clear gloss to make it look wet. That way you can leave track-, tire-, footmarks etc, and still have it look wet and mushy.
Use ordinary epoxy glue mixed up with some weathering powder colours or crushed crayon of the appropriate colour to make it look cloudy, like real puddles do.

hello ashely, to answer your question, it would work. Harrison(tsunamibomb) did it on his halftrack and it looked realy good. or lets say your just doing a scene with mud on the ground you can also try moulded coffee. i stole some from my parents,mixed it with some paint and water and voila. i can control how i want my mud( granular to less granular kinda thing)

Hope this helps
Frank

Would mixing it with paint work aswell? I am only a novice so dont have all the weathering pigments and bits like that! Also where can i get hold of some building gypsum, can you get it from any old model shop or somewhere special? Thanks

Well putting mud like that on a diorama is a different concept. For my halftrack I used real mud mixed with raw umber paint. But for one of my dioramas, I used plaster of paris with real dirt, real grass, and paint. You need to get alot of paint though to cover up all the whiteness of the plaster, also, I cant remember if it was plaster of paris, but I had a chemical reaction turning most of my brown paint into a purplish color.

Try a mix of talcum powder or baking soda with some water ad white glue... add either one you are using to get the right consistancy.. add some paint as well.. should work for you..

Dave

For a chunky mud add some play sand.

So the above pictures are made using just play sand, glue and a bit of paint, or was there something else mixed in with that aswell?

Plaster of paris, play sand, PVA glue, and a touch of acrylic gloss gel to slow the set down. It was then painted.