I’m sure people have asked this before, but what do you guys do for tall grass in a 1/35 scale diorama? I’m working on Tamiya’s M4A3 Sherman, and I really don’t feel like filling in the backs of the wheels, so I decided to have it driving through some tall grass. Any ideas how to make it look realistic is also helpful. Thanks!
Besides putting them in one piece of grass at a time you wont beable to… not as far as I konw.
Cheap paint brushes, especially those made in China and sold at dollar stores have bristles that make credible tall grass. I use 3M spray tack to hold them in place. Use a wash of artists oils and turpenoid in various greens and browns for coloration.
If you don’t want to go this route check out the model RR supply catalogues (esp. Walthers) as they have many different types of tall grass including pre-colored mats that can be cut to fit whatever base you have. Just make sure to do a good blending job when using the mat style material. Or check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUS1MbpytZs HTH.
Pat.
Try Treemendous http://www.treemendusmodels.co.uk/index.html
Their Raw Grass is well … tremendous! He displays at my hobbyshow, so the stuff is really good!
checkout his Gallery pics, amazing, but I don’t know if anyone in the US carries his stuff, e-mail him.
Thanks a lot guys, I’ll have to check out those options.
Build yourself a static grass applicator (search the interwebs for instructions…I’ve seen them built from electric fly swatters). Then glue + flock grass = standing grass.
Or you can pay like $229 for the pre-built static thing from MicroMark.
I’m planning to try to build me one of them flyswatter ones this weekend when the family’s gone.
Sounds interesting, I’ll give it a look. Also, I saw your signature and I’m wondering: How is Tamiya’s 1/32 Spitfire?
Still futzing around in the cockpit, but so far, I think the best word is “epic”. This kit is insane.
Have you thought about using twine? You can get a whole roll cheap at the hardware store, and it has multiple uses. Here’s how Dutchy I am–I have some rose bushes in my beer garden, and I tie the canes together with twine. Last Sunday, I replaced the old, weathered ties with new. I saved what was left of the old twine, and the cuttings from the new, for my stash. I have a Chinese food container full of the stuff, saved over time.
“Remember–frugal doesn’t mean ‘cheap’, it means you don’t waste anything.”
You apply it to the surface with white glue. If you’re using some kind of foam as a base, then even better–you can poke holes in the base, and glue bunches of clumps of the twine into the holes. Takes a little bit of time, but the result looks like clumps of grass.
Hope that helps!
Best regards,
Brad
Doogs: I think I may ask for it for Christmas, but I need some workbench space to get to that point!
Brad: Wow, I never thought of that. I have some old twine in a drawer somewhere, and I definately think that I’ll try that technique. I now have several good things to try, and I think that a combination of them might lead to the best results. Thanks all!
Theatrical crepe hair (wheat/blond shades work the best), cut to length and inserted as clumps into a coat of glue works the best. Airbrush to the desired shade(s) after it dries.
You may want to straighten the hair first by wetting and stretching under tension until dry.
Jon, i have not heard of this site before. He has some nice stuff there. thanks for that link.
I think the best material to build tall grass is hemp rope or jute rope. Just cut it into desired length and put it into food-spinning machine to disintegrate it from group. It’s cheap and efficient!
A good, easy way is to buy fake fur at a local crafts store. depending on the season, you might want to use shades of yellow, brown, or green. to color it, dip it in acrylic paint thinned 50% with thinner or isoprop-yl alcohol. Leave it in the sunlight to dry. Make sure to put some newspaper or somethinig under it. Use white glue to secure it to the base.