Tree Painting and Foliage

I have now worked up the colouring of the tree from the base colour of the DAS and bark mix. Sorry there is no step-by-step pictures but the process was fairly simple:

• Overall wash of Citadel 'Nuln Oil', with a spot of water added in places to help it spread out. This darkened the tree to a dark grey, and was left to dry overnight.
• A misting of Humbrol dark brown (29) from an aerosol, this isn't that dark, but a misting adds a nice beige effect to the mix.
• Dry brushing with a mix of Vallejo colours, notably grey-green, London grey and WW1 beige. This varied in different areas of the trunk and branches.
• Stippling with a stiff brush and the colours above, especially on the smoother branches to give an effect of texture.
• More stippling concentrating grey-green and additionally yellow and off-white into those areas that might have a high traffic of birdlife, creating the effect of moss and guano!
  
  

The next step was to start to think about adding foliage, where I felt that I would need to improve on the original to add more depth to it. The original had used Hornby Skale Scenics mid-green foliage and despite having removed this for reuse the stiffness it now has from hairspray meant that it would not be reusable on this tree. New material from the same pack  was used but having got around several of the lower branches I was not too happy with the result, feeling it looked too flat and matted. I ended up taking it back off again and having a rethink.

Posing some Woodland Scenics mid-green material on some of the branches this looked a lot better in terms of texture but was a lighter colour than I desired. I quickly ordered in some dark green material from Broughton Rail via eBay and applied this as a test over a few branches. I suppose in theory each branch should have it's own bit of foliage, some do, but others share with a neighbour depending on how the mood takes me. Material is teased out and trimmed of excess fibres before being glued into place with a run of PVA down the branch.

Working in short sessions the foliage has started to spread around the tree, by the close of play on Good Friday the lower branches of the tree all had cover. Taking a tip for a friend who has been making trees for the Railway Museum layout at York I have added extra layers of foliage in places which does accentuate the texture of the foliage.

A couple of further sessions saw the next layer of branches covered, working methodically around the tree to try and avoid any issues with not being able to access some areas once the foliage is in place in others, though being a half relief tree you can sometimes sneak in around the back!

With any luck the next time the tree appears here it should be all but completed.

Colin