WOW! that vegetation looks great! Looks really nice against the weathered surfaces you made on the wood material - that ivy sure looks the part!
Cheers
Nick
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Thanks, Nick. Still quite a bit more work to make everything mesh.
Unintended Consequences, or Not.
Just a heads up, I’ve run across a fluke, or unintended consequences, that can’t be changed and will now become part of the narrative. The plaque has already been ordered and reads accordingly.
At this stage of the game one might panic, freak out, soil one’s drawers, or go berserk, but I pulled some heavy G’s climbing out of this mess and it looks like I got lucky with an additional useful effect completely by accident. HA!
I knew there was something up when I used Rust-Oleum Matt Varnish to secure some of the ground work. I would normally use Dull Coat, which has a much finer spray, but the Rust-Oleum was just handy at the time. I went a little too heavy on the spray leaving a beading effect on the Heki grass, but a surprising effect was created when I continued on a few days later.
I won’t reveal it now, but I’ll give you a hint, DEW. I don’t think I’ll become a hero of the creative effects world or make a mint from discovering this accidental effect, but it could prove useful for other applications, who knows. Regardless, it stays now, too late to change.
More to follow soon and thanks for watching. Cheers, Ski.
P.S. I’ll need to work the path from the tracks and wheel, and maybe even some footprints, but this shouldn’t be too difficult to adjust.
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Nice effect… but, if there is dew, don’t forget that wet sheen on tracks and tire. And wet effect on the shoes/boots of the figs. Usually darker if natural leather…
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Good point, Erwin. I have the wet effect on the tracks and tire, but like you said, a darker tone on the boots would be more defined, more natural looking than just a shiny boot.
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That shine effect would only be visible on polished shoes…
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I did give a slight gloss hit on the boots, but may have to actually paint on a darker tone.
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The DEW Effect
This diorama has been completed and is on the photo bench, so now I will explain how my freak discovery occurred. As mentioned before, I inadvertently mixed a few chemicals that reacted unexpectedly and came up with this DEW effect. Again, I say, completely by accident. However, the results appear to be acceptable and this may turn out to be a decent effect, but there should be some refining of the process.
How did I do it? The three ingredients in the photo below are all that is needed to experiment with this process further. Items needed: Rust-Oleum Matt Clear, 90% Isopropyl Alcohol, Heki grass. I also used a small spritzer bottle and an old hair dryer.
After the Heki grass is secured to the base/test board, spray the grass using Rust-Oleum Matt Clear with a “light coat.” Let that set over night. The next day, using a spritzer filled with 90% Isopropyl Alcohol, spray the grass again and immediately start drying the area with an old hair dryer on low temp. You will begin to see a white DEW-like effect start to appear on the Heki grass.
Remember, Rust-Oleum is a heavy spray right from the can, but Dull Coat is more of a mist and should be more suitable for smaller scale effects. Be aware that the heavier you spray the Matt Clear the more out of proportion the effect will appear, so you’ll need to be measured in your applications to avoid a heavy overdone appearance. Play with this technique to see how this will work for you.
Lastly, I simply do not have enough Heki grass to make a full investigation into whether this will produce consistent results every time, but you can try this for yourself and let me know how it works.
That’s a wrap! Final pics coming soon and thanks for watchin. Cheers, Ski.
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The way that unexpected accident turned out looks really good…really works well and I’m sure that technique could also be used for the river banks near fast flowing water or waterfalls etc…
Great find for a new method… 
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I agree, just need to play with it some more, lots of possibilities.
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Embarrassing Moments In The Early Mornin Dew, Carentan, June 1944
120mm Airborne Resin Figures Sculpted by Maurice Corry, offered by Mitches Military Models, Freedom Model Kits 1/16th German Sd.kfz.2 Kettenkraftrad Typ HK 101.
Resin figures painted in oils over an acrylic base. Scratch built outhouse and fencing with standard ground work applied over blue construction foam.
Bob was not expecting guests this fine June morning when he made a quick stop to take care of business. Freddie and Billy, however, were pretty giddy when they found a prize souvenir and plenty of chow and booze in the back of the track-bike. Sgt. Hank kept Bob under guard while the booty was tallied. Poor Bob!
This was a really fun build with a great set of figures and some good old scratch work as well. This is by far the quickest I have ever produced a Large-Scale figure diorama, just under six months.
All comments welcome. Cheers, Ski.
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Fantastic finish,another work of art.
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Me thinks Bob was just in the outhouse… No way he would have leisurely wrapped the poncho around his legs first before comming out…
Having said that, this a very good little dio. I love the unwanted dew effect and how you played it out on the shoes, as we spoke about it. The level of detail is stunning. Every time you look at it, you see something new, like the rusted plate on the door…
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Stunning paint work BroSki !!!
I swear , you could take an old flip flop found on the beach and paint it up to be a work of art .
Let me guess this was your original inspiration … Santa even looks like you …
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What a fine, funny and interesting piece of work. So much to see crammed into that base- it just all gels together brilliantly.
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Was great fun watching this build up Ski. So much detail in a small area and you see new fun/intricate details every time you look at it. Brilliant
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Out & out Outstanding Ski – on reflection far better than “Caught with his pants down”. I noticed earlier you had one particular leaf out of place but I see you fixed it now. Brilliant from every angle 
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Wow. Just wow. Another masterpiece Steve. Brilliant in it’s detail and artistic rendition. Every nuance, every shade, every color just rendered perfectly. The story is told and the setting is just right. The Kettenkrad is excellent. The figures are outstanding and the expressions are so realistic. Your work again is impeccable. I am humbled by your efforts and bow to your results.
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Thanks, Tony!
There ya go again with them negative waves, Man!
The dew effect is hereby dubbed the “SKI-DEW Effect”, HA!
Once again, Ya Killin Me, Smalls, Ya Killin Me! thanks, Ma Brotha, from anotha Polish Motha! I can’t stop laughing at this vid, spot on find.
Thanks, Karl!
Thanks, Johnny, that was what I was hoping for.
Great, now we got leaf counters, what’s next, sheesh! Thanks, Brother Tim!
Stop that, stop it now, just stop that, HA! Thanks, Matt, I greatly appreciate your appreciation of my work, so we are now mutual in our appreciation, HA!
Thanks, Gents!
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Wrof, Wrof… That’s my other dog imitation…
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