Two 60 mt x 1mm garden wire is enough to make eight good sized tree`s or 14 smaller ones.
My trees are for 28mm or 1/72 scale figures.
The first layer of white glue has been applied.
It soon dried.
All is looking good with the roots blu tac`ed onto a scrap board.
Above shows a side view with the glue after the glue has dried,
and because it is a resin glue
I can bend and spread out the branches later before adding the canopy.
If clay or plaster had been used it would crack.
This shows the dried result of the second and third coat of see through resin glue.
A close up reveals that all is covered and will bend.
Above shows the results of one coat of cheap Acrylic Paint, which was sold in very large sizes at B&M Stores. Was because they may no longer sell them. But bargain stores certainly do.
A close up reveals a good covering which looks good for the foundation undercoat paint job.
I bought several batches of wire. The wire being cut was folded in halves and wound round a paint brush handle. Gripping the wire it was easier to wind using the paint brush handle which was turned by hand.
Seperated into two each of the branches began to shape.
The branches themselves were then split into two for shaping other smaller branches. Extra small lengths of wire were added by twisting them into the weave, and by doing so the tree branched its way up and out.
ANOTHER TREE HAS THE FIRST COAT OF PVA GLUE ADDED BELOW
Now at this stage some first time artist might think that their effort is no good. Well don`t give up perceiver with your endeavour and wait until the glue dries out then add another layer,and other layer later. The choice is yours and the tree that you end up with is like TIGGER, It`s the only one.
Showing another angle shot of my tree...
... then another...
a bit lopsided but because this is being coated in resin it will bend and straighten in any direction without cracking,which is rather cheap and cool. Whereas plaster or clay will crack and pieces will splinter off. I have been there and so know only to well what results from those methods. Making scratch buildings along with tree`s and other stuff upon my journey throughout my 71 years of life I self taught myself always with the aim to make do.....and do.
A batch of my earlier wire and PVA Glue Tree`s. I found out the more I twisted armatures, then the more they oddly did seem to shape themselves.
28mm Kings German Legion fighting in what will be part of the Hawthorn Hedge Row Hougoumont. Waterloo Battle of 1815. Here I wanted creepy tree`s with wicked claw-like branches looking like they are actually taking part in the fighting too. A metaphoric touch of rustic twiggs.
While my Mrs B,was out dog walking our Bella, I took bright winged opportunity to spread out a small number of my home made tree`s in her kitchen a rather neat clean place that really truthfully I am banned,yes banned from doing stuff in.And rightly so for I tend to over spread places while I make props for my story telling ripping yarns.
To relax upon the journey of painting is a something I like to do. Well I cannot do much these days because of the wobble of P T S D, so typing story`s and my hobby of what fills my head at any one time makes for every day being a real pleasure and no boredom is at home here. My Wife puts up with me and more to the point we are both happy,,,most happy together.
THE LEGO BOX MOLD... all ready for casting up. The yogurt pots stand in place with tap water and each will be filled with a combination of Plaster of Paris and Gerbil Sand, which is desert sand, a sort of clay. The whole box is cast up in this mixture and then the tree is pushed into place so the roots will be within the base.
Here are a few already made for a wooded area.
A few more are ready for dressing up with home made canopy stuff.
The Sweet Chestnut Tree has no canopy glued in place, it having been placed there loose on only half of the tree as way of an illustration only.
By a simple mistake this topic went active before I finished one tree, so I`ll leave it open for now and show tree`s much later. I must say having a hobby at this time in world history is a good thing for anyone to have and do. Perhaps self isolation without actually being ill might mean that many with extra time on their hands have fresh opportunity for inside activity of a some kind.
( Mrs B,and I are in self isolation because of our ages and medical condition. I must say it is not out of panic but is following Governmental advice. As for myself I am a recluse anyway.
OK, stay Put and keep safe... in this way the N H S is protected from total breakdown.
May you all stay heathy and well. BB)
Stuff for the tree canopy.....by BB
Offcuts from Norwich City Market Place a very large quantity indeed for £4.00 Stirling!
I set in motion plans to shred this stuff using.... Drum Roll Please?
I used that electric stylish thing below with it`s Wicked Sharp Cutting Blades!
It cost me £29.00 UK Stirling... it enabled a saving of a ton of money
A small amount of water with torn off pieces soaked into it,and the number 1 setting was chosen.
A 15 second Buzz! Than another 15 second Buzz! Was all that was needed.
Jolly Good Result. My tip is never overload this cheap type Blender.
This is the blue foam above from the market place, and perfect for a large Wood or Forest.
The tiny amounts soon filled large yogurt pots and very cheap Acylic Paints, the large size ones were squeezed into still wet stuff. Yellow and Blue gave me a very nice Green. However there would be many colours used from the pile of paint my Mrs B, had kindly bought for little o`ll me. They were£1.10p each. And she bought loads of them during the Christmas time period 2019.
Soon after the world began to fall apart... You realise what I mean?
I found old bubble rap I had kept from packaging a perfect expendable platform to spread out my foam upon.
Sure it looked untidy for a few days but what the heck this is arts and crafts and as such is an eye soar to many but not for use in the evergreen gardens of our part of Fiddle Wood UK. Every day I`d turn over the layer with a dinner fork which allowed the air to help dry.
Row upon row of drying rubber foam. Thea slight gapbetween them made it easier for turning over.
As I only had this one opportunity to amase a large stash of the stuff, i prepared and set into motion my own production line where the fresh painted foam was was placed into a plastic food strainer seen on the far right of the photograph above. It enabled the wet foam to be squeezed down by hand squirting and settling the reusable paint into the bottom container quickly. Once that was done the foam was laid out to dry. The paint was reused again several times. All in all my described method of production was as simple as that. A foam bank for use later.
Not a pretty sight but most certainly a very productive one. Much better than buying 24 gram packets on Line for £4.00 each plus postage. Which is OK, for a couple of tree`s but not pricewise practical for a wide table top area of woodland. Being eccentric pays off.
The colours were placed in lots of large yogurt tubs when dried out.
THE RATHER TALL TALE OF THE SAND
Now it so happens and not through accident that I have a specialised team of Quality Control Inspectors who i might well say have been with me now for many, many years. Fred & MayBell.
Fred used to be a Dalek from another time dimention,but was reborn a F.R.E.D,here on Earth. As for MayBell, she is a MAYBELL from the stars. These two pals are inseparable due to the fact that their kindred spirit is one in the same. They have had many an adventure in time and space.
The sand came from Oman in the Persian Gulf, and with it an egg.
This mixture more clay than sand held in place a tiny secret... little Dino! Fred being the first thing it saw,was not highly impressed when it called him MOM! MayBell,was not impressed either for she thought that there might be more. Needless to say really the both of them turned the page here and jumped into next week.
The Sweet Chestnut Tree`s for Hougoumont`s Bonnier Wood. drying out on the radiator..
That`s it for now.
Stay at home guys if you can it is saving lives at this present time Pandemic.
With extra time upon heads and hands , why not try out a hobby you might like?
This is by 71 Aged P. BB
