Just wanted to post a pond/swamp that I recently completed.
Pretty straightforward design, just a base of foamcore with a ring of pink insulation foam around the edges to form the banks. I used books to weigh it down while the two layers were drying so they wouldn't warp.
Basic use of craft paints and static grass/foliage clusters.
The water reeds are actually just bristles cut from a plastic brush. I find that brush or broom bristles, especially the plastic ones like these are easier to work with. Also, you don't really need any special glue like Hobie Tac or anything. I just used white tacky glue from Walmart to attach the reeds.
This is another example of my technique of using a dark painted surface with a layer of Mod Podge gloss sealer over it.
I can't say enough about Mod Podge!! You seriously do not need to ever buy any kind of hobby "water effects" or expensive clear resins for dioramas! You can control the color of your river or pond with the color that you paint it underneath! The "depth" or "shallowness" is provided by the color of the paint, NOT by the actual resin or water paste. The Mod Podge just gives you the texture of the water surface. If you use a darker color of paint it's deep water. If you use a lighter color of paint the water will appear shallower!
Zoom in on the shorelines of the photos and you'll see that it really does look like deep water that is lapping up against the shore. You can see a little under the surface but then it's completely opaque which is what water looks like in the daylight.
One final touch was that I did some light drybrushing of the gray rock color into the water just enough to give the impression of some of the rocks being submerged underwater.
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