"islands" Topic

I wanted to make a few islands to sit in the Nile for my 1/72 scale Mahdist War games. This was partly for effect but mostly to stop the paddle wheelers firing from one end of the river to the other by providing some obstructions. I also thought that if they had mud flats around them, the boats could go aground � evidently quite a common occurrence. I also wanted the possibility of landing troops on them so they have a beach on one side.

Anyway, here are the first two:

theminiaturespage.com

�"TMP link

theminiaturespage.com

�"TMP link

theminiaturespage.com

�"TMP link

I'm not sure if I like them. I guess they could always serve as rocky outcrops on dry land.

I think they look great!

You need hippos and throngs of nesting birds. This is the Nile, after all.

More seriously: all the parts look great – nice stone colors, great grass and brush, nice dirt – but the first impression is a foam bit plopped on a flat bit. The pieces need to blend together better. This is my own criticism of the majority of my terrain projects too, so I'm probably not the best source of advice, but I have a few ideas:
- Pare back the muddy edge around the rock in places, and have the rock go right down into the water in a few spots.
- Make the mud look wetter, esp. at the water's edge.
- Add more brown to the cliff walls, especially at the bottom where they meet the mud. A wash might be especially effective and easy.
- Some cliff-colored fallen rocks in the mud around the base of the cliffs.
- Blend the transition from grass to mud at the end of the "ramp" of each outcropping; a little bare mud/dirt up the ramp, some grass and brush on the mud flat, a few rocks, etc.

Or maybe simply putting them in the context of a whole river scene might be enough. How do they look in situ?

- Ix

Although they look great, I would agree with Yellow Admiral's suggestions if you wanted to send them to next level. Some reeds at the water edge on the mud flats would also really look good.

You post for photos of your work to get praise (we're only human) & constructive criticism.

Thank you for both: I'll try to put your ideas into practice with the next lot of islands I'm working on.

Or just ignore the jerks stalking TMP to offer unsolicited advice and use your neat little islands as you made them. :-) I think as is, your new islands will fit in with your other terrain just fine, and accomplish your purpose (disrupting the gunboats).

But hippos and birds would be freakin' *cool*.

- Ix

I'm already planning to cut a toy hipp0 at the "waterline ": great idea !