Ok, as required from some of you guys, i will explain you how i make my palm trees.
I beg you pardon for my written english (not my mother tongue..sorry)
Well, let`s start with listing the materials we need:
-Common aluminium foil (…the one you use to wrap sandwiches..)
- wire (0,2 to 0,5 thick)
-Das Pronto (modelling clay)
- special glue.
Step1
Take about 50-60 cm of alu foil and fold it in two. Alu foils have a "shining" and a "Matt" side, fold it so that the matt side is outside.Glue the two Shining side together with a very strong glue (special glue…remember..it`s alu!). Let the glue dry and then after spray the alu foil with a dark shade of green or dark olive green. Once the paint is dry give a little layer of matt varnish.
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Step2
Draw the form of the palm leaves on the alu foil (make big, small and medium to have a choice). Cut the leaves one by one out and check that all are well glued together. Take a wire (lead or silver..i`m using silver one`s)and cut it a big longer than the leave itself, glue it in the center of the leaves (use rapid drying glues).
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Step3
Here is the moment to paint the leaves. My way to do it is that i will use 2 shade of lighter greens and than a wash with dark green (very diluited). Now the last touch: using yellow or similar shades drybrush the leaves very lightly, retouch if needed the greens. The central wire of the leaves are in golden brown
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Step4
Using a "curved" cissors , start to cut the leaves. I always start from the top of the leaves, "slicing" the alu until you "feel" the central wire. Once you have cut the leaves you must give the last retouches. Cutting the alu will make so that probably some "spots" on the leaves are shining alu!! Just give a touch of green or yellow on the spot. Make now on the whole leaves a diluited black wash.
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Step 5
The leaves are now finished. just give them the shape you want and that`s it!!
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Step6
Lets make the palm trunk now.
Take a piece of plastic of the required lenght you want. (you can use the lenght of the sprues or a barbecue wood stick) this will be the "heart" of the trunk. Take a quantity of Das Pronto and roll it like a cigar until you reach the desired diameter of the palm you want to do. Stick the plastic or wood all trough the Das Pronto "cigar".
Wait about 5 minutes and then with a knife start to model the trunk by just pressing the knife on the trunk, simulating the typical palm trunk. Painting the trunk i usualy use a very dark shade as base and the lightening with light colours and at the end a brown or black wash.
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Step7
Now we have to assembly the palm. Drill small holes in the palm trunk, take the leaves one by one and with a strong glue, glue it in the holes you`ve made. Shape leaves by leaves now, giving them the shape you desire.
OK i think.. this is it. Feel free to ask any question about it.
I woul like also, just short, show you also the "aquarium" plants.
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Last words: This technik has advantage and disvantage. Advantage is that you can give the form you like at the leaves, even on the leaves itself you can shape the small leaves one by one (if you like!). The result is IMO very good.
Disvantage are basically the long working procedure.
These leaves are not only good for palms but you can use them as a "low" vegetation or as just growing little palms hereunder few piccies of what i mean.
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Ok I hope you can undertand my explanations…..otherwise …just ask again.
Hope you like it
Cheers
Ayé
goes to sea with the Terrain Mat.
