Thank you for the enthusiastic reception.
I would like to share some extra tips if you are going to make a similar mat.
First coat.
Acrylic paint, colour mid-brown or wood brown was applied with a brush and let dry overnight.
The application on the linoleum material will not crack or peal, but letting it dry overnight will ensure any successive coats from lifting off or thinning your previous coat.
Second layer.
Using a tray or plastic container I mixed some brown with orange then lightened the mix with white.
This time I used a natural sponge found at most paint stores and daubed the mix lightly over the board.
Make irregular patterns and keep in mind you will be applying a lighter shade covering a smaller area afterward.
Final layer.
For this last step I experimented with two methods of application.
After cleaning the sponge I dipped a small tip directly into white acrylic paint.
The wet sponge will help spread the white such that it appears light grey.
The alternative method used a plant spray to moisten small areas and daub the white paint with the sponge.
This softened the effect which contrasts with the harder edged areas.
Scatter material.
The grass is fixed to 1.2 mm thick triplex which is covered with a sand and glue mix.
Paint in the same colour scheme as the mat.
The grass is 6mm long tufts from Leadbear of Australia (http://s92.photobucket.com/user/LeadBear/library/Tufts?sort=3&page=1).
From the photos you can see Barry offers a wide selection.
The trees are Woodland Scenic build your own pack.
The branches can be bent and turned before applying the foliage.
As these were to represent Acacia trees (also found in the Middle East) I bent the branches so the final effort would appear as near to the real thing.
Cheers,
adds artillery to his soft-plastic Union forces.
