How to build an Ultra Realistic River – Realistic Scenery Vol.13

[Music] so you want to build an awesome model of a river but don't know where to start this tutorial will take you through the process step by step with nothing right through to a completed diorama at the end it can sometimes look complicated but by systematically going through the process one stage at a time you'll soon realize building a model like this is achievable for even the beginner modeler let's not waste any more time and get started building the first step is a good plan I'll usually use photos for reference when designing the scene once I have an idea of what the scene will look like I start creating a paper template of the river it doesn't have to be your best artwork rather it's just a rough sketch to give you an idea the diorama is only quite small measuring about 30 centimeters by 30 centimeters and the base is made using extruded polystyrene which is commonly used for home insulation I find this works great as the base material as it's quite rigid and a strong foam to build up the landforms above the base layer I use expanded polystyrene this foam is a lot softer and much easier to cut with the hot wire foam tools once the template has been cut out it's then transferred onto the white foam with a felt-tip marker [Music] to cut the foam I'm using a hot knife tool from the hot wire foam Factory these tools make light work of cutting through this foam and I'm able to get very clean precise cuts without making a huge mess I just roughly cut out the shape I need and I create a shallow slope that leads down to the river for the most part the foam will be covered in sculptor mold so all we really need is the general shape of the bank to be cut out everything is fixed together with styro goo I first rough up the surface of the foam to ensure the glue gets a nice strong bond once everything's in place our way down as the glue dries the bank of the river is sculpted using sculptor mold or a similar product here I'm using sculpted modeling mix from office works in Australia it gets mixed up to a thick consistency and applied across the entire model it has about a 15-minute working time and I continue to manipulate it along the banks to get the desired look and I continually smoothen it out as it starts to set ensuring that any areas where I intend to have roads is as smooth as I can get it before it begins to set I do the same for the riverbed continue to work it as it sets to get it as smooth as you can the thickness of the riverbed layer will need to be at least three to five millimeters thick this is because the resin we'll be using for the water can get quite hot after the initial pour and if there's not enough insulation between the resin and the foam it can cause the foam to melt and shrink and this isn't my first attempt at this diorama on the first try I had a very thin layer of plaster that was the barrier between the foam and the river however it wasn't enough the water product can get quite hot as it cures especially when poured to be a deep river which may cause the foam to shrink and if those gases emanating it will cause it to cure too fast and unevenly if you have no choice but to pour directly onto the foam make sure to do it in multiple thin layers instead of one thick layer because this is a small diorama I'm tidying up the edges more for aesthetics than anything else but this will also help when it comes time to seal the edges of the river to prevent the resin from escaping the riverbed is further sealed with woodland cynics flex paste it gets applied quite liberally over anywhere that deep pore water resin will be added it's possible for there to be small holes in the plaster layer which may allow the resin to escape and this layer of flex paste helps seal all those small gaps and holes I use a stippling motion to hide any brushstrokes all up I applied three thick layers of flex paste onto the riverbed and to the edges of the diorama my base color for the riverbed and the road surfaces is Joe Sonya's fawn it will mostly be covered by dirt texture and the actual riverbed will be airbrush with a much darker brown however this will hide any white areas in case we miss a spot to model the bank I'm using ordinary dirt nothing special just what I could find outside the garage door just try to find a nice dry patch that doesn't have too much grass or twigs some of the larger rocks and bits of leaves or twigs can be removed now but we'll get the rest once we start to sift the dirt it first gets sifted into two grades a fine grade and a coarse grade this is where most of the large rocks twigs and leaves can be removed from the coarse grade and the fine grade falls through the wire screen [Music] I then have three different types of dirt one is a mix of fine and coarse together the other is coarse only and they last is fine dirt only the dirt as it is is much too dark so to lighten it I add a beige colored grout until I get the desired color I do this to all three variations of the dirt so they all match here you can see the difference in color after the grout has been added to the dirt to fix the dirt in place along the bank I use a textured paste from Vallejo this is an earth brown texture it gets applied in quite a thick layer this will enable the large rocks in our dirt mixture to become embedded into the textured paint without falling to the bottom the dirt can then be liberally applied across the embankment allowing the dirt to pile up right to the top a brush may be needed to brush dirt up under the overhanging sections of the bank after it's had some time to dry the excess is carefully brushed away I try to make sure their larger rocks don't get brushed away and in bare spots I'll push some larger bits of dirt back in until there's a nice variation of texture along the bank the excess dirt is collected as it will be used again later on the model this layer of dirt is fixed in position by first misting the area with isopropyl alcohol and then once thoroughly damp I missed the area with a scenic glue this clear mixture is homemade using one part Mod Podge matte and three parts water with a few drops of dish soap now that layer is mostly dry I move on to adding dirt texture across the rest of the diorama the textured paint is used here albeit a much thinner layer compared to how we applied it on the bank and while it's still wet a layer of dirt is applied this time I apply patches of dirt using the fine and coarse mixture randomly across the wet areas of paint and then to blend all that together I apply the fine dirt three stocking over the top [Music] the road areas are covered with another fine dirt texture however it's much lighter and has a more yellowish hue [Music] this all gets sealed with an initial layer of isopropyl alcohol and scenic glue [Music] now this was a bit of an afterthought although the method works quite well I wanted some muddy wheel tracks leading down to the river so I used some air drying modeling clay along the ramp down to the river using a bush and Jeep I was able to press the wheels into the clay and roll them up and down to create the desired effect the clay shrinks a little as it dries that will be able to hide the edges with dirt the wheel tracks are painted burnt umber and then dry brushed with Vallejo light mud to highlight the tire tread detail the remaining white areas are painted with Joe Sonya's fawn and then the dirt texture is applied over the top before fixing the dirt with the glue I used a straw to gently blow away the loose dirt from the wheel tracks [Music] now for the riverbed I'm using Vallejo German camouflage black brown and it gets applied using an airbrush I use printer paper to mask the bank so I don't get paint all over the diorama and on areas where I don't want it it is possible to apply the color with a brush however I find the smooth transition of color you get using an airbrush is hard to be a variety of trees were used some of the woodland Scenic's trio matures as shown in terrific trees using woodland Scenic's armatures as well as super tree material also shown in a video making realistic trees using sea foam others are simply good-looking twigs found outside while walking with a bit of poly fiber followed by a layer of glue and some woodland Scenic's coarse foam a second layer of glue a sprinkling of noch medium green leaves and finally a misting of matte varnish to seal it all in place you'll have yourself a great-looking tree I test the position of each tree before boring a small hole into the ground and loosely placing the tree into the scene to ensure each tree gets returned to the same spot I make some tiny numbered Flags with corresponding spots on the phone when one tree is removed it's replaced with a flag and that tree gets placed in the appropriate spot on the foam board [Music] now for the major transformation adding grass for this I'm going to be using the noch grass master 2.0 along with some noch grass glue and knock six millimeter grass fibres to get the color I wanted for this scene I ended up mixing about a 50/50 mix of knocked wild grass meadow and knock wild grass beige once the grass has been thoroughly mixed I get some glue ready to go and I feel the static grasshopper with the grass [Music] apply glue randomly across the diorama I only work in small sections at a time to avoid having areas of the glue drying before the grass is applied excess is removed by turning the diorama upside down or a vacuum with our stocking attached to catch the loose fibers also works well for removing excess grass some additional areas of smaller 2 millimeter grass was used around the edges of the road as well a range of woodland Scenic's foams was used to add texture one of my favorite things to add however is actual dried-up leaves that have been put through a blender and they are perfect for adding around the base of trees and along paths simply sprinkle layers of color across the model in random pattern to simulate low-lying weeds and bushes the center of the road is also detailed with the leaf texture once you've finished laying down the different ground foams and textures I go over the area with a brush and dust away any bits of leaf or foam from unwanted areas especially the riverbed and just like we did with the other layers I missed it with alcohol and seal with scenic glue one of the most eye-catching details on this model are the roots along the riverbank these are made using actual roots any type of plant with a fine root structure will work for me I found grass roots to do the job I dig up more than I need so I've got plenty to choose from and once they have dried out over a few days they are ready to use the excess grass is trimmed from the top and the remaining roots are pruned and then glued on to the model a small amount of Hjelm are super tack adhesive worked well for this don't be afraid to add singular root sections as well they don't all need to be neat bunches [Music] we're almost ready to add water to dam the river I use a good quality masking tape to run around the perimeter of the exposed river edges once in place I make sure to give it a good rubbing ensuring the tape is thoroughly stuck to the edges next excess tape is trimmed away and finally the edge of the tape is sealed by applying a bead of wood glue along the joint so far I haven't had any leaks using this technique and it's very easy to remove once the water has cured before pouring the water I first attach any of these small details that will be submerged to the riverbed like the crocodile and this trolley the details are glued to the riverbed so that once the water is poured they don't float to the top a lot of the fine details added to this scene were made with the help of the any cubic Foton 3d printer it prints using a resin that is cured by a UV light 3d designs can be made using a 3d modeling program or you can download thousands of free models uploaded by users from a number of different platforms like Thingiverse or my mini factory once the file is ready to go I install the resin VAT into the printer make sure all the screws are nice and tight so the print doesn't fail next install the USB that has the file loaded turn the printer on and select the appropriate file to print now it's just a waiting game as the build plate slowly reveals our design I [Music] have a five step process for post curing the 3d prints step one remove the print from the build plate step two submerge the print in isopropyl alcohol and gently agitate the alcohol to wash the excess uncured resin from the model step three rinse the print in the second container of alcohol to further clean the model removing the rest of the resin [Music] step four leave the model to dry for a few minutes as the alcohol evaporates and finally step 5 place the model under a UV light for about 15 to 20 minutes to fully cure the model make sure to dispose of the paper towels and gloves carefully as the resin is a toxic substance in its uncured state model preparation is basically the same as most other injection molded models the supports are removed and any imperfections are sanded away after sanding I give the model a quick rinse under the tap water and then apply a layer of primer I use the airbrush where I can to paint the models as it gives a very nice even application of paint when it comes to painting the finer detail I find mounting the model to the bench atop a skewer or something similar enables me to use one hand that holds the brush while the other hand acts as support preventing any shakes from ruining the paint job it's not perfect our mistakes still happen that this technique seems to give me the best results once you've finished you'll be left with some fantastic looking models that are ready to be added to the scene pouring the water on a level surface is very important and using a tool like the micro mark digital level will make finding any surface that is sufficiently flat a very easy task for the water I'm trying a new product from woodland Scenic's called deep pore water it's a two-part resin and the first thing you'll need to do is read the instructions there's not much to it but if you want the best results it's essential to go over the instructions measuring just how much you'll need is as easy as roughly estimating the length and width of the river next go on to the woodland Scenic's website and under the free apps tab you'll find a water volume estimator enter the details and depending on how accurate your measurements were you'll be given a volume of water that will be required to fill the river to improve mixing the two parts together they get warmed in a tub of hot tap water for about 10 minutes by using the volume guide we can see that we need 100 mils of water base and 50 mils of activator once the bottles have been sufficiently warmed it's gently rotated and tipped back and forth to mix the contents before being poured in the amounts determined from the chart the initial stirring process lasts for five minutes followed by a five-minute rest and then lastly another five minutes of mixing when mixing try to avoid introducing bubbles into the resin and remember to scrape the edges to ensure all the resin is thoroughly mixed when pouring I start in the middle of the river and let the resin find its own level as it works its way to the edges Stuber bubbles can be teased with their spatula and popped however most bubbles will pop on their own within the first five minutes after pouring while the water cures I place a container over the area to prevent dust and other particles landing on the surface after about 24 hours the water will be cured and we can remove the tape from the edges of the model Ripple's are added just like you've seen in previous tutorials using the Mod Podge gloss and the airbrush only a small amount is needed and it gets supplied with an old paintbrush I work in small sections of about 5 centimeters at a time as the Mod Podge tends to dry quite quickly especially if it's only in a very thin layer once the initial layer has been added the airbrush is used with the air only to gently push the Mod Podge forward and create that ripple effect keep working along the river surface in small 5 centimeter increments until you cover the entire surface of the river this process can be done with just the paintbrush however using the airbrush to create the ripples gives a much more realistic result and it also helps pop any bubbles left behind from the paintbrush once it's had time to dry you're left with an amazing looking River surface now we can start adding our trees each tree gets returned to its corresponding flag depending on how even the terrain is around the tree base some of the trunks may need to be trimmed so they blend a little better with the surrounding terrain just be very careful that you don't cut your fingers some tacky glue like helm are super tack glue is all you'll need to fix a trees into position to help blend the gaps below the trunks you can add some of the blended leaves texture or some dirt texture to hide those gaps it's sealed with a few drops of isopropyl alcohol and scénic include additional bushes and shrubs can be added with woodland Scenic's finally foliage break off a small branch and with the small drop of glue press it into the scenery the static grass is usually enough to hold them straight the larger pieces you may need to create a small hole for them to press into reeds are also made using some woodland cynics field grass they are trimmed to an approximate size and glued to the edge of the river using tacky glue they can be further trimmed to the desired height with small scissors once the glue is dry the last little bit of water effects is done with some of the new woodland Scenic's water ripples it's a thick paste type product that drives perfectly clear and it's perfect for adding puddles it's also great for adding ripples to the river surface but I find I get slightly better results using mod podge and the airbrush if I didn't have an airbrush I'd definitely use this product for the surface ripples adding the wheel tracks along the road I'm using some yellow ochre pastel and a soft brush slowly dust the pestle over the wheel tracks gradually building up the color until you're happy the more you brush over the tracks the more the pestle will blend in overall to add the 3d details I use detail tack after about 15 minutes it dries and remains tacky which means that once the figure is in place you can easily move the figure to a different location without causing damage to the diorama only a very small amount is needed to hold the details in place now all that's needed is some paint to frame the edges of the model and we're done I hope you enjoyed watching if you'd like to support the channel be sure to visit patreon calm and if you'd like to see more videos about model making be sure to go and check out Kathy millets youtube channel it's full of great tips advice and techniques and is definitely worth watching Cheers and thanks for watching

Channel: Luke Towan

Views: 2,135,037

Keywords: how to build a model river, realistic river diorama, how to model water, how to build model railroad scenery, how to build scenery, building realistic scenery, building realistic scenery from scratch, model railroad scenery, model railroad, realistic forest tutorial, how to model a grass field, river tutorial, luke towan, boulder creek railroad, realistic scenery, anycubic photon, woodland scenics, 3D printing, deep pour water, scenery, modeling water

Id: yygwun1cdug

Length: 24min 15sec (1455 seconds)

Published: Sat Sep 29 2018

Reddit Comments

[u/Fosse22]

Not something I'd normally watch but it's quite interesting.

[u/allocater]

I just watched it to confirm that his claim, that this can be done by beginners, is ridiculous. He uses like 100 different products, tools and substances. Still awesome though.

[u/[deleted]]

This video was great but I'll be honest I don't understand the dumped trolley. Perhaps the humor of it makes it an include for some but for me, going to all that effort to make such a pretty realistic river and then adding that? I'd rather a slightly less realistic trash-less river.

[u/MarshallTom]

Really into model making and scenery myself.

My only issue with stuff like this is it always is super realistic looking when it comes to scenery but then you have insanely shit paint jobs or you have stuff that looks perfect condition, like the trolley in the river doesn't seem to have any damage or anything, same with the car and so on, amazing 11/10 scenery with beyond poor models.

So if you do this stuff, just remember even the most basic job at weathering a model will make the world of difference.

[u/ktkps]

ah one more for the soothing video playlist....

[u/caliform]

That might've been one of the most relaxing videos to watch I've seen in a while.

[u/[deleted]]

I'm surprised there's so many tools available for diorama making. There certainly is a lot of improvising but I wouldn't have expected that you'd be able to buy the grass and the tool to drop the grass or that there are specific resins for water. I didn't know it was a big enough hobby to support that. I could see it being bigger in the past when practical effects for movies and things created a need for models but today it's a little surprising.

[u/idkfly_casual]

As someone who would make his own scenery for his action figures growing up, I found this awesome!

[u/sporks49]

Well that was really relaxing.