Show us your terrain!

[av8rmongo]

Ray,

The trees are from an architectural model supply company Microform Models. They have some pretty cool stuff but the palm trees I really love.

They have some (roughly 1/285) civilian cars also, which I've posted pictures of before, I think it was a civilian vehicles thread.

Paul

[dragon6]

Ray,

The trees are from an architectural model supply company Microform Models. They have some pretty cool stuff but the palm trees I really love.

They have some (roughly 1/285) civilian cars also, which I've posted pictures of before, I think it was a civilian vehicles thread.

Paul

The trees are beautiful. How did you do the rest of the island? What's the lower green? I was thinking of doing something similar, but it would never have been this good, and using some medium grade railroad turf as the trees. Now I'm thinking maybe something like that but trees like this on the edges then grading back into just greenery.

[av8rmongo]

Ray,

The island itself is just sculpey modeling clay. The greenery is woodland scenics turf and grass stuff. I will eventually put one of the microform models scale buildings on it as a comm station or radar post or something.

Paul

[gunbunny]

Ok here is my first attempt at using TM hex materials. I followed Tom Stocktons directions on most of the hex types with the exception of the rivers (color and over coat from sfcgreg29er's suggestions). I also scratch built a bridge using match sticks, toothpicks and pieces of hobby wood (2.99 for rectangles, a metric ton as far as micro scale, at the local store!). I have only been working on this for about a month so things may change. You can see some "other company" buildings in the background of the pictures, I'm a little not pleased by their detail and do not know if I will keep them in the long run. My girlfriend thinks I could scratch build better buildings, but she has no idea how much time goes into one idea! I have used a mixture of scenic material to create a base color that all my hexes will base off of to keep a uniform look (idea also attributed to Tom S. just not the same mix).

Ok here goes, please be gentle but FIRM in response. I NEED criticism to get better.

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb3 ... d001-1.jpg

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb3 ... oad006.jpg

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb3 ... oad016.jpg


Anyone know hwy the GHQ FAQ on photo posting will not work? I just posted the direct link to ensure peeps could look at the photos.

Please comment.

[piersyf]

My 2 cents worth; On first impressions (when the photo first opens) the terrain is very good. Certainly above average from my experience. The one criticism I'd make is in the first photo and it relates to the buildings; they're too 'flat' and washed out. As an image, the terrain has a good mix of light and shade, colour and tone. The buildings are greyish blocks that just don't seem to fit. Darker roof, defined windows would help a great deal.
A trick worth remembering with terrain is to stand at gaming distance from it and 'un-focus' your eyes so you only see colour and shading (tone) but can't see any detail. That way you can see what 'sticks out'.
Of course it may not be the paint job on the buildings, but the camera flash or something; however as all we have to comment on is the picture, that's something else to consider.

All in all, I'd be happy with it if I'd done it.

[gunbunny]

piersyf,

Yea I understand about the buildings, they are not painted! I just received them and thought I would add them to the hexes for ideas on layout when I took the pictures. I'm not too happy with the buildings details and that's why I mentioned I may not keep them.

Gunbunny

[Cav Dog]

The buildings look like offerings from the folks at JR. Their stuff has gotten a lot better recently. Not as detailed as our gracious host's products but they paint up fine for gaming purposes, although I wouldn't use them in a diorama.

[sfcgreg29er]

Hey Gunbunny,

Terrain looks good. Streams especially . Like the bridge too. My only suggestion is to put some bushes and vegetation along the steam banks.

[sfcgreg29er]

oops....Stream banks, not steam banks.

[Mk 1]

Anyone know hwy the GHQ FAQ on photo posting will not work? I just posted the direct link to ensure peeps could look at the photos.

Looks good to me. But ... the photos are BIG! It would be better if you reduced them to 800x600 or even 640x480. Most cameras come with some form of photo editing S/W that can do that. If not, most photo hosting sights let you choose to reduce the size of the pics when you upload them.

Might want to reply to my message using the "quote" button, so you can see exactly the string that inserts the photos. Easy to do once you "get it". But the slightest error in the syntax will cause it to fail.

[gunbunny]

Mk 1,

Thanks, next time I plan on putting up some photos I will ensure I resize them.

Gunbunny

[Theodore]

How about a nice sunny spot in the South Pacific...

Paul

Very cool island.

How do you like the microform palm trees?

I have been considering ordering a bunch for doing OIF and other middle eastern scenery. Are they sturdy enough for handling? How about assembly and painting?

[av8rmongo]

Theodore,

I'm going to assume you know the palm trees I have are the 1/2400 size ones, no assmbly required. The have larger ones but I have no experience with those. If it helps I have been very happy with things i have purchased from them and George provides good customer service if you call your order in. I'm sure he could tell you them.

Paul

[Pathfinder217]

Hi

I thought I would post a few pics of my new sandtable terrain and see what you guys thought of it. Any comments on improvements would be appreciated.

these are without foliage
http://i556.photobucket.com/albums/ss7/ ... MG1278.jpg
http://i556.photobucket.com/albums/ss7/ ... MG1282.jpg
http://i556.photobucket.com/albums/ss7/ ... MG1284.jpg

these are with foliage
http://i556.photobucket.com/albums/ss7/ ... C_0001.jpg
http://i556.photobucket.com/albums/ss7/ ... C_0003.jpg
http://i556.photobucket.com/albums/ss7/ ... C_0012.jpg

Thanks and Happy Holidays

[Mk 1]

Ok here is my first attempt at using TM hex materials.

I was on the road for a couple days with only sporatic net access, so I focused my first reply solely on the mechanics of getting pics into the posts. Now that I'm home I have a moment or two to comment on the terrain itself.

I followed Tom Stocktons directions on most of the hex types with the exception of the rivers (color and over coat from sfcgreg29er's suggestions).

Well I think you did a good job of choosing your counselors, because the terrain looks VERY good. Very good even for an old pro -- exceptionally VERY good for a first attempt!

I also scratch built a bridge using match sticks, toothpicks and pieces of hobby wood (2.99 for rectangles, a metric ton as far as micro scale, at the local store!).

Your scratch-built bridge is a lot better looking than my scratch-built bridge! I'd like to know how you cut your match-sticks / toothpicks / hobby wood to get such a uniform result.

My girlfriend thinks I could scratch build better buildings, but she has no idea how much time goes into one idea!

Rather agree with your thinking. I have done some scratch buildings, but in terms of time -- well you really want to have a LOT of buildings in your collection if you are going to be doing any amount of gaming. I feel most Europe-based games I see don't have enough structures. "Open ground" is actually not so common in modern industrialized nations. 50+ buildings is not a large collection by any means, and if you are set on scratch-building them all, I fear for you!

The only way scratch-building has given me a return on my investment of time is when I also developed my own home-casting ability, so that I could make 4 or 5 copies of each of my scratch building masters. But with buildings variety helps a lot -- so there are really only a few types of structures that I want to have 4 or 5 copies of (like Soviet thatched-roof cottages, or one or two versions of simple suburban homes.

Please comment.

I often find it worthwhile to comment not only on what might be done differently or better, but also on what is done well. And there are several things I notice that I think you have done well.

You've done a good job with the trees. In particular you seem to score nearly 100% on the "GHQ method" for the evergreens. Nicely done. Now for "extra credit" I might suggest hitting a few of them with a light-green quasi-dry brush, or a dark green (or even brown) wash, to give the foliage of the trees more variety. Not all evergreen leaves, branches, or trees are equally healthy and green.

I believe the decidious trees are home-made. Might be model Railroad course foliage (ground foam) applied to nails or toothpics? They are nicely done in any case. I see at least two colors of foliage on the deciduous trees. That brings more variety, and so more realism. You might also try mixing the colors of the foliage on one tree. I use three colors, and mix them per tree to give some one tone, some two tone, and some three tone trees. Again just adds to the character, making each tree a little more distinct from it's neighbor.

I like the presence of boulders in and among the terrain.

I like the ditrious (tree log, etc.) washed up on the spit in the river. Very nice bit of detailing that adds character to the terrain.

I like the edging of the dirt road.

Agree with the comments on some foliage on the stream banks. But I do like the visible differences in color of the dirt on the bank (where wet, were dry, and vs. the rest of the dirt).

I notice a change in colors under the bridge. Not sure if that is a case of neglecting to color some part of the stream you didn't think would be visible. If so, I would advise painting it more fully. I have taken to painting the undersides of my tanks, after seeing the bare metal of the inside of the tracks when viewing the tanks from ground-level (done in photography, but also by enthusiasts on the gaming table from time-to-time). No need to miss these small areas -- they don't take much time, just some attention, to dab with paint. If you were trying to show white-water currents around the bridge supports, I fear you didn't put enough variety into the coloring. Just light-blue won't do. gotta have some streaks / streams of white going over the lighter blue to give us the impression of confuses/disturbed waterflow.

Not sure that the paved road is colored right. Maybe too light for asphalt, yet too blue / too dark for concrete.

I particularly like the approach to coloring the sides of the hexes. I have seen several folks who did all the hex sides in the same dark color (either black, or a brown color matching (or worse yet not matching) their earth tone). But in your case I see that the edges of grass colored hexes are a green that approaches the green of the grass, while the edges of stream hexes are blue to match the water. This helps reduce the visibility of the hex lines / gaps. Well done!

But ... I also observe that the flocking changes near the sides of the hexes. It seems that the color of the "mix" changes. But I dought that's the case. So more likely the amount of the flocking declines near the edges. Maybe you "piled" in up in the center of the hex, and it was thinner near the edges (where it kept falling off while you were sprinkling it on). In any case, this draws attention to the hex patterning when many are put together. Might want to figure out how to be more consistant with the flocking out to the very edges of the hexes.

Overall I give this first every very high praise. Really well done. I'd feel privileged to play on theat terrain any day!