Well, I like that you're modeling the desert, so few people have the tenacity to do so, and I admire you for that. I have some suggestions!
-Lighting: You may want to take all your traditional Incandescent Light Bulbs, and switch to the true-color spectrum GE Reveal Bulbs. They make your hard work look 100% better.
I have some Sylvania Daylight Bulbs in the room now but I'll take a look at the GE Reveal Bulbs... Lighting is a big problem in that room and one that I'm gonna have to address some way.. Thanks for the tip on the bulbs.
-Did you research what your stretch of desert has to offer as far as the types of vegetation, rocks, and sand? Any Saguaro Cactus' in the region *(or other Cactus) How about Joshua Trees, or other unusual plants?
I've done quite a bit of research on the area, in fact I use sand and rocks from the general area for the model base - got them from the Arizona Rock and Mineral Company. They put out great stuff.
There are cacti, sagebrush, tumbleweeds and a few Joshua trees in the area, I'm just having a problem finding any good sources for such or finding/figuring out a way to make them myself. I plan on trying some grey/natural colored lichen this week for tumbleweeds and seeing how they come out. As far as Joshua Trees are concerned I've studied a good deal of pictures of them and I'm totally lost as how to even begin to model one... If anyone knows of a source for Joshua Trees or Sagebrush in HO let me know - I'd be all over that like a Rooster on a June Bug.
now for a couple questions:
-What's the crumpled red-brown thing? Scrap Metal out in the desert?
That is a VERY badly painted rock... The colors on my rock outcropping is way off as a few have pointed out.. I'm in the process now of stripping them and starting over... got three repainted and posted the pics to this weekends (5/11-5/13) photo fun thread.
-Is the paved black top road? What's with the unorthodox crossover? (Or is that where track will be laid?)
That is track road bed ::nods:: it's Woodland Scenics Foam Track Roadbed. As Spacemouse likes to tease me I have the only Model Railroad in the world that has no track or trains.
Finally Praise!
-I really like you you made those dirt roads, they're PERFECT!!
-The "Doughnut" Dirt Road tells a narrative piece in itself!
-I love the little tree in photo 1, how'd you make it?
Thank you, the praise is greatly appreciated. The small trees and some of the scrub brush is made from Scenic Express Super Trees material, it is a plant in the same family as Sagebrush.
Thanks again for your time, input and praise.
Peace