I'm about to pour the Magic Water in this pond, and was wondering if you guys would do anything different first. I'm not so sure on the color. I had an Ocean Green, but it seemed to light. I mixed all kinds of other colors in to get what's on there now. Thought about adding some black in the middle, but I think it may be too much of a transition that it wouldn't look natural. The dock and boats will be pressed into the water once it's almost dry.
Suggestions before I pour the Magic Water?
- Thread starter jonyb
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If you have an airbrush that would be the best way to add the brown and maybe very dark green over the black to simulate different depths. Let it overspray in an irregular pattern rather than trying to get a distinct line between colors like would appear using a regular brush. It will look a lot more realistic. I've painted my colors on a small test piece of scrap and added the resin on top as test samples. When the resin is hard I place the test sample on the pond bottom to see how it looks in the actual light it will be seen in. That way if I don't like the look I can change colors on another piece and try again. It takes a little time to do it that way but I feel it is time better spent than having a finished pond that doesn't look right.
Thanks, Stephen. With the paint drop and pinch of plaster of paris trick, I have no idea where that came from...pulled it out of my hat. I had grown tired of shiny flat and entirely transparent epoxy which I had for nearly two years. One day, I decided to try a cover before I ripped it all out and tried something else. I wanted turbidity, and felt that all I had was plaster powder. And, I wanted more colour like one sees in the South Thompson in British Columbia, so I had to figure out which paint combo to use. I was even under the impression what one mustn't mix water based paints, the craft acrylics being such, with epoxies. But, by this time I had nothing to lose since I was going to rip it out anyway. I was very happy with the outcome, but it was still glass-pane flat! So, I read that another guy used a stippling technique with the side of a small disposable foam brush and gel gloss medium that will not flow back to flat as Mod Podge and other liquid gloss mediums will do. Presto, and success!
Yes, that's it. It looks like cold cream, Nivea, say. Thinly paint the entire surface, and then turn the brush flat so that you can stipple the thin layer lightly with light taps here and there.
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Selector
Well-Known Member
I hope you will be receptive to my observations and suggestions.
First, the colour you have now is not right, but also it doesn't indicate any shift of light and depth.
What I did for my water was to paint a sealing base, in my case some wood putty that was so gooey it could be spread easily to seal any cracks. Once it cured, I painted it with a mixture of medium green and grey, even some brown thrown it, and painted the middle 2/3 of the surface from the center point outward toward the banks. When it dried, I lightened it by not adding any dark, and blended that toward the banks.
Over the dried surface, I then poured my water medium, but this time dyed with a single drop of Hauder Medium Green craft paint from Wal Mart's craft section, and a half-drop of yellow. I added a pinch, maybe 1/8 tsp of Plaster of Paris powder for turbidity. I poured two layers, letting each dry covered by stiff cardboard to keep out dusty and hairs.
(Use a soda straw in your mouth to gently blow at any bubbles that you see after the first three minutes. Also, you can spread every pour using a throw away scrap of clean wood. It usually means two or more pours as a result...NO LARGE POURS!)
To create the realistic water surface affected by eddies, currents, and wind drifts, I painted the top surface with a thin layer of gel gloss medium, and then turned the brush on its side and stippled that gloss medium.
This is the result indoors the first time I did this process.
Recently I built a small diorama for outdoors photography, and did much the same thing. Here is what it looks like in sunlight. This is a real shot outdoors, but the diorama with tracks and engine is all HO scale, including the Atlas Warren Truss bridge, scratched abutments, and the fake river.
First, the colour you have now is not right, but also it doesn't indicate any shift of light and depth.
What I did for my water was to paint a sealing base, in my case some wood putty that was so gooey it could be spread easily to seal any cracks. Once it cured, I painted it with a mixture of medium green and grey, even some brown thrown it, and painted the middle 2/3 of the surface from the center point outward toward the banks. When it dried, I lightened it by not adding any dark, and blended that toward the banks.
Over the dried surface, I then poured my water medium, but this time dyed with a single drop of Hauder Medium Green craft paint from Wal Mart's craft section, and a half-drop of yellow. I added a pinch, maybe 1/8 tsp of Plaster of Paris powder for turbidity. I poured two layers, letting each dry covered by stiff cardboard to keep out dusty and hairs.
(Use a soda straw in your mouth to gently blow at any bubbles that you see after the first three minutes. Also, you can spread every pour using a throw away scrap of clean wood. It usually means two or more pours as a result...NO LARGE POURS!)
To create the realistic water surface affected by eddies, currents, and wind drifts, I painted the top surface with a thin layer of gel gloss medium, and then turned the brush on its side and stippled that gloss medium.
This is the result indoors the first time I did this process.
Recently I built a small diorama for outdoors photography, and did much the same thing. Here is what it looks like in sunlight. This is a real shot outdoors, but the diorama with tracks and engine is all HO scale, including the Atlas Warren Truss bridge, scratched abutments, and the fake river.
Not receptive at all, in fact, I posted this in search of critiques since this will be my first one. I'm open to any and all suggestions.....
I've sealed everything with clear silicone and painted over that with black. The color that shows now was painted on after the black.
I've sealed everything with clear silicone and painted over that with black. The color that shows now was painted on after the black.
Did the plaster give it the lighter color in areas?
Selector
Well-Known Member
No, the material I used was a finish quality epoxy comprising resin and hardener that had to be carefully measured to have equal volumes, and then mixed very thoroughly. The mixing was stressed in the instructions to the point where I was to mix for two minutes, pour it into a fresh container, and commence another two minutes of semi-rapid stirring. Only then was I to pour the compound. So, in all that mixing, both the paints and the plaster powder were thoroughly embedded and evenly distributed to the point where it looks like natural water....no highlights or unevenness.
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With the exception of tropical oceans very few bodies of water appear blue. When they do it is because they have clean sandy bottoms and the water is reflecting the blue of the sky. Lakes and ponds in particular tend to be a lot more murky and dark. Crandell has some good tips in his reply.
If you have an airbrush that would be the best way to add the brown and maybe very dark green over the black to simulate different depths. Let it overspray in an irregular pattern rather than trying to get a distinct line between colors like would appear using a regular brush. It will look a lot more realistic. I've painted my colors on a small test piece of scrap and added the resin on top as test samples. When the resin is hard I place the test sample on the pond bottom to see how it looks in the actual light it will be seen in. That way if I don't like the look I can change colors on another piece and try again. It takes a little time to do it that way but I feel it is time better spent than having a finished pond that doesn't look right.
Don't have an airbrush, but I think I can blend it a little so the color changes won't be so distinct. Based over it today with black, then filled in from the sides with Raw Umber. I've got some dark green I'll mix in with the Magic Water and see how that looks.
Thanks for the suggestions fellas.
Thanks for the suggestions fellas.
Selector
Well-Known Member
You have very realistic looking water Selector
Thanks, Stephen. With the paint drop and pinch of plaster of paris trick, I have no idea where that came from...pulled it out of my hat. I had grown tired of shiny flat and entirely transparent epoxy which I had for nearly two years. One day, I decided to try a cover before I ripped it all out and tried something else. I wanted turbidity, and felt that all I had was plaster powder. And, I wanted more colour like one sees in the South Thompson in British Columbia, so I had to figure out which paint combo to use. I was even under the impression what one mustn't mix water based paints, the craft acrylics being such, with epoxies. But, by this time I had nothing to lose since I was going to rip it out anyway. I was very happy with the outcome, but it was still glass-pane flat! So, I read that another guy used a stippling technique with the side of a small disposable foam brush and gel gloss medium that will not flow back to flat as Mod Podge and other liquid gloss mediums will do. Presto, and success!
Selector
Well-Known Member
Hi, Jeff. The bridge is all part of a kit from Micro Engineering. The kit is a "110' combination through girder with deck girder ends". The piers you see were supplied with the kit.
http://microengineering.com/products_br.htm
The footings were those from a Faller bridge that I used on my first layout.
http://microengineering.com/products_br.htm
The footings were those from a Faller bridge that I used on my first layout.
Selector
Well-Known Member
Well, I'm happy with it....are you? 
I don't know if you allowed each pour to cure, but that was the idea. If this one is still tacky, you should cover it, but let some air move across it, and just walk away for about two days. Later, when your thumbnail clicks on it, you can get some gel gloss medium and paint a thin layer atop your pour. Then turn the brush on its side and just do a gentle stiple, no sliding the brush...just lift and drop, move, drop, lift, move, drop, lift... Depending on how thick some of the larger waves are, it may take two or three days for the white gel to go clear...but it will go clear.
I don't know if you allowed each pour to cure, but that was the idea. If this one is still tacky, you should cover it, but let some air move across it, and just walk away for about two days. Later, when your thumbnail clicks on it, you can get some gel gloss medium and paint a thin layer atop your pour. Then turn the brush on its side and just do a gentle stiple, no sliding the brush...just lift and drop, move, drop, lift, move, drop, lift... Depending on how thick some of the larger waves are, it may take two or three days for the white gel to go clear...but it will go clear.
Selector, what is the gel gloss medium that you are using? Is it like a clear-type paint?
Edit: This? http://www.google.com/products/cata...=X&ei=aKzXTqqDN8etgwfN3p2fDw&ved=0CI8BEPMCMAE#
Edit: This? http://www.google.com/products/cata...=X&ei=aKzXTqqDN8etgwfN3p2fDw&ved=0CI8BEPMCMAE#
Looks like you hit it right on Jonyb. The coloring is very believable. For ducks and other items in the water cut the bottoms off them at the point where you would see only the part above the water and sand the bottom of that cut flat. Then you can either glue them in place with a very tiny drop of WS scenic cement or white glue and then pour and brush the acrylic gloss top coat or pour the top coat and stick the items in while it is still wet and then brush for the wave effect. Adding them after the pour you won't need to glue them down. The acrylic will hold them when it hardens but be careful when brushing it out so you don't move them around.
Selector
Well-Known Member
Yes, that's it. It looks like cold cream, Nivea, say. Thinly paint the entire surface, and then turn the brush flat so that you can stipple the thin layer lightly with light taps here and there.
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