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Landscape Modelling

Landscape Modelling

  by Andy Slater

This article deals with creating the landscape itself i.e. hills. Issues such as making model buildings and trees are covered in other articles on this site.

Various materials can be used for the construction of landscape and each has its advantages and disadvantages depending on the function of the model landscape. For example, with landscape for use in war gaming, it is pretty much essential that the landscape incorporates flat areas upon which the game models will stand and fight, while in the genre of railway modelling, these flat areas would be undesirable because they are unrealistic.

Expanded polystyrene

Expanded polystyrene is light in weight and easy, if potentially messy, to sculpt. The best way to cut it is with a hot wire cutter. Failing this, a sharp knife can be used. Saws and carving knives are also sometimes suggested and these are fine if you don't mind spending the next couple of days clearing up the mess because it will get everywhere!

Expanded polystyrene lends itself particularly well to terrain for war gaming where, for example, a tiered hill is what is required. For other purposes the 'tiered' appearance is removed by sculpting.

Care has to be taken in choosing suitable adhesives and paint. Acrylic and oil based paint should be okay but cellulose based paint will dissolve the surface.

Although finishes such as paint and scatter materials can be applied directly to the polystyrene, a more usual approach is to apply a coat of plaster or papier mache first. This also presents an opportunity for sculpting further detail.

Papier Mache

True papier mache is made by pounding torn up paper in size until it is reduced to a pulp. The papier mache (literally 'mashed paper') is then pressed onto formers in order to squeeze out the water. In the context of this article however we are really talking about pasting small pieces of paper onto a former using wallpaper paste. The only significant disadvantage to this method of production is that you can only apply 3 or 4 layers are a time or the whole thing will become too soggy and take weeks to dry out. Perhaps the best method is to apply a couple of layers and then allow it to dry out over night before applying a couple more. Something in the order of 6 to 12 layers will be required depending upon the nature of the base to which it is being applied.

As already stated, expanded polystyrene is on option for the underlying structure and in this instance only a relatively thin layer of paper is strictly necessary as the polystyrene will remain in place to support it. In this instance the paper is there to 'smooth out' the surface and provide an inert base for the application of paint. You should however consider what any further details (like trees and buildings) will be attached to as this might suggest that a thicker layer of paper would work better.

Another potential support for the paper scenery is crumpled paper. It is quite possible to for the basic shape of the landscape to be constructed with balls of crumpled paper which are prodded and taped into place before an outer shell is made by applying pasted paper. This method has the advantage that the support structure can be torn away afterward leaving a hollow shell which is particularly useful in railway modelling where access may well be required for wiring. In this instance it is usual to tape sheets of paper across the openings in the baseboard to support the crumpled paper.

Chicken wire presents another option for substructure but is more appropriate when plaster is being using for the landscape surface.

Plaster

Perhaps the main advantage of plaster is that it can be moulded and carved in order to simulate a variety of surfaces. The downside is that it can be somewhat messy to use and will crack under stress. The first of these problems is overcome by taking suitable precautions while working i.e. wearing old clothes and covering anything that might get spilt or splashed onto, with polythene sheeting. The problem of cracking can be reduced my making sure you have a solid support structure and using suitable reinforcing material in the plaster.

The plaster is generally applied as two layers. The first is applied in conjunction with pieces of paper or course cloth which allows the plaster to bridge small gaps in the substructure and reinforces it so that it is less likely to suffer stress cracks at a later date. When this has dried, a coat of neat plaster will be required in order to hide the texture of the reinforcing material. This also provides an opportunity for moulding and sculpting surface details.

Polystyrene or crumpled paper can be used as a support structure as described previously however in the field of railway modelling it is more usual to use chicken wire. Sheets of this material can be stapled over openings in the baseboard and pushed and pulled into the desired shape. There are two disadvantages with this material neither of which are difficult to overcome. The first is that when applied the plaster and paper mixture will sag into the mesh of the chicken wire producing an odd, hexagonal pattern on the landscape. This is easily rectified when the topcoat of plaster is applied. The second problem occurs at a later date when you want to cut a hole in plaster landscape. The best way of doing this is to carve down to the wires with a modelling knife and then use wire cutters to snip through them.

Another alternative to chicken wire is to weave a mesh of cardboard strips across openings but this is really only suitable for small areas as the cardboard is likely to sag when the wet plaster is applied.

Adding Surface Detail

It has already been suggested that the plaster surface can be sculpted and moulded to simulate rock faces etc. A number of moulds are commercially available by it is also possible to make your own using latex (see article elsewhere on this site). Another option is to press a piece of crumpled aluminium foil onto the surface of the wet plaster. This is removed when dry the plaster is dry and with only a little extra carving a realistic looking rock formation can be created.

Another method of adding detail is to use natural materials such as pieces of real rock and embedding them into the model landscape. Cork bark is also readily available from model shops and looks to all extents and purposes like a miniature rock face.

Scatter materials, either the commercially available ones or home made ones made from sawdust or sand, are a good way of adding texture and colour to the model landscape. They are usually fixed in place by applying glue to the model landscape and scattering the materials onto it. Two other useful techniques can also be employed:

The first is particularly useful when dealing with ballast along railway tracks and this is to apply the scatter material to the dry surface and add glue afterwards. This allows the dry material to be moved around using a brush until it is spread out as required. It is then fixed in place by dripping a watered down solution of PVA glue using an eyedropper or teaspoon. The glue should be diluted with an equal quantity of water and a drop of washing up liquid to reduce the surface tension and make it flow better. The ballast should be thoroughly soaked and left to harden.

The second method is to mix the scatter material with glue before it is applied to the model. This allows the material to be pasted and sculpted into position.