blog:miniatures:eldar_display [Target-Earth]

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====== Eldar Forest/Hills Display ======

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==== Materials ====

   * 10mm extruded foam board
   * 30mm extruded foam board
   * PVA glue
   * Contact adhesive
   * Clear spray varnish
   * toilet roll paper
   * hot glue
   * Woodland Scenics tree armatures
      * 3-5" Deciduous set (TR1122)
      * 2-3" Deciduous set (TR1121)
   * Woodland Scenics clumb-foliage medium green (FC683)
   * WWS North Europe grass 2mm
   * WWS North Europe grass 6mm
   * WWS dry earth
   * Assorted fine/coarse sand

==== Building the boards ====

The boards cut out and layers stuck together with hot glue:

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Covering with toilet roll paper soaked in watered down PVA glue (approx 10 parts PVA : 1 part water). This both protects the foam boards / gives the base a really tough finish when dry, but also gives the surface an uneven, less artificial texture:

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Priming with a mix of PVA glue, tan paint and fine sand:

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==== Painting & Weathering ====

Base coat dark brown:

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Adding coarse sand and gravel around base of hills:

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Painting sand and gravel:

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Several layers of lighter browns applied via drybrush techniques to hills, rocks and gravel:

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==== Grass ====

Grass clumps stuck in place around hill edges:

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First layers of 2mm (centre area) and 6mm (edges) static grass:

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Second layer of static grass applied, along with little bits of dry earth:

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==== Trees ====

I'm using two sizes of trees; 3-5" and 2-3". This first lot are the larger set from the //Woodlands Scenics 3-5" Deciduous// range (TR1122).

Bending armatures into place:

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Prime in dark brown/grey:

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Drybrush in light brown/tan + brown ink wash:

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Clump foliage stuck to branches (branches coated in Evo-Stick contact adhesive) and then dusted with fine blended turf (dusted with varnish so that it will stick):

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Larger trees glued in place:

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No pictures of the smaller trees (2-3" variants), but they were done in exactly the same method.
==== Monument/Ancient Portal ====

Portal monument cut from 10mm foam and sealed with PVA glue:

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Priming:

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Painted and weathered:

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Static grass/moss added:

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==== Finished Display ====

Complete, minus painted sides of the foam bases:

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Sides painted and monument terrain piece added:

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This shelf will probably need an extra LED lighting strip adding to make up for the shadows cast by the large number of trees.

=== Additional Lighting ===

With an additional loop of LED lighting installed on the shelf above, the diorama looks much better and should give the figures plenty of light when they are displayed:

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