I source my trees from ebay from a seller called 9amfree. You don't need to buy from this seller however I have found I can get a bag of trees for extremely cheap. Generally its well under $1 Australian Dollar per tree with free post! If you are paying any more you aren't searching hard enough. I generally search for the size of the tree I am after eg - Wargame Tree 10cm
The bases I mount them on are from back2basix. Again I get these off eBay with free post and current cost as of writing this article is 50 bases for $13.95! Bargain! This is for 60mm bases.
The trees have a tendency to shed initially and will occasionally shed once I have finished with them but I have done my best to make them nice and robust and should last years with correct care.
You can trim the trees to preferred height but in this tutorial I use some tall 15cm trees.
Step 1 - Use a cheap strong Hairspray to seal the tree - Spray lots! This provides durability to the foliage on the tree and will reduce shedding. I use this brand, cheap and strong. Once dry remove mold lines with a knife.
Step 2 - I drill a hole in base - I use liquid nails to glue it in. The liquid nails provides stability and strength. It soaks just a little bit into the MDF however does not warp.
Step 3 - I use a cheap "Artists Acrylic" to paint the base brown
Step 4 - I use Tamiya texture paint for some dirt. Completely optional and you can substitute this for sand or any of your preferred earthy textures. Or just skip this stage!
Step 5 - I use a light and dark flock to texture the base
Step 6 - I spray the tree with adhesive spray. I then sprinkle on a mixture of the shedded material the trees come in, some course and fine flock. Once dry I drench it in hairspray to seal.
Step 7 - I add some ground scatter, clump foliage and some rocks. I finally go over it with some Matte Varnish. I use AK Ultimate Matte Varnish through the airbrush.
Some examples of other trees I have made. Pretty.
It's so sad you got no comments for such a great post. I'm currently in the process of buying ebay trees for my Middle-Earth SBG campaign and I'd like to thank you for this post. I'll try to look whether you posted something similar terrain-wise. Thank you! Respect.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment. I think blogging is being drowned out by social media such as Facebook etc.
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