Grass/Pavment

[Fuel Injected]

I'm going to start building on a dio in a few days once i get the base.

Im building the typical balsa wood frame garage.

i want to have an old junker behind the garage aswell full of parts and stuff.

I want a driveway leading to the garage then maybe ill make little steping stones around back.

ive never workd with grass for this is my second dio.

Whats a simple tecnic that a nub like me will understand???

also i was gonig to spray sand paper black as the drive way, becasue i have plenty of big sheets.

Or Is This a bad idea? Help please!!!

Hope SOME1 READS THIS!... i realy need help with thouse 2 things.

Cheers!

[whale392]

Do NOT spray the sandpaper Black. Very few driveways are true black (even fresh asphault has some Gray in it, as well as some blue hues). Instead, if you are going to use the sandpaper idea, shoot it a meduim Gray color and airbrush/cut template spray various shades of darker Grays and oily Blacks into it.

As for grass; model railroading supply sections can be your best friend. Also, for taller grass; worn camel hair paintbrushes dyed various shades of greens, yellows, and light browns. Cut the bristles to appropriate length and plant with white glue.

[Harry P.]

Do NOT spray the sandpaper Black. Very few driveways are true black (even fresh asphault has some Gray in it, as well as some blue hues). Instead, if you are going to use the sandpaper idea, shoot it a meduim Gray color and airbrush/cut template spray various shades of darker Grays and oily Blacks into it.

Agreed. The only time an asphalt driveway is black is just after it's been laid down. From that moment on it fades. Go with a medium gray, then use some white, black and gray pastels to add different areas of color... use your finger to smear the pastels around to create a mottled look. A real asphalt driveway (especially an old, worn one) is never all just one shade of gray.

Then use a fine brush and flat black to add a few random cracks. You can create "oil patches" by using diluted thinned black and painting random splotches on the "driveway."

[crazyjim]

I've used model train grass - it's kinda sorta like flocking. Paint the base green and while the paint is still wet, drop the grass on it.

Same with the driveway. Model trains asphalt dropped over wet paint. I've used black paint and you can get the asphalt in different colors and grain size.

I think the company is Great Plains that makes the texture stuff.

[whale392]

Woodland Scenics is the company that makes most of the Model Railroad grasses and scenic material (ballasts, ashes, cinders, ect...........).

[crazyjim]

Thanks for the correction, Brad.

[Fuel Injected]

Thanks for the posts guys,

I'm still kinda Stuk I no about woodland scenics, but i'm Australian

postage will cost to much.

I don't no of any model shops near me but I'll keep looking

I think I might give the pastal idea a shot for the driveway

and not sure on grass yet

keep leavin ideas

cheers

[whale392]

Most of the Woodland Scenics 'grasses' are actually finely ground foam, so I don't see why you couldn't get some from an old car seat or something like that, dye it and then finely grind it. Also, back before Woodland Scenics, guys would take sawdust, sift it to various grades, dye it, and use it for ground cover. My idea for the taller grass would also work for shorter grass as well by 'burying' the dyed bristles deeper into the scene base.

Of note on the driveway....you want to use sandpaper as you already have it. While I can agree with that thought, might I suggest some of the wall stucco or seal filling/spotting/glazing putties from a home improvement store? These can be dyed as well, and will give a very convincing texture and can be made to resemble anything from concrete to gravel depending on how you treat it when you are laying it down. Plaster will work just as well. For dyes and stains, the sky is the limit on what you can use and with the plaster/putty route, you can get a pre-color by dying it before you lay it down....making later detailing a little easier. Can you tell I used to do model Railroading?

Jim; no problem, we are all here to help one another out and if I have some info that will help I will share it. My modeling skills may not be top-notch, but I have been around/into enough different aspects to have picked up some useful info somewhere along the way!

[crazyjim]

Yo Fuel Injected - go to Woodland Scenics website and check the dealers. I didn't count them, but there are probably 12 or so dealers in Australia taht carry the stuff.

[Fuel Injected]

Thanks to guy latest replys...

im new to dioramas i didnt thing this much thought went into it all but, i under stand realistic is better thanks guys. ill check out ur ideas.

Keep posting

Cheers

[whale392]

Also something to think about; different areas of the world (and countries of it) use different stuff and have drastically different soil compositions. If you want to replicate a specific area, getting rear dirt from that area and using it in your diorama will lend a great deal of credible 'place' to it. Also, civil engineers do things differently in certain areas, so looking at how the real drive is layed out will also help add credibility of the scene.

[coopdad]

Gray sandpaper is what I used... splattered with flat black (and some white) using a toothbrush. Plus a few other "clues" for pavement (burn outs and pit marks). Really easy and quick to get realistic results.

Let me know if you want me to get some pix of it without the car.

John

[whale392]

^^^ Looks good John ^^^

[wilderness1989]

THANKS THERE ARE SOME GREAT IDEAS HERE.

[Mercman]

If you do decide to use real dirt here's a tip for you. BAKE IT first. By this I mean get a old pan cake pan, or a cheap aluminum roaster pan, and put your dirt in it. Put it in the oven at 325 degrees for 1/2 hour, then remove, and let it cool. This will kill off anything nasty hiding in it. Also do this with sand.

After its cooled run it through a sieve/ strainer to get the bigger pieces out.If you have a dollar store or the equivalent of such, just buy a cheap one. Put the contents into a container, and mark it as fine, coarse or what ever size it is.

Another thing you can do is find a old blender to chop up leaves to make clutter for the ground.

A real old trick to making grass is to dye saw dust. Put it into a container, add water, and food coloring dye, mix well then let the water evaporate. You can also control the color by how much coloring agent you use. When dry once again sift it out, and store it in a container.

To adhere it, use a diluted white glue. You want this the consistency of skim milk, mix it about 50/59 glue to water, and apply to a small section at a time.

If you need more help you can PM me or e-mail me.

At the link is a tutorial on adding weeds.

http://s8.photobucket.com/user/mercman51/library/Tutorials/Weeds?sort=3&page=1

Edited June 16, 2013 by Mercman

[Sixties Sam]

I've used model railroading grass. It works well, but I ran out once when I was making a dio and used sawdust instead. I painted the styrofoam dio base with green latex house paint and dropped sawdust on it while it was wet. After it dried, I shook off the excess and sprayed the base with green Krylon paint. I used several shades of green in spots so it didn't look too perfect like a golf course. It worked well, and was free!

Sam

[67hrholden]

Another idea for your driveway is to use gyprock and remove the paper from one side, basically gives you plaster board that can be painted, dyed and stained to suit. Very easy to simulate cracks etc. in it too. I think its called dry wall in the US and there are some fine videos on Youtube for its uses. Youtube is also a great spot to get ideas from as well as from this forum.

[spotarama]

hiya fuel injected, i'm in oz too (none too sunny melbourne, at least not today). i bought a big bag if green gras/flocking stuff from a railroad shop ages ago for a diorama and used about a teaspoon.......if you email me on spotarama@hotmail.com with your address i'll send you a bag full of the stuff, i've even got a load of free auspost o/nite satchels so it won't cost either of us anything, glad to help

i made the driveway surfaces for my dio to look like concrete, i tinted pourable plaster with black acrylic paint and then scribed 'expansion' grooves and cracks into the surface once it had dried. as it was a scruffy sort of yard i was depicting i used a tiny bit of the grass material in some of the grooves to replicate the grass that naturally grows in the cracks and grooves in your driveway.

you can see some pix of it being used as the background for some of my cars on

http://spotarama.webs.com/apps/photos/album?albumid=5878391

if you like i can drag it out of its hiding place in the cupboard and get some better pics

cheers spotty

Edited July 18, 2013 by spotarama

[Foxer]

Model railroad sites are the place to look for grasses and ideas that will do the look you want.

The latest thing they are using is static grass. This can get expensive for a small diorama but produces the most natural looking grass, especially longer field grass. The applicator created a static charge so the grass strands stand up on end. Noch is one of the brands but there are many now. Here's a video showing how it's applied that may explain things more.

[Davewilly]

I found that skateboard decking works great for asphalt and it has an self adhesive backing on it. It can have painted stripes or weathered markings done in chalks and even real dirt used on it for a great look. Sorry i dont have a picture of mine I used.

[Modelbuilder Mark]

There is a product that was made for military and diorama builders by a company called Hudson and Allen Studios that makes very very fine powders that you mix wix with water to create Asphalt, concrete, mud red clay etc etc. They have muiltiple colors, and you can mix them for difference shading etc. I bought several bags more then 10 years ago, so I am not sure what is avail at this time, but they are great products.