First ONE

While a long way away from the Eastern USA down in Aus. the first one looks far better to my eyes.

Enjoy your posts and videos...Regards Kenn

The first one looks a lot

The first one looks a lot more attractive than the second one. More variety.

Opinion on Foilage

I like the one with the rock face better than the other one.  I think the rock face adds more realism to the scene.  There's also more variety in bushes, trees, etc.  The second scene is too much of the same color of green.  It all seems to blend together.  Perhaps a closer shot of the scene may look better.

The rock face in the first photo is very realistic.  How did you do it?  Is it a plaster casting?  How did you color it to get it to look so realistic?

Bob

Rock face

Bob,

Thanks for weighing in with your opinion and kind words.

The rock face is carved from plaster using a very similar method as Joe F. describes in his videos and as also shown in the videos on the Woodland Scenics website.  Here's some pictures of some of my other other rock carvings using the same methods with the first one showing the rocks and the second one with pointing out some of the colors used in the process:

Scenery

Its very hard to compare the two pictures since one is at a "model" person's eye level and the other is from a helicopter directly overhead.  The eye level picture has a semi-finished foreground (the rail is the worst part of the picture) and the overhead has raw foam.

Both are good.

I would want the base foliage to be more uneven, various thicknesses.  Note the picture pointing out the rock colors appears to have more variation in the base vegetation.  From that standpoint the helicopter view might be better.

Don't be afraid to use more yellows in the "grass" (wild grass yellows in the summer) and browns under dense trees (less grass more dead leaves).  Throw in a few bunches of tall grass (unraveled twine standing vertically in a dot of glue or small hole) and a couple dead trees or branches (use dried roots of small shrubs).

All of it looks good, just some more options.

I am with Dave

Rick,

These two images are a little hard to compare as they are from different vantage points and show different benefits and different short comings.

As with any good modeling I believe working from photos is a must, do you have any pictures of the type to scenery you are trying to duplicate? 

I am also a huge proponent of using a variety of materials and colors, I think a blend of your two techniques and maybe even the addition of some others will give you the best results. Even something as simply as spraying the clump foliage with hair spray and sprinkling Noch Leaves on them will dramatically increase the look of the scene.

Please keep us posted on your progress!!

The Prototype

Googlemaps street view south of Exton PA on Rte 100. The bridge in front used to carry the PRR's Thorndale cutoff while the one in the background is the PRR's (now Amtrak) Harrisburg mainline. I grew up in this area. The thing to  remember is that trees, bushes and shrubs are everywhere! I think a good rule of thumb would be, when you think you have just the right amount of foliage, add some more!

Also, the roads, even highways, are much narrower and the over passes are much lower than they are elsewhere in the country.

-George

Thank you guys.

I appreciate your feedback and think that I will go with a modified version of what is shown in the first photo by taking many of your suggestions.  Thanks!

The first photo has a

The first photo has a photograph for the back drop which adds a lot. The hill in front of it and your rock work are really great as well so that will look good in front of anything. I would not dismiss your second picture though as depending on what else is in the scene a small bit of the poly fiber and ground foam could really hide the line between the 3D and 2D stuff very effectively with out detracting from your modeled scenes. If you actually have a bit of poly fiber and foam you might try a quick spot of it next to your backdrop and see how it looks there.

Rob in Texas

A question or two

Are you going for the floor of a forested area, or are you going for the tops (of the trees) for a forested area?  Your second pic could almost be the shot looking over a cliff at the tops of the trees if there was more varied  shapes.  You top original (old) pic shows some dirt color (beige) showing through near the cliff face- this to me is much more realistic.  But ooking at your more-detailed pics of the cliff face from the side, the green looks like a well-manicured lawn.  A way to break that up is some static grass just in the fore-front of that top bit.  You wouldn't even need to go far deep with it, maybe only to the first trees or so.   It'll break that up pretty quick.  Could even do as I've done and grind up some free leaves from the yard and sprinkle them in the foreground as well, then sprinkle some ground foam on that to suggest weeds.

If I'm not mistaken you're trying out your method (a great one btw) of saturating polyfoam with ground foam- as you posted a thread on that technique many moons ago.  I think that it just needs some more variation in height and what-not, and have some of the under-earth showing through.  Make it wavy or clumpy, if I may be so bold?