Interesting Technique

I have not seen the "spotted Method" but I can see how you can have very good control of the area and would be very helpful in many situations.

I look forward to the foliage!!

Looks very good Rick. The end

Looks very good Rick. The end product seems to look better than the levels would indicate. I am a bit surprised though at all the different colors of rocks in the same area. In my memory I don't remember much difference in rock colors other than shading (darker and lighter of the same color) when looking at cuts of stone where a road was cut through a hillside or a railroad passed through or a large excavation was done for a building. The exceptions would be a few areas out west that were unusual areas and thus of scenic wonder. Now I have not seen all parts of the country just thinking about the areas of Appalachia that I spent time in.

Rob in Texas

Thanks, Greg - here's info on the technique

Here's a link to a video on the spotting technique:

Rob in Texas - rock colors

I agree that to the eye their doesn't appear to be much variety of colors in the rocks and that's because I believe our mind sees rocks as a similar color; however, the pictures that I've seen of the rocks in the Eastern U.S. do indeed have a variety of colors.  It's interesting that when I look at my rocks with the naked eye I just did (shown in these pictures) I don't see the colors like I do in the pictures.

This difference between what we see in pictures and the same area viewed "live" is true in many things beside model railroading.

Outstanding work, Rick!

I know how much time this all takes (I'm working on re-ballasting some of my modules right now) and how much patience.

Keep on rockin'!

Al

The other thing for me Rick

The other thing for me Rick is a bit of color blindness as well, which is why I ask regarding the colors and described it as according to my memory, I did forget to mention my impairment with color though. When ever I need to try and match colors I seek help from someone else as often what looks good to me does not jive with the rest of the sighted world. However you have described the color variation for me and that helps, when I do scenery I will have someone with good color vision assist me. That's another reason I admire all the nice painting on backdrops that you guys do, I just can't do it.

Rob in Texas

Thanks, Hobo Al

Rock (Paper, Scissors)

Hi Rick - I love rock work to - extremely satisfying (the model railroading equivalent of paper hanging in home decorating perhaps when all the prep. comes together?)
 

It's great watching this develop - please keep posting

Rob

Cornhill & Atherton RR

Rob, thanks for the info

Rob,

One of my sons is completely color blind so I can understand (as best I can) the impairment. You are wise to seek help from others on color options - my son does the same thing (usually his wife) - especially when picking out his clothes!

Rock (Paper, Scissors)

Rob,

Too funny!  So I'm not the only wack-o that likes to hack away at plaster?   Since I'm Mr. Short Attention Span I like the (almost) instant gratification that I get from rock carving - very therapeutic! 

leopard spots

That's what the lady at the woodland scenics workshop called it. Leopard Spots. Reds and yellows are fine for the South West but it's grays and greens with some rust spots for New England. here's a small cut blasted out to widen a road.

Dry Brush Highlights and Shadows

The rockwork looks fantastic.  If you want a "rugged" look:

Try drybushing down with light colors to accent the surfaces and edges with sunlight.

Try drybrushing up with dark colors to accent the ledges with shadows.

Thanks, Bruce

Rock On! - another foot carved & colored

It isn't much, but I completed another foot of rock carving & coloring to the right of the previous rocks.

Looks like you're getting

Looks like you're getting somewhere! Good work!

Your rock carvings are really

Your rock carvings are really nice Rick. You have the eye for detail that makes them look like scale scenery instead of mutilated plaster. I will likely be using some of your photos to show some of the guys what good rock cuts look like.

Rob in Texas

Mutilated plaster. I like

Mutilated plaster. I like that!

Adding the 1st layer of ground foam

I've learned from other modelers that using multiple layers of materials for ground cover gives much better results.  Today I added the first layer of ground foam between the rock outcroppings.  I used a small brush to apply straight white glue.  For foam I used WS "Blended Turf - Green Blend" which I applied with the shaker bottle on the horizontal surfaces and used a piece of paper and the "fly speck" method for more vertical surfaces.

The large "crack" to the right of the picture is where the two sections of the benchwork meet.  I'll be putting foam rubber in the joint and covering it with foam.  The idea is to make the sections easier to take apart in case of a move.

Next up I'll be adding a different ground foam.

Looks good Rick what is the

Looks good Rick what is the fly speck method?

Rob in Texas

How to Flyspecking video

Rob,  Thanks!

Here's a video on the "flyspecking" method from Woodland Scenics(tm)

Hey, thanks for posting that

Hey, thanks for posting that it looks real easy. I'm just surprised I never heard of it before now. It also looks like it would be very effective.

Rob in Texas

Richlawn RR V2 - adding trees & bushes

The area in the picture below is still under construction with more types of ground cover to be added, but I wanted to show the recent progress.

Another layer - adding ground foam on top of the static grass

I didn't like the way the area looked with just the bushes among the static grass so I added a mixture of two colors of ground course foam in between the bushes.  I sprinkled it on and then used my finger to work it down into the grass.

Now 'yer talkin'

That really was a big improvement. Before, the bushes looked a bit like they were floating on the surface and now they look like they are growing out of the terrain.