Half a tree

Don Hanley wrote a nice article about blending trees into backdrops. It appeared in June 2017: http://mrhpub.com/2017-06-jun/download/88.MRH17-06-Jun2017-P.pdf

The tree information appears several pages into the story.

He may not have made the type of trees you have in mind, but the principles will still apply.

Yep BTDT

Hi Mike,

These trees are up against the backscene on a sectional layout that is stored and transported in racks. When viewed from the front (usual viewing angle), here's what you see, 

From above, these trees are almost triangular in shape. They were deliberately selected from the pile of others because they were flatter on one side than the other, could fit within the module "outline", and, not be wiped out when the module is being placed in or taken from its rack.  These trees would be less than 2" deep.

If we readily accept that we can selectively amputate our model buildings to make them fit as "flats", then why not model trees? Go for it, and please take some photos to show how you got on,  

Didn't have time atm to read

Didn't have time atm to read the article.  Is a tree flat the same thing as a flat tree?  i.e. tree in mainly 2 dimensions?

Yes.

Very easy and relatively inexpensive to do. Most of the twigs we find in nature are too “flat” to use as an armature unless they go against the backdrop. I use JTT scenery foliage fiber (light green) for the trees you see in this shot. The fiber is glued to and stretched out over twigs from my back yard to the desired texture and sprayed with hair spray. You could make your own foliage for less with the right materials but I like the color and ease of use of the JTT product. Quick, easy, cheap and a great way to hide cut seams on a backdrop. It’s also a great way to transition from 2D to 3Din a narrow space not to mention you can’t beat the color of the armature.

Have fun fun with your model.

Tree Flats

Mike

I think what you are looking for is described in my 3-D backdrop article. Here is the link

  https://forum.mrhmag.com/magazine-feedback-was-ezines-891776

I've done something of the sort..

I used scrubbing sponges and cut them into silhouettes of hillside shapes... adding various green paints added depth .. if you drive highways in the east, the Appalachians have similar appearance near sunset.. when the lighting makes your sense of depth disappear.

Using large pieces and 'tiling' them together, they cover about 3-4 sq. feet of wall... and the joints are easy (!) to hide.

Half trees

I have cut woodland senics trees and polly fill trees in half and glued them to the backdrop in several areas on my layout. In very narrow areas they are the only trees, in others I placed full trees infront of them.

Super trees...

It's really easy to do with the Super tree plants. Just rip off one half of the 'branches' and flock only one side.

Tree flats

Have a look at this as well:

http://mrhpub.com/2017-01-jan/online/files/117.html
/>
Rob Clark

tree mirrors?

surely if you cut a normal tree in half vertically so the back of it was totally flat against the backdrop, and then put a small thumbnail sized piece of mirror behind it so that the edges of the tree covered the edges of the mirror, then it would look like there was much more tree there than there actually is?  and as long as you were looking slightly down at the tree as we do on our layouts, then the reflection out the front of the branches would just be of green grass or whatever ground is in front of the tree so it would just look like there was the same ground behind the tree. that would give a fantastic impression of depth. if the mirror went all the way to the ground then you would see double the number of trunks as well.