Dried mud is best I have ever seen

Great job with this difficult land form!

Michael

The wet test of the estuary

The wet test of the estuary looks superand your idea for recreating it with gloss and semi gloss sounds good.

I missed how you did the cracked mud. How did you do that!

Mud flats

Turned out very nice, for mud. 

billgill4, I used a product

billgill4,

I used a product call Distress crackle clear rock candy. It comes in gel form and I mixed latex paint in it.

I experimented with it at first, and it is surprisingly durable when dry. I tried to pry off the "flakes" with my nails and a screwdriver; won't come off.

It has to be applied thickly. I like how it bonded well with the grout underneath it.

https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/41123?page=42

Michael and Dave, Thank you

Michael and Dave,

Thank you for the kinds words.

It took a lot of layers and experiments; still more to do.

It looks great indeed! For

It looks great indeed!

For shallow depictions of water I have used thinned PVA (and non-thinned) in the past (think like 1/700 sea).

Thanks for posting Dee and looking forward to seeing further progress.

Thank Yannis, Next time I'm

Thank Yannis,

Next time I'm out and about I will check out clear PVA.

PVA

Correct me if I'm wrong, Yannis: Doesn't PVA go down white and dry clear? So, whether you thin it or not, when it dries, it is clear. And does resemble water to a certain extent. I don't use PVA, I use Mod Podge, so can't comment on if it looks like water. I don't try that. But even when I use my favorite DAP Alex caulk, that does go on white and dries clear - if it's thin enough. But again, not good for making water. For Dee: I think the PVA is worth a try. Elmers or equivalent is relatively cheap. 

I just took the picture. It don't show the watery look. But it is in reality. I of course, hadn't done any base work, that is just my painted foam. Pink foam painted an earth color with the caulk thinly applied. So IMHO a possible water?

Wow!  It looks so real.

Wow!  It looks so real.

Coastie53, Thanks. Misting it

Coastie53,

Thanks.

Misting it with water certainly makes it look real, but not after it dried,

which is why I'm going to do some experiments (on a board with the same coating that is on the basin) with various glosses to see what I can come up with to match that wet look.

Is this the final color, or will it be darker?

It looks fantastic and something I seldom (almost never) see modeled. Will it be a darker color when finished? The mud I've seen is a pretty dark rich brown.

Joe W.

I'll vote against PVA...

... to represent water. It may dry clear, but it yellows as it ages, can curl up at the edges, and may crack as well. It's meant for very thin applications as an adhesive, not to represent water.

You're MUCH better off using acrylic gloss medium. It's a bit more expensive, but it stays clear, maintains some degree  of flexibility, and doesn't crack. It can be poured in multiple thin layers, tinted with other acrylic colors, and is self-leveling. Once you've applied the base "water", ripple and wave texture can be added with gel medium (which is NOT self-leveling) and comes in clear and white.

It's what I used for water on my BeNdTrack modules.

https://flic.kr/p/2m1Bv7V

Like the man says... there's never time or money to do it right, but there's always time and money to do it over,,,,

Hi Joe, The lighting and

Hi Joe,

The lighting and exposure makes it looks lighter than it actually is, but I I'll be making the basin darker and the higher spots - sand bar-like muddy areas a tad lighter to depict being exposed to the sun for several hours before the tide comes back in.

This is the prototype the banks are somewhat based on, as this is a much wider area of what I'm modelling.

Here are the banks before I darkened the basin. Again the poor lighting isn't doing it justice. I will be applying marram grass to the top edges of the banks later.

Just a thought...

You've mentioned using semigloss for the mud flats for a "damp" look....  May I suggest using a "wash" of gloss... and then drybrushing with flat.  perhaps followed with drybrushing a bit of a slightly lighter shade on the mud to indicate it drying out....

barr_ceo,Thank you so much;

barr_ceo,

Thank you so much; great suggestion. I will try this on a board with the same coating that is on the basin til I get it the look I want.

I will need to get a high quality brush, I've been having bad luck with mine, as a few hairs have been coming out.

Wow

Your tidal area is amazing. 

I've never even seen someone try something like that, let alone nail it as you did.

Lee, thanks for the kind

Lee, thanks for the kind words. It took a lot of layering and experimenting to get where I am now; still more to do.

PVA

...

Morgan, yes the PVA that I have used does start off as white and gets clear as it dries.

When I used it in the past i did not care about clarity so yellowing was a non issue (sea representation in 1/700 scale, thin coats). I will look into the mediums you have suggested.

Yannis, I did an experiment

Yannis,

I did an experiment with clear PVA and put a drop of the colour I wanted in it. I got the murky look I wanted, but the PVA didn't go completely flat and had some tiny bubbles in it for some reason. I might have to water the PVA down a bit.

PVA

Would I be correct in that there's many kinds of PVA. White, Yellow, etc. Plus different brands - that may have slightly different formulas. So you must be careful and ready to experiment. And yes, Dee. Bubbles are not allowed.I do have a suggestion from what I've heard. Remember, I have never done this. But: The most successful application of water is where the surface is painted, detailed and then - flow whatever it is you use as water. I've not heard of where adding color to the PVA or such. That might be right. But as I say - I really don't know. That's why I'm watching this thread with great interest. So far, Dee, you've done a great service to MR. The experimentation you are doing is ground breaking. (pun intended).

Morgan, I'm going to

Morgan,

I'm going to experiment with other PVAs and take some photographs. So far the PVAs I used come out too rubbery like when cured.