|
|
Post by artdecovampire on Jul 13, 2013 0:58:20 GMT -5
I am currently working on some bases. I would like a lot more cycadic type plants and taller trees. Is there a supplier that does prehistoric scenery? I've seen some trees, I think by Collecta, but they are too small in scale. Anyone know anything? I made some from expanded styrene balls, milliput and aquarium plants for the tops. However life is too short!
|
|
|
|
Post by scottbanks on Jul 13, 2013 9:18:57 GMT -5
I'm working on some of these too. I'm reworking existing Aurora PS plants for them, then molding and casting them. I also plan to sell them this fall. I was going to sell them earlier, but I got busy with a local volunteer project, then my wife unexpectedly passed away. Sometimes life really throws you a curve.
|
|
|
|
Post by prescenes2 on Jul 14, 2013 20:43:54 GMT -5
So sorry to hear about the wife passing, Scott. That had to be rough!  |
|
|
|
Post by artdecovampire on Jul 15, 2013 14:20:03 GMT -5
My sincerest condolences Scott.
|
|
|
|
Post by jeffbrown on Jul 25, 2013 12:44:13 GMT -5
For me, lack of prehistoric plant life has been an issue with this line forever especially because of the scale of the series; I had plans to sculpt a bigger swamp with alot more plant life some time ago but got sidetracked by life like always; however I finally started it a couple weeks ago and will do as many different plants/trees as I can do effectively/realistically in clay and finally in resin. I assume I'll sell some copies at some future date but this is many months away if at all. it depends on interest I guess. I've got the trunk of the first tree about done and will fire it tonight. I'll try and figure out how to download some pics.
|
|
|
|
Post by jeffbrown on Jul 25, 2013 13:07:38 GMT -5
Just starting to lay in the scales/leaf scars with the dimetridon for scale Attachments:
|
|
|
|
Post by jeffbrown on Jul 25, 2013 13:13:51 GMT -5
18 inches tall so far without the leaf fronds on the ends of the branches; I'll do them saparately; I'll also do the root ball separaely. it's too tall for my oven so have to figure out some way to lay it down and fire without damaging it. Attachments:
|
|
|
|
Post by jeffbrown on Jul 25, 2013 13:27:01 GMT -5
last picture for today; this is the swamp I've started on; I've always wanted a larger one with more "land" to put the plant life. I have not decided what all to put in it and am open to suggestions ie; more water or more land. I have the waters edge traced out but again its just prelimanary at this point. I would like to create the scene from "before the dinosaurs" with the Eryops jumping out of the swamp after the dragon flys and also the giant centapeed though that might go on a separate base fighting another creature; I plan on doing that one in segmants so it can be posed in different positions like the original PS models. Anyway, if there are certain plants youd like to see done; speak up. Attachments:
|
|
|
|
Post by artdecovampire on Jul 25, 2013 14:00:24 GMT -5
Looks good Jeff, what clay are you using? Tonight I'm making lamb meatballs in a spinach and butter sauce. Which on one hand is a good thing, but not as good as a giant swamp with an Eryops leaping out of it! You just can't beat a giant salamander.
|
|
|
|
Post by scottbanks on Jul 26, 2013 15:19:51 GMT -5
Jef that stuff looks great. It's interesting how just about everyone who likes PS always wants a bigger & better swamp. I can't wait to see how your work progresses.
|
|
|
|
Post by jeffbrown on Jul 31, 2013 3:16:17 GMT -5
The clay is just Super Sculpy mixed with the little 2oz colored sculpy to make it opaque. all my super sculpy is at least 5 yrs old and more like 10 if not more. I bought a boat load of it yrs ago and wrapped it in foil, put it in ziplock bags and kept it in the bottom of a fidge for yrs but its now been sitting on a shelf for at least 5 yrs. this has caused it to be really hard and crumbly so I mix it with new sculpy III and sculpy diluent to get it workable again. I've broke one amaco pasta maker mixing this and now have another expensive itailan pasta maker having worn gear issues. I never did like new S sculpy, it was just too soft; with this I can control the softness and keep it more like wax when its cold and just a little soft when its warmed up. The little icecream cone looking things in the picture are the tuffs for the top of the T shaped tree. not really happy with them so far and will probibly do another set; maybe smaller and a bit rougher; not so trimmed looking. Attachments:
|
|
|
|
Post by jeffbrown on Jul 31, 2013 3:18:04 GMT -5
The clay is just Super Sculpy mixed with the little 2oz colored sculpy to make it opaque. all my super sculpy is at least 5 yrs old and more like 10 if not more. I bought a boat load of it yrs ago and wrapped it in foil, put it in ziplock bags and kept it in the bottom of a fidge for yrs but its now been sitting on a shelf for at least 5 yrs. this has caused it to be really hard and crumbly so I mix it with new sculpy III and sculpy diluent to get it workable again. I've broke one amaco pasta maker mixing this and now have another expensive itailan pasta maker having worn gear issues. I never did like new S sculpy, it was just too soft; with this I can control the softness and keep it more like wax when its cold and just a little soft when its warmed up.
The little icecream cone looking things in the picture are the tuffs for the top of the T shaped tree. not really happy with them so far and will probibly do another set; maybe smaller and a bit rougher; not so trimmed looking.
|
|
|
|
Post by artdecovampire on Jul 31, 2013 4:05:58 GMT -5
Thanks for the info Jeff. I have used Milliput in the past, but I have only done very small things or bases. Milliput is a two part epoxy putty which drys like porcelain and really expensive. This scenery of yours is looking pretty impressive. These will make the rest of the PS stuff look under-scale. Especially the swamp. It will look like a paddling pool!
|
|
|
|
Post by scottbanks on Jul 31, 2013 13:53:06 GMT -5
Those are really cool.
|
|
|
|
Post by jeffbrown on Jul 31, 2013 15:52:02 GMT -5
you know; the first time I saw the swamp; my older brother got it, the first time I saw it I thought there was no way it was 1/13th scale; not that I knew at the time what that was; I just knew it didn't match the rest of the series. I figured back then they wanted to pack as much into this kit and keep it at a reasonable price. if you stack the tree then that is a reasonable size I guess but still a small tree when compared to the other kits; just compare it to the cycad in the spike dino kit; thats a small plant but its larger then the swamp tree. the ones I'm doing are actually smaller then actual size if its really 1/13 scale but I think they are large enough to look OK with the sailback reptile; I could make them twice the size and it would be more in line with the sailback; they just won't fit in my oven and probibly wouldn't fit on anyones shelf for that matter.
|
|
|
|
Post by jeffbrown on Jul 31, 2013 17:04:46 GMT -5
I've used epoxy clay from time to time for limited things that i can't fire in my oven like adding to a resin peice but thats about it. The thing with epoxy clays is they are kind of like silly putty; they seem to "flow" internally until the hit a certain phase but by that time they are almost imposible to work with. what I mean is: a couple yrs ago I redid the Parasorolophus heads to make a coriathoris, a muttibutisaurus and another one I cant remember the name now but it was from Russia and looked like a unicorn horn sticking out of the top of the skull. since the heads were cast in resin I could not fire them so used expoxy sculpt. by the time I finished with one the fine detail was kind of ozing away and getting a sheen to it and I had to go over it several times as the clay setup. in the end they looked alright but not as good as they did when it details were newly added. take a peice of silly putty, roll it into a ball and set it on a flat serface, you'll see over time the fine lines from your hand prints will disapear, it will get a smooth sheen to it and the ball will flatten out; this is what happens with epoxy clays before they set and they seem to do it right up until the time they set hard. I just don't like this or the time limit you have with them. The heads should never see the light of day; just FYI.
|
|
|
|
Post by scottbanks on Jul 31, 2013 18:51:00 GMT -5
Yes, the scale of vegetation was always a bit off, but it still worked with the kits.
|
|
|
|
Post by artdecovampire on Aug 1, 2013 7:46:25 GMT -5
I understand exactly what you mean Jeff. You end up engraving detail or enhancing it with epoxy putty. If you make an exaggerated mark it eventually reduces itself and thats one way round it, Its almost as if when you cut it it wants to seal itself. It think its due to surface tension and uneven drying at a chemical level.
|
|
|
|
Post by TAY666 on Aug 1, 2013 18:22:52 GMT -5
That is why I use epoxy clay, not epoxy putty when I do my seam work.
Takes a bit more work to get it into place as it's rather stiff, but it holds the detail better as long as I don't use too much safety solvent on it.
|
|
|
|
Post by artdecovampire on Aug 3, 2013 1:55:06 GMT -5
This is very useful considering I'm rebuilding an Allosaurus. I'm trying to get rid of the neck and tail seems.
|
|
