1:35 Assorted plants n.1

Small vegetation for terrain 1:35

The bare area of a base tends to be the weakest place of an otherwise successful diorama. The plant accessories from the brand Royal Model will fill it: it is a photo-etched metal sheet from which the individual leaves, stems and tufts are broken out and shaped into the form of a living plant. The goods are aimed at 1:35 scale and belong to terrain work.

A double use: terrain and camouflage

Vegetation fills several roles at once in a scene. It gives scale, because the eye compares the height of a plant with a figure. It breaks up uniform areas and leads the viewer's gaze where the author wants. And it gives away the season and the climate, because lush growth belongs to summer in central Europe, whereas sparse dry tufts belong to the south or to late autumn. The maker itself recommends using the leaves for camouflaging equipment as well, that is, for branches piled on the hull, on the turret or tucked behind loops.

Bending, priming and painting

The metal parts are broken out with a blade on a hard surface and shaped with flat-jawed tweezers; make the bend gradually, or the sheet will crack. On smooth metal the paint does not hold without a primer coat, so start with primer. Never use a single shade: a darker bottom, lighter tops and a hint of dryness along the edges. It is glued in drops with cyanoacrylate glue. Finally the foot of the plants is covered with fine scatter material, so that they look rooted.

Who the set suits

• builders of terrain for equipment and figures in 1:35
• modelers who fill the empty places of a base
• those interested in camouflaging vehicles with foliage and branches
• creators of small vignettes with a limited area

The photo-etched sheet is without a surface finish; acquire paints, glue and scatter material separately.