1:35 Leaves no.1

Photo-etched leaves, the first shape variant

Although this is a scenic accessory, it is not a loose or a plant material. According to the manufacturer's own data it is made of photo-etched metal, so the leaves hold their shape, take bending into a natural position and, unlike paper, do not curl over time. The difference matters both for the way the work proceeds and for the choice of glue.

Vegetation in a small scale

Foliage is one of the hardest tasks on a diorama, because the eye recognizes a wrong size immediately. In 1:35 scale a leaf of a common broadleaf tree measures only a few millimeters and pressed natural materials tend to be too coarse. Photo-etched sheet makes it possible to keep both the outline and the venation, which on small plant elements are usually the first things to be lost.

From the sheet to the branch

Cut the leaves from the fret with sharp scissors or a scalpel on a hard surface. Degrease the metal before painting and spray it with a primer on both sides, otherwise the paint flakes off where it is bent. The rounded tip of a pair of tweezers will manage the shaping; the finished leaves are glued to wire twigs in small groups with cyanoacrylate glue and are differentiated in color, so that the crown does not come across as flat green.

Where the leaves belong

• making your own trees and bushes
• climbing plants on walls and fences
• camouflaging equipment with branches
• fallen leaves on the ground around the base

The material is supplied in its basic metal form, without paints and glue.