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Reading article 'Cliffs'
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Rad
Mon Jul 14, 2008 9:42 am
Cliffs
1
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| Cliffs |
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| You will need |
-Polystyrene
-Poly filler (filler)
-Sand
-Cheap acrylics-Black, Dark Grey, Mid Grey, Light Grey, White, Dark Brown,
-Bestial Brown (or similar)
-MDF or Hardboard base (read first paragraph before making)
-Sanding block
-Hobby knife
-Applying tool (Something like an old table knife or a glue spreader)
Note: The example used in this article is a side piece for a board so please ignore the vertical edge unless you are also making a side piece.
| | The Base |
Depending on what you’re making, you will want different size bases. Roughly estimate how big you want your hill and then make the base 2 inches wider and 2 inches longer. Take your sanding block and sand down the edges at about 45 degrees. Here is a cross section of what you need to do.
 
If you want your base extra strong (advisable) paint the underside of it with watered down PVA and leave to dry overnight.
| | The Polystyrene |
Take your polystyrene and cut it to the shape you want (If you want high cliffs you will need more layers). Using the sanding block shape the polystyrene into a hill shape leaving vertical faces where the cliffs will be (circled in blue) Using the sanding block or hobby knife cut into the cliff face. To create a strata effect make all your cuts go in the same direction, a good way to cut is diagonally. To create an overhang effects (as in this example) make a big horizontal cut leaving a bit of polystyrene sticking out at the top. You can mix and match these techniques as you wish.
 
Note (just in case you don’t remember): The example used in this article is a side piece for a board so please ignore the vertical edge highlighted in RED unless you are also making a side piece.
Now stick it to the base with PVA.
| | The Cliffs |
Before you start this step, make sure you have a bowl of water handy and enough time to finish. If it’s your first time I advice leaving at least 30 mins to apply the filler and another 30 mins after to go back to it and complete the finishing touches.
Take a plastic cup or an old margarine container and put in a mixture of filler and sand. Roughly a ratio of 60:40-filler to sand. Now take a mixing implement (something like and old knife or stick) and mix in water a bit at a time until there are no bits (a bit like making dough). Now that the mix is prepared you need to get on with applying it before it dries.
Wet you finger or applying tool of your choice (an old table knife is good) in the bowl. Dip the tool into the mixture and lift out a blob of it. Apply to cliff face and spread out. Repeat this until the whole cliff is covered and you can’t see any polystyrene.
After 10-15 mins go back to the cliff and pat away any marks you don’t want with a wet finger. Also use this time when the filler is better for moulding to make sharp edges by quick patting motions with your wetted tool. The technique is quite hard at first but you will improve each time you do it.
| | Painting |
For painting I use cheap acrylics called ‘Anitas all purpose acrylic’. You should be able to find these or similar in an art shop. For black I used black (obviously), for dark grey I used charcoal, for mid grey I used grey, for light grey I used dove grey, for dark brown I used burnt umber and for white, white. Whatever paints you use you just need to match there names to the paints needed as I did above.
Now that the cliff is dry it should look a whitish colour, at this stage you can glue down some small rocks at the bottom of the cliff. It does mean waiting again for the glue to dry but it is worth the finished result. Paint the small rocks the same as the cliff.
Firstly undercoat the cliff in black. Next give it a heavy over brush (basically the same as dry brushing but not as dry, more paint on brush) of dark grey.
 
Next prepare your brush as if to dry brush dark brown. Take the brush and stab it into the cracks and fissures of the cliff (shadowed areas) and on the bottom to create the impression of dirt. Now give a dry brush of mid grey. Next apply a light dry brush of light grey. Note: when dry brushing with the lighter colours don’t dry brush in the shadowed areas. After that is dry you can give it an even lighter dry brush of an even lighter grey if you want. Only dry brush this extra-light grey on the protruding parts of the cliff.
 
| | The Hill |
Apply a thin layer of pollyfiller over exposed polystyrene. Wait to dry. Use PVA to stick sand all over the hill. Let the glue dry for 24hrs. For a Last Alliance theme paint the whole piece the same way as the cliff and add some boulders.
If you are not going for a Last Alliance theme paint the sand Dark Brown. Next give it a dry brush of Bestial Brown or similar. While you are painting the sand clean up the edges of the cliff(s) by painting them the same as the soil. Use your choice of static grass, flock, undergrowth, lichen, small rocks e.t.c and cover the hill with them using PVA leaving some of the soil showing. Once the glue is dry you are ready to use your finished piece!
Hope this is of use to you and good luck with any terrain building!
Tom
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