Making A Miniature Fantasy LANDSCAPE (For An Epic Castle?)
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- Опубліковано 19 жов 2024
- Today we're experimenting with making miniature trees, an epoxy river and an epic landscape for a CASTLE!
Patreon: / nerdforge
VIDEO RESOURCES:
Miniature trees:
Lukes Aps using hot glue and other materials: • How To Make Wire Trees...
Luke Towan using liquid latex: • Wire Tree Tutorial - M...
Epoxy river:
Luke Towan: • Building the ULTIMATE ...
Painting realistic rocks:
TheTerrainTutor on stippling, dry brushing and washing: • Realistic scenic rocks... and • Realistic scenic rocks...
MATERIALS:
Mountains and rocks:
Styrofoam
Real rocks / gravel
Acrylic paint
Foam coat
Spray glue
Acetone
Trees:
Wire
Twigs
Hot glue / clay (or liquid latex)
Acrylic paint
Real moss
Miniature tree leaves (2 shades of green)
Spray glue
River:
Clear epoxy
Pigment - I used Auto Air Colors (airbrush paint) - umber and dark sea green
Acrylic paint for river bed + waves
Mod Podge gloss
TOOLS:
Styroslicer (check out how to make it here: • How To Make The "Styro... )
Paint and paintbrushes
Heat gun (for epoxy)
Hot glue gun
Pliers
Respirator
Airbrush
FOLLOW:
Website - www.thenerdfor...
Facebook - / nerdforge
Instagram - / thenerdforge
Twitter - / thenerdforge
BUSINESS CONTACT: contact@thenerdforge.com
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A bit of a long one, but damn, those wire trees took some time. Next up is the castle build itself!
kind of sure that should use weaker or finer wire to do the tree, like copper wire. should be much easier
but the leaf, i mean i saw a lot fake leaf product, what u got really not the good one
I am also from norway!!!!
I normally paint a thick layer of plaster of Paris on to the wires then wait for that to dry then add thinner and thinner coats. It's sooo much easier and natural looking than trying to stick clay to it :) PS - I went to Norway for the first time in December and I LOVED it!!
Try using some tinfoil on the wire and the sculpt with supersculpy clay. I'm making a clay bjd with this method and seems to be working very well. You will need to bake it in the oven, but I promise it will be easier (and cause fewer cuts) then using multiple wires.
Here's a really good channel for you to check out. He does a lot of stuff with "styrofoam", and he has a few awesome tutorials for wire trees.
Edit: I can't post the link. Just search for Luke Towan. >
Covering your armature with masking tape will allow the clay to stick better. There are also many types of modeling materials with different characteristics: air dry clay, polymer clay, apoxie sculpt, epoxy dough. I know there are some that are lighter weight and more flexible when dry, but I think your tree is terrific the way it is. Well done!
I've seen people use air dry foam & their pieces seem to keep a fair degree of flexibility. Hope this can help for a future project.
@@sirenofthesea7802 No clue if Nerdforge is going to see this, but polymer clay (my preference is the tan super Sculpey) plus translucent liquid clay. The liquid clay OR bake-and-bond makes the clay stick to non clay surfaces. And yes, baking the wire in the oven is perfectly safe. (Can also bake - wood, aluminum foil, bamboo sticks, toothpicks...)
I use bandage tape. The texture of the fabric really helps the clay stick good on the surface.
I made some wire trees in the past, covered them with masking tape and then smearing modelling plaster all over them. The brush I used actually made pretty good bark texture to start with too.
Awesome how many methods there are to make these things. 😊
I usually coat my wire trees with a mixture of flour and liquid latex. Not only is the tree super flexible but, it gives a great tree bark texture that is matte and really easy to paint.
Great Idea.
Grim Games - brilliant idea! I’m going to try this
This is the real beginning of your channel! You can tell this is when all the video editing comes to light and your personality is allowed to naturally shine. So amazing to look back through all these videos!!!
Something I discovered recently is that you can mold hot glue while it's still hot with wet fingers and it neither burns nor sticks to you. (I chanced it when something went wrong and it BLEW MY MIND!) Maybe there's a way to add a bit of texture like this, so that the trunk isn't so plasticky?
the surface does cool down really quickly once you start molding though
the textures can be added with carving tools. maybe using a matte base paint, like chalk paint or the ones used for gunpla figures, will remove the glossiness of the hot glue
even better if you use vaseline on your fingers. Way easier to smooth and sculpt.
Hey I mess with hot glue all the time and I found this out when I
Burnt my hand and paint water was near by 😅
I use smaller hot glue gun for texture.
"The smell of basement and no natural light."
Mood.
Those threes look AMAZING (both of them tbh) and the mod podge waves are just brilliant. Can't wait to see the final result with the castle!
The "threes"?
Watching you make those trees was really interesting ! I never used hot glue like that but it would fit SO WELL on a wet-dark-muddy landscape. It would prob require a darker shade for the leaves but it's got a gloomy feel for some reason and i love it. Really nice vid overall, that foam over the rocks is everything
Awesome! Looking forward to see that EPIC CASTLE!
Damn the river looks so good with the waves. Looking forward to the text part with the castle and bridge.
You seriously seem like the funniest person to hang out with & I love your projects, i feel so inspired by your creativity to get crafting again 😊
The hair color with bright eyes makes for a striking combo, add in the video fun, funny, and educational I'd say a win all around
"Is it weird to steal your neighbor's gravel?" LMAO
This is just absolutely beautiful. Just subscribed. And thank goodness for your kitty helpers. Where would you be without them doing so much of the hard work? :) You're so talented!!!
Amazing work, as usual. A compromise for the tree is to make the trunk with clay, and then use hot glue for the branches since they are not visible. If some are showing, then you can do some with clay to increase realism. btw, I prefer how the clay tree looks. I also think you chose the wrong clay. I have watched tutorials using sculpting clay and although it requires a certain level of proficiency, it didn't seem super hard to stick to wires. It might also have to do with the wires you used. I imagine galvanized wire makes it harder for slay to stick properly. But we have use what is available to us.
I love your work and the final result! You are so talented but you seemed to struggle a bit with the clay, and I want to give you little suggestions for your clay experience in the future. First off I'd suggest you make a base layer of masking tape and/or aluminum foil as they're both very grabby and the clay will stick better. I'd also suggest you use a polymer clay, like Sculpy or fimo, as it sticks to your base better, especially if you have liquid sculpy or bake-n-bond, and you can pre-bake your progress if you're worried about messing something up. There is also epoxy clay but much like air dry clay it's a slow working clay and needs to be done in sections/layers but is extremely sturdy (it's also toxic to the skin which requires you to wear gloves, making sculping harder in my opinion). Anyway keep up the good work with those lovely landscapes of yours!
As soon as I saw the cats, I couldn’t focus on anything else for like five minutes.
I like cats 🐱
you NEED a gasmask when using epoxy,
"Cured epoxy poses few health risks (note: sanding cured epoxy will produce dust, which should not be inhaled); however, liquid and partially cured epoxies introduce numerous health threats that need to be managed as efficiently as possible with preventative measures."
1) This project is beautiful!!
2) This video was an amazing mix of artistry, humor, and cat. Pretty much perfect!
3) I love hearing you guys talk! Not for a weird reason - you see, I never knew my grandfather (who came to the US from Oslo), so I like to imagine that his accent might have sounded similar to how you talk. Makes me smile every time!
Thank you, friends!
im a huge fan of the channel. now im going back and watching older videos from before i found you. it's encouraging to see how your skills have developed over the years. when i am watching current videos i say "that is amazing, but i could never make something that good". now watching the old videos i say "maybe i could make that"
I love how you care for your environment n pick up the twigs that have fell. I love your work so much i really want to try n create something but iv never done anything and I don't have any materials well maybe a few. I just have so much creativity in my head
Really love that you're actually doing it right, blending the layers to create a uniform structure.
This looks so cool!! :D I'm very excited to see the end result. I have some tips though c: Paint some of the cliff face like soil - cliff faces are never entirely exposed rock, there are often soil deposits on top and near the bottom - look up some irl references. Also, I definitely recommend glueing some moss/grass to the cliff in appropriate places if you weren't already planning to c:
for getting the clay to stick to wire you need to cover it with masking tape or use polymer clay with liquid fimo or bake n bond for it to adhere to the wires or epoxy clay which will stick to anything, but it's quite expensive, but it drys incredibly strong, still masking tape is the best options with air dry clay. I do allot of clay projects and live an hour outside of Oslo, just let me know if you ever want some lessons in clay! This is turning out awesome, you are so talented :)
This is great! I especially love the personality you include in this as well as the random cat moments. It made it both interesting to watch and helpful for someone looking at DIY projects without giving them too many unrealistic impressions about its difficulty.
My only complaint really was that the names of the part 1 and part 2 videos made it a little difficult to identify the second video and maybe I missed it somehow but the description doesn't supply the link to the 2nd video either. Also the "links" in the video weren't clickable.
I found this channel during a UA-cam deep dive and I am so not disappointed. I am now subscribed :)
This turned out epic ! Can't wait to see the next video :)
I think you could still use the clay tree you made by "ramming" it into the side of the larger rock, as if its growing out of the side ? It would fit the fantasy theme and balance out the overall end result (and by having it growing out of the side of the rock, it means you can hide the metal roots) :) xx
Great landscape! ♥
Clay tips:
I used to use white PVA glue when wrapping air dry clay around existing objects. I would brush the glue onto an object and then apply the clay. It always took a few days for the clay to dry, so I recommend doing a test piece first.
Another alternative: polymer clay. When wrapping polymer clay around an object, first apply either Sculpey Bake & Bond bakeable adhesive or Fimo Decorating Gel to the object and to the underside of the clay itself. When baking polymer clay with an existing object, if you follow the package directions, the clay will crack. Never put object with polymer clay attached to it into a preheated oven. Instead, put it into a cold oven set to the recommended preheat temperature. Count recommended bake time not from the moment of putting the object into the oven, but from the moment the oven reaches the recommended baking temperature. Monitor closely, because you might need to reduce recommended baking time, so your clay does not overbake and burn.
Liquid polymer clay mediums, such as Bake & Bond or Decorating Gel can be pre-set with a heating gun. Same works for thin layers of polymer clay. So, you could build up your sculpture using this method and then finish by properly baking it in the oven. Make sure to monitor closely and hold the heat gun not too close to the clay, so you do not overheat it, releasing toxic fumes.
Finally, liquid polymer clay mediums can be mixed with small amounts of solid polymer clay to create super sticky moldable paste.
Please note that it is not recommended to use traditional spray paint or any solvent-containing medium with polymer clay. Over time, solvents will react with even baked clay, permanently turning it into a sticky smelly goo. The same thing will happen if polymer clay is applied to or stored in hard plastic, such as acrylic, polycarbonate, PS, EPS, PP, LDPE, and PVC.
I hope this helps, best of luck, and I am looking forward to seeing more of your super talented work! ♥
Whenever the opening or vibe is off it makes me minimize the video to see the year…. Still going to watch EVERYTHING from Nerdforge! So inspiring, makes me want to be crafty
I’m a simple person
I see small tree
*i click*
tiny cactus
Small trees and cactuses are cute
OMG same
Hello, love to watch tutorials like this. So many good tips! The comment I have is about the hot melt glue tree trunk being "shiny", I would try a flat automotive grade primer coat to make the texture more like the clay. Love the vid! :)
This is so epic and aesthetically pleasing to watch
Your video quality has been skyrocketing! Fantastic to watch you grow. Keep it up!
Ohhhh, I saw your panting of a castle, Im exited for part 2 :)
was watching the old videos and i see how much the editing has changed and im here for it
Next time try sanding back the hot glue surface a little bit after it's hardened off for a more matt surface on the tree trunk?
for the hot glue tree you can heat up the gun and use the tip to reheat the glue and make then let it dry so that its in that putty kind of state or a little before that and take a toothpick to create a better kind of realistic texture im pretty sure that should work nicely and to make the tree less glossy maybe cost it with a layer of matte drying mod podge im not sure if that would work but its worth trying
Really enjoyed this video! Thumbs up for the hot glue tree too! Cant wait for the next video
Monster clay works well on wire and it’s so simple to use. You get a tub of it, melt it and dip the wire armature of whatever you want covered in it, let it harden and build up from there. It also allows you to brush in the texture of bark which I quite enjoy
So air dry clays really wont stick to metal. You're going to have to fight it. What might work is polymer clays, you can do a section, texture it and bake that then work on another section so you don't crush the texture in the first area.
As for hot glue you can get texture on it by heating up something and pressing it to the trunk, just do experiments to see what won't stick. You could also try heating up large needles and running them along the surface to see if it works (not sure if that one will or not). Also to get ride of the plasticy look you can try mat sealing sprays or very mat paints as a base layer though that can be hit or miss. Honestly the hot glue is probably your best option for a project like this since you can still bend the wire without the outer layer snapping off.
One thing I noticed is when you paint things like this you tend to stick to very neutral greys. I was wondering if you would consider adding some more color in. If you look at a lot of large rocks and cliffs they have a lot of browns or blue undertones and are way more colorful than you think. Also adding white to get a lighter color kind of dulls it down since white is so opaque so using as little white as possible is usually a good idea. It's a style and preference thing but since you like trying things out I thought I'd suggest it :)
This looks awsum! There are some pieces on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York that this really reminds me of. They're decorative stones on carved wooden bases from china and I think you'll find them interesting
www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/61764
www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/61763
www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/61762
Also they have an indoor Chinese Courtyard garden that has similar vibes to this piece.
www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/78870
I love your videos and I look forward to seeing the castle! And the next tome you make
Lol... I love your slow-mo montage!😅
Hey there!! First of all: awesome results overall with the project (now that is complete with its castle :3) also, i really like your attitude during crafty time 💜 really fun and relaxing at the same time.
Now for the real deal: i think you should try a little bit of experiment on polymer clays since they're pretty good at sticking at wire, some of them based on color and type (fimo effect for example) can end up pretty flexible after baking, and they also come in many colors so you can experiment on textures and effects ☺ (like imagine how a marble tree would look like in the right setting)
Keep up the awesome work!!
I’ve found that clay adheres better to aluminum, so when I make my sculptures, I start out with a wire base, then put aluminum foil over the wires, then add my polymer clay. Not only does it help it stick, but you don’t have to use as much clay making it lighter. I hope this is helpful! 😊
the perfect amount of cat in this video, love it
Looks great, well done. You guys' presentation is stellar as always, too. Very entertaining. Thanks!
Wowww, I saw for the very first time and inmediately loved this girl and creations
This was a great video guys looking forward to seeing the next part the tree Turned out amazingly and your cats are super cute
not gonna lie... that cat is the best of the video.
i mean, everything is great, but... damn, i just LOVE cats :)
I look up to you ever since I found your channel , you're amazing
Hi Martina, Wow!, That was so awesome! Your technique for making a realistic river (difficult to achieve), was sheer perfection!
I agree that hot glue is the easiest way to cover the wires but I prefer a different approach which retains a trace of the wires to keep the 'aged and twisted' appearance, but also adds a rough bark-like texture.
Simply soak the tree in liquid superglue and sprinkle baking soda all over it. A chemical reaction takes place that sets the baking soda like concrete. There will be fumes (and a little smoke at times), so do this outside! This process of superglue/baking soda can be repeated until the desired finish is obtained.
Superglue and baking soda has many applications in model making, It has extremely strong adhesion and can be sanded smooth when used as a fine filler and it sets instantly!
Big hugs,
Louie xx
Love your creative process and I subscribed specially since I saw your central perk coffee cup!
15:08 dab,dab,dab - make your sculpture fab🎵😁
Very nice project, I loved the "Central Perk" mug :D
This is looking really good, I cant wait to see how you finish it off! 😊👍
Epoxy putty called kneedatite or greenstuff works great for coating wire and it can be easilly sculpted. Lots of tutorials for greenstuff on youtube
You can also cover the wire in baking bond to help the clay stick
I've worked with clay before and I've noticed that super sculpey original clay is really good to work with, even tho clay in general is hard to stick to wires but this particular type of clay you don't need water to work with and it shapes beautifully and you can use your normal home oven to bake it and you can use things like aluminium (wire or foil or anything else) to bulk it out a bit so you don't use to much clay, just figured for furniture projects this might hopefully help😊love your work it always end up being beautiful 👌🏻
Can't wait to see the rest of your work!
Something to consider when adding clay to a metal surface is to scuff it up before hand. The texture will help the clay adhere to it. In your particular case, I would have used a small wire brush and scrubbed the entire tree. I hope this helps, love your videos and projects, amazing job!
That tree is absolutely gorgeous! And when you had it outside at the end, it looked like a real bonsai ❤
Maybe you can add some hobby glue to the wire before applying the clay? Maybe that's all it needs to stick better to the wire. :)
Try using a mixture of wood glue, modeling paste, and fine saw dust for your tree trunk cover. You can also add paint directly to the mixture to give it a base color. You can easily control the thickness and, when it starts to dry, it's easier to make bark lines using a paint brush.
I'm a new subscriber, so I haven't watched your entire back catalogue yet (still watching book builds), but have you ever looked into a static grass applicator? It is a cool way to apply realistic looking grass to models.
there is an another option for covering the trees. latex emulsion is what they use for the tiny models used in architecture mock-ups.looks great, easy to apply and takes paint well.
This video is awesome. I love the editing.
The hot glue tree looks amazing i love the moss and greenery on top 💚💚💚💚
Loved the clay tree honestly, sure theres other things you can use than both techniques that gives realistic, flexible, matte look and is easy to work with
It never occurred to me to build something out of wires and then cover it with hot glue ESPECIALLY trees. But oh my gosh it looks so, so beautiful and realistic and really captures all my favorite features of a tree. Like if maybe I push the hot glue a little more into the contours of the wires, I bet it would look amazing. AHHHH I'M SO EXCITED TO TRY THIS. Thank you so much again for all the lessons and the inspiration, like I have been so fired up to create dioramas since I found your channel and have already drawn 7 sketches. =D
OMG. I love the trees they look so AWESOME!
It's nice to see how Biltema is bringing value to makers in all of Scandinavia. Nice vid, greetings from Denmark!
Try liquid latex mixed with flour , it’s very sticky but you could just use it as your first coat over the wires , to smooth it use latex with throw away brush or your finger , lichen moss looks great on trees for a more whimsy look , can’t wait for the next episode I love this channel 😘
Fantastic job by the way! It’s so cool watching you make these amazing creations and I envy your abilities lol
Polymer clay is often a good clay with metal. Just lay a first layer and prebake, then you can easily sculpt details with clay on top of it using baking bond :) great video!!
HVORFOR har jeg ikke funnet deg før?!
Du er awesome!!
Your cats are sooooooooooo cuuuuuute X3 Beautiful work!!
Fantastic idea using hot glue for the tree! I wonder how well it would work to use the hot glue on the branches and clay on the trunk for a more realistic look where it’s visible 🤔
Stunning! I wish I had half of your skills!
Btw, I've been told (but haven't tested it myself) that polyurethane foam filling (the kind that's usually used in construction and expands) can glue styrofoam without melting it.
Also it might be easier to make the clay stick if you rough up the wires with some low grit sandpaper first?
Or maybe something like an initial Plastidip coat or similar, so you're not sticking clay to metal but clay to plastic adhesive or whatever it is
Love seeing your cats in the videos. You have a lot of patience and dedication making those wire trees
Wow. You did so much in one video. Looks great so far. Neat rock trick. New sub.
This is so cool! I wonder how spray foam would work for the trees? If you try it be super careful! Some brands contain arsenic. We found out the hard way. Our cat ate some & is no longer with us.😢
your cats are so cute!!!! I can't wait to see how this project turns out!
About the air dry clay, the trick is to "paint" a coat of pva glue over the wire structure let it dry before putting the clay, the clay will stick to the glue. Here in Brazil we use air dry clay quite a lot, hope it helps.
You took the words right out of my mouth! you should paint the rocks to look like rocks!
You are an amazing artist. From where do you derive your ideas for these pieces and what do you do with the finished pieces? I am a new but big fan.
Didn't even know I was subscribed to you😂. Past me had good taste, this video was really cool.
AntiPeoplePerson same as me! Hahaha
I can't help but think about Ronja Rövardotter and Helvetesgapet/Mattisborgen. (I've been binging your videos - looove them all)
Excellent video composition and edit. Fun narrative.
flåklypa? you make everything look so easy! great job!
For a moldable clay-like substance I recommend green-stuff. It's an adhesive tacky that will dry solid, sticks to metal just fine and can be primed and painted just like any plastic. it's used in tabletop miniatures all the time for detailing. theres a couple kinds u can get, for something like this, I'd recommend the tape. it comes split in a yellow side and blue side, kneed them together until its completely green. start with small amounts, cuz once you mix them together, it will start to harden, usually in an hour or so to become stiff and cures in bout 24 hrs. Hope this helps!
when you get a cold you should try a ginger bath. It's really helpful. Pour enough ginger in a bathtub with warm water and sock in there.
Which clay did you use? Most sculptures have a wire frame. May I suggest using tape on top of the wire to see if your clay sticks better to that? I have used crayola air dry and activa products and they stick fine to wire.
Both trees looked awesome!!! Can't wait for the castle!! Here's and idea: what if you made a wire tree with clay on the trunk (which is most visible) and hot glue on the limbs (which hide under the foliage) so you get the amazing texture but still have the easy and flexible qualities in the bendy extremities?
Great video, thanks for the inspiration...
Use a power drill to twist the wire in the trees, it saves your hands. Just clamp the strands of wire in the end of the drill , not to fast. But it is a quick way to twirl wire.
if you want a fun medium to play with make papier mache using acrylic latex paint instead of water/glue, I prefer using tissue on small projects and paper towel for larger projects but it works with news print and printer paper as well.. Ive used craft paints, thinned artist acrylics and house paint, all work and it drys to a hard, water resistant, plastic like stuff that is very durable.. in this case I would have covered the "mountain" and the trees with it, its extremely moldable
So this is where the Skjera Bagera era started
I was wondering if this was the first skjera baghera😅
Some good vibes in this video!
You can be with the Tim Burton team building mini guys or things for a movie.
This has me wondering. Is it possible to combine the best elements of both trees? Is a clay trunk, or a hot glue base & a clay overlay on the trunk, feasible?
I’m also interested in the balance of colour in your river. I’m from NZ; most of our rivers are super duper green! Are they more blue in other places? I’d be keen to hear from as many places as possible!
Cats will always be the stars of any video. Spectacular work, as always.
Quick clay tip! Redo everything you did except after you do the wire, put clay on the trunk and then put it in the furnace for like 3-4 hours (not sure) but you need to mold it how you want before putting it in. Great video btw love the result!