# Hand made trees



## TheDragonslayer (Apr 13, 2016)

I got my trestle done and am in the process of painting it, got its table done, got my truck back from the shop after 15 days and worked on Saturday mowing 4 of my yards. Today while walking through the yard checking out my bonsai, I noticed how the tiny dead branches on my Corokia cotoneaster, wire netting bush, looked like small trees. So I cut off some of the dead branches and took them in to see what I could do.

First I made supports for them with Das Pronto paper clay and stuck the stems into them, I will paint the paper clay the color of the stems when it dries. I then brushed on several layers of white glue on all parts of the stems I wanted greenery on and used a bag of course green turf I got from the thrift store and my fingers to put the turf on, then more glue and tweezers to put more turf on where it was thin. Tallest tree is 7 inches, shortest is under 4 inches. I have enough turf for maybe one more large tree. I made 8 so far.


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## Lehigh74 (Sep 25, 2015)

They look pretty good Dragonslayer.


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## jouni rautiainen (Jul 26, 2016)

Very nice.


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## TheDragonslayer (Apr 13, 2016)

I found a video on how to make miniature trees using #28 gauge green florist wire. It looked pretty simple and I had a roll of that type of wire. I cut 4 lengths at 20 inches, 4 at about 15 inches, 4 at 10, 4 at 8 and 4 at 6 inches long. I put them all together and at their middles bent them around my finger to create a loop that I then twisted to be the trunk. I took the long wires and separated them by lengths and twisted them to become the branches and the longest ones to be the leader. The longest ones get looped back on themselves and that loop is turned into a figure eight of which each is twisted into a loop and figure eight, those create the branching and at the last loop it is snipped and bent to be the branch tips. I use a mix of brown acrylic paints mixed with white glue to paint the trunk and branches and when dry put white glue on the places I want foliage to stick. The loops for the roots get twisted and looped the same as the branches and spread out. It makes very sturdy yet light weight trees. It took me about 2 hours to complete the first tree from wire to foliage, second tree took maybe 15 minutes to twist into a tree.


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## MtRR75 (Nov 27, 2013)

Nice looking armatures. One plus for this system is that the sizes and shapes of the large trunk, the main branches and the small branches are very realistically proportioned.

As a botanist, I know quite a bit about real trees. I have one suggestion. Trees that are grown in the open usually branch very much like your trees. But, they usually have leaves covering most of the outer sides and top of the tree. You might try starting with more wires and generate more branches that fill in the canopy of your trees -- if you are planning to plant these trees in open areas.

On the other hand, trees that grow in a forest usually have branches that point more upwards -- and the whole tree is taller and more narrow, with leaves covering mostly the top -- so much so that many modelers don't bother with tree trunks in dense forests -- where they don't show up. They just use balls of vegetation to show the top of the forest and plant some trees with trunks around the edges of the forest.


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## TheDragonslayer (Apr 13, 2016)

MtRR75 said:


> Nice looking armatures. One plus for this system is that the sizes and shapes of the large trunk, the main branches and the small branches are very realistically proportioned.
> 
> As a botanist, I know quite a bit about real trees. I have one suggestion. Trees that are grown in the open usually branch very much like your trees. But, they usually have leaves covering most of the outer sides and top of the tree. You might try starting with more wires and generate more branches that fill in the canopy of your trees -- if you are planning to plant these trees in open areas.
> 
> On the other hand, trees that grow in a forest usually have branches that point more upwards -- and the whole tree is taller and more narrow, with leaves covering mostly the top -- so much so that many modelers don't bother with tree trunks in dense forests -- where they don't show up. They just use balls of vegetation to show the top of the forest and plant some trees with trunks around the edges of the forest.


I have been a gardener for most of my life, trees are my passion, I have over 100 trees, most in pots and planters, at least 25 are bonsai. In the art of bonsai, the intent is to make a plant or tree that is only 1 or 2 feet tall appear to be 50 or 100 feet tall, I have been creating bonsai since 1983 when I got a Japanese maple for my 23rd birthday, still have that bonsai 33 years later. I use large gauge aluminum wires to shape the branches of my bonsai, making these miniature wire trees is fun, I do not have to wait years for a form to take.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

MtRR75 said:


> On the other hand, trees that grow in a forest usually have branches that point more upwards -- and the whole tree is taller and more narrow, with leaves covering mostly the top -- so much so that many modelers don't bother with tree trunks in dense forests -- where they don't show up. They just use balls of vegetation to show the top of the forest and plant some trees with trunks around the edges of the forest.


Thanks for that! On another model railroading forum, I used to have seemingly endless arguments with a guy who thought all trees had to be "lollipop" shaped. No amount of showing him photos of the trees in my back yard (which is carved out of a forest) would convince him otherwise. I even photoshopped a sedum stem tree armature over a real tree to show him the similarity.

I use the method you discuss above in modeling rural Connecticut. The first 2-3 rows of trees have full armatures; the rest are so-called "puffball" trees.


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## thedoc (Oct 15, 2015)

Just a tip when you go to paint your trunks, I live in the woods, mostly hardwoods, Oaks etc. and the trunks are a dark grey, not brown.

Also in a mature forest the foliage is almost all at the top of the tree with very little, if any, on the trunk. Only young trees, on their way up, have foliage at a lower level.


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## TheDragonslayer (Apr 13, 2016)

I have four wire trees made, three covered in foliage. I found the rest of my paints and will paint the trunks accordingly. I am having fun making these trees.


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## MtRR75 (Nov 27, 2013)

thedoc said:


> Just a tip when you go to paint your trunks, I live in the woods, mostly hardwoods, Oaks etc. and the trunks are a dark grey, not brown.


True -- sort of. Tree trunk colors are difficult to reproduce on a model. They are a mixture of darker and lighter areas -- not truly brown nor truly gray -- but those two colors are the closest to the real thing. Some trees are mostly grayish with a little brown, while others have more brown and less gray.

How the different colored areas are arranged on a tree trunk depends on the type of tree. Oak and hickory trees, for example have vertical cracks in the bark, created as the trunk expands. Dragonslayer's wire trunks are a good representation of this type of tree. The insides of the cracks are usually more brownish, while the surface is usually more grayish. To mimic this kind of tree, I suggest that the wire trunks be painted first with a gray color (perhaps mixed with a little brown). Then use a brown wash to fill in the cracks with brown and to dirty up the gray trunk color.

Other trees, like beech, birch and red maple have smooth bark that is mostly grayish -- with dark (almost black) marks scattered on the trunk -- often near branches. In this case, I suggest that the trunk first be painted gray. Then get a cheap spray can of black paint and (from a distance) apply a light coat of black splatter to the trunk. If the nozzle is spitting out paint unevenly -- all the better. You will get different sized dark spots.

NOW, with all of this said, notice that Dragonslayer is from California, where trees look a lot different. And they also look quite different in the different parts of the state. So how he paints his tree trunks will depend on what area he is modeling.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

How I paint tree trunks depends on the tree. I have a standard color for deciduous trees and one for evergreens. Base of 5 parts gray to one part green (deciduous) or rust (evergreen). If I'm creating background trees, I airbrush the appropriate version on and stop there.

Foreground trees get additional drybrushing to give the bark appropriate highlights (or simulated cracks). This is a very labor intensive process, so I don't do it for every tree.

Working from photographs is definitely essential to getting the appearance right.


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## MtRR75 (Nov 27, 2013)

CTValleyRR said:


> How I paint tree trunks depends on the tree. I have a standard color for deciduous trees and one for evergreens. Base of 5 parts gray to one part green (deciduous) or rust (evergreen).


It is true that some gray-barked deciduous trees have a tint of green in them -- especially poplars. But the green can also represent green-colored lichens and mosses that sometimes grow on tree trunks.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

MtRR75 said:


> It is true that some gray-barked deciduous trees have a tint of green in them -- especially poplars. But the green can also represent green-colored lichens and mosses that sometimes grow on tree trunks.


Maples , black walnuts, elms, tulip tree, ginko, and oak all have gray bark with a slight hint of green. The 5:1 ratio of gray is very subtle. 

For moss or lichen, I would use drybrushing to actually add green paint.


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## MtRR75 (Nov 27, 2013)

CTValleyRR said:


> Maples , black walnuts, elms, tulip tree, ginko, and oak all have gray bark with a slight hint of green. The 5:1 ratio of gray is very subtle.
> 
> For moss or lichen, I would use drybrushing to actually add green paint.


I agree with most of your observations regarding bark color. However oaks are a very large and diverse group. Some oak species have very light colored bark. Others have more brownish bark with a touch of gray.

I agree that the dry brush technique would be the way to go to add lichen and moss to a tree trunk -- since they are usually found in distinct patches. However most lichens are more gray that green -- sort of a slightly greenish gray color -- but a lighter tint than the bark color. Mosses are nearly grass green.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

MtRR75 said:


> I agree with most of your observations regarding bark color. However oaks are a very large and diverse group. Some oak species have very light colored bark. Others have more brownish bark with a touch of gray.
> 
> I agree that the dry brush technique would be the way to go to add lichen and moss to a tree trunk -- since they are usually found in distinct patches. However most lichens are more gray that green -- sort of a slightly greenish gray color -- but a lighter tint than the bark color. Mosses are nearly grass green.


I won't disagree with the botonist on tree species or coloration. I am attempting to reproduce what I see in the woods behind my house, which is only a few miles from the area I'm modeling.

For moss, I use Vallejo Emerald Green; for lichen, Sky Green. Pretty close to what you describe.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

And it strikes me that this is starting to sound very much like discussing locomotive appearance with a rivet counter....


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## MtRR75 (Nov 27, 2013)

CTValleyRR said:


> And it strikes me that this is starting to sound very much like discussing locomotive appearance with a rivet counter....


Nah. It's not that bad. I'm just offering my knowledge where it might be helpful. 

Trees do vary a lot across different areas of the country -- as well as from one stand to another in the same area. And we all know how many different ways there are to make trees. Each of us has to make decisions that we are comfortable with. Some are happy with cheap, pre-made trees, and would rather focus their energy on other aspects of model railroading. Others, like me, want more realistic trees and forests, and are willing to cut corners elsewhere in order to devote time to modeling vegetation. To each his own.


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## TheDragonslayer (Apr 13, 2016)

I had painted my trees with the brown mix I had made for my trestle, but after reading the comments and suggestions I decided to touch them up. I used a mix of dolphin grey, black, white and forest green to paint the trunks and branches with, lightest above and atop the branches, darker beneath and on the trunks, one tree I gave a watered down grey was to downplay the brown. My next trees I will do all the painting of the trees before I foliate them.


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## MtRR75 (Nov 27, 2013)

I like the bark colors of these trees better than the all-brown versions. I especially like the subtile variations of bark color throughout the the individual trees.

However, some of the tree branches seem overly shiny -- like you used a gloss paint. A matte finish would more realistic for bark on trees. But no need to repaint. Just use a flat clear coat over the existing colors.


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## feldon30 (Dec 30, 2012)

TheDragonslayer said:


> I found a video on how to make miniature trees using #28 gauge green florist wire.


Luke puts a lot of effort into his videos. They're some of the best railroad tutorials I've seen.

Here's the fantastic video Dragonslayer mentioned:





Here's his channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjRkUtHQ774mTg1vrQ6uA5A


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## TheDragonslayer (Apr 13, 2016)

Thank you Feldon30, that is the video I watched. I watched it once and could not get it out of my mind, so I watched it a second time before I did my first wire tree. Now I have four completed and know that they will improve with each one I complete. I prefer making my own trees and props, I find that florist foam, which is already green, makes for great landscape support and is easy to shape or contour. I was thinking of putting each tree on their own piece of landscape with turf, grass and shrubbery, that way a block of foam with its tree can be removed from the overall setup for repair, cleaning or transport.

I only started my HO railroad last March 26 when I got a 1968 and 1972 Tyco train sets from a thrift store and after joining train forums and internet searching found out how to dismantle the engines and clean them and how to clean the tracks. I already have a 4 x 8 table set up, three houses, the Denver Union station, more than a dozen trees and enough material to make at least 100 trees. I just got a third set, a 1986 Bachman Sante Fe 0-6-0 brand new in their boxes. I now have three running sets and almost 2 dozen assorted cars and cabooses with about 60 to 70 feet of track. My cost so far is about $150 for everything and the value of the fun I am having is way more than that.


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