# UGGHHH!!! The frustration.....!!!!



## KarmaJ (May 28, 2010)

So I'm in the process of trying to create my first river and lake for my HO layout. Up to this point everything I've done has been relatively easy for the most part. 

I can't for the life of me get a realistic look to my water scene. I'm using Modge-Podge. I've tried several times to achieve the running water look, by painting, mixing in paint with the modge-podge.

Here is a link to my public Facebook profile with some pics at the very end of the album. 

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=4532&id=100000065807652&l=ec24ceff0c

The river pics are on the last page.

If any of you veterans could have a look. Maybe give me some tips or tricks?

At this point I'll look at anything. If I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong I'll have to sacrifice a really realistic river to one that is just blue. 

Who wants to do that!....?

Appreciate any and all help for a point in the right direction. 

Cheers,


----------



## tankist (Jun 11, 2009)

multi-part series on how to model water convincingly (and Inexpensively!)


Part 1:
http://modelrailroading.wordpress.com/2009/01/17/how-to-model-a-river/
Part 2: 
http://modelrailroading.wordpress.c...harbor-or-just-about-any-other-body-of-water/
Part 3: 
http://modelrailroading.wordpress.com/2009/01/23/laying-a-riverbed-step-by-step/
Part 4: 
http://modelrailroading.wordpress.c...ates-pouring-the-water-for-your-model-scenes/


----------



## 5.7wrangler (May 10, 2010)

what an excellent find on the net. i could use this too. cant wait to get started.


----------



## KarmaJ (May 28, 2010)

Very helpfull link. Thank you. Think I might just use the modge podge for ripple effects and whatnot. I've seen great water effects using Modge-podge but I just can't seem to replicate anything I've seen.


----------



## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

The blue should of been black. The clear gives it depth. The white water looks good. Dark navy may work too. When you try always do it on a test area, a different piece then you are not stuck with a bad look.


----------



## KarmaJ (May 28, 2010)

See I didn't really like the look of the white water myself. It just looked to "painted" for me. Yeah the nice thing about mistakes on my layout is I have foam in the middle between sound board on top and plywood on the bottom. I just get out the exacto blade and cut and peel up. Re-seal with some caulk and latex paint and ready to start a new! Makes it pretty easy to start over. Which I'll be doing again for the 3rd time!  I'm really hoping that the third time really will be a charm!


----------



## KarmaJ (May 28, 2010)

So do you guys think that the Acrylic glazig liquid will get me better results than the Modge-Podge? I know I need to go back to the crawing board on my color scheme for the river bed and whatnot. 

Cheers,


----------



## Reckers (Oct 11, 2009)

KJ, another option is to just go with glass. If you have time, take a stroll through a stained-glass shop and see what textured clear-glass they have. You paint the bottom (non-textured) side and recess it in to the table surface.


----------



## KarmaJ (May 28, 2010)

yea Reckers that would be a bit more than I'm willing to undertake.  So will the acrylic glaze yield me better results? I'm heading into the city tomorrow and hope to have an idea before I leave.

Cheers,


----------



## KarmaJ (May 28, 2010)

Well I finally got around to finishing my water scene. I'm very happy with my results. My river pics are on page nine of the link I put in my first post at the top of this thread. Would love to know what you guya think.

Cheers,


----------



## dozer (Jan 2, 2010)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAu8sumgno8

If you can see the river in my video very well, it's done using the acrylic water at Craft World and Michaels. I painted the river bottom a very dark brown, then laid in river rock over the paint. Let it dry for several days then poured the arylic water over it.


----------



## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Dozer,

I think I had mentioned earlier (I hope) that that river rock of yours is an excellent touch ... very realistic.

I just got back from a vaca to NH, with lots of hiking through woods / along rivers ... rivers that look just like yours!

TJ


----------



## KarmaJ (May 28, 2010)

Very nice Dozer. I went with real rocks as well. It just provides that extra touch on realism. I even went a step further and used finely ground peat moss and woodland scenics underbrush for the very shallow edges of my river. I liked that look a lot better then a paint blend. I only used a small portion of blue for my deeper sections. 

I've off to work on the waterfall!

Cheers,


----------

