if i wanted to make a desert, how would i do so? i thought of using regualr clay or modeling clay to form sand dunes and stuff and then use a light cover of glue then put sand over and repeat the process until it's completely covered, would that work? do yall have any other ideas for me? thanks!

Here is how I would do it
I would lay down a thin layer of household spackle (DIY wall fix it stuff). Form it it basic dune shapes. You can wet your finger and drag your finger around the 'ground' to help form little dunes. Bigger ones I would first cut basic shapes out of packing styrofoam (stuff in computer boxes), hot glue it down or white glue it down. Then cover it with spackle.
To add sand texture I would use kids play sand (small) and also finely sifted back yard dirt (for really small stuff) and a smattering of kitty litter for bigger rocks. First put down a layer of 50/50 white glue water mix then sprinkle the sand/dirt mix over it.
To paint it I would use a dark yellow or light brown base then cover that with progressivly lighter colors of yellow.
Dry brush with some very light complementary yellow/brown color.
Top it off with a nice coating of pastels. Pastels are artists chalk and you scrape the appropriate color into a fine dust. Then apply to the base with a soft brush. You can get creative with varying the colors.

I usually use pink styrofoam for a base and form elevation with various chunks of the same.
Sand it down close to desired shape with heavy grit sandpaper ( I've even used a metal fork
in a pinch to scrape it down to shape) then add a thin to medium layer of joint compound.
Sprinkle on the desert material while joint compound is still wet.. Let dry and shake off excess. If some areas need extra coverage, and they probably will, then lightly wet the scene
with 50/50 white glue and water mix, sprinkle on more sand, and lightly wet again..let dry and repeat as needed.. This is just one method.. best to try it on a small scale to make sure its the kind of effect you like for your dio.. Good luck

Durham water Putty works great for sand terrain. Mixes and pours like plaster. After I have my base terrain laid out I then simply sprinkle on dry Durham’s atop the still wet material. I sprinkle it in a container (a 35mm film canister with 12 hole punch into the top) like a saltshaker, so it is an irregular pattern. I also add large pebbles and dirt/stones as appropriate. It is what I use for most of my terrain and was used in the Afrika Korp diorama sown here.

Remember to think in term of scale… example: a large sand dune in 1/35 scale might will require a 36” by 36” base to be in correct proportion to your 1/35 scale tank (8-10’). So consider what you trying to convey in your diorama story and then reproduce only the terrain necessary to tell the story. Example my be a WWII Long Range Patrol working its way down a step dune – I did one on a base that was 5” wide and 12 inch long. I was also 10” in height. The LRP Chevy was shown work down a steep embankment with just the very crest of the dune showing at the top of my diorama. It conveyed the concept, but did not require a full-scale dune.

Just some thoughts…

John

www.johnneill.com

A Lot of ways to tackle this subject too... depending on if you want high rolling dunes, (ie, middle of the Sahara) or scraggly sparce rocky terrain (Afghanistan Plains)... I usually start with a base of sized and cut styrofoam... I like the green rigid style sold in the plant areas of arts and crafts stores... not the powerdery crumble-prone green stuff though... go for the RIGID open sell stuff.

Shape as desired, adding hills with shreds of newspaper dipped in plaster of paris... make troughs and roadways by depressing the foam with your thumb. Once you have the basic shape, coat everything is a Spackle base, then sand and texture as desired!