Heya, Folks.

Anyone ever make tumbleweeds? If so, I'd appreciate any input or help.

Thnnk you, my friends!!

With Regards and Aloha,

Johnny B.

A couple items you might try: 1) seafoam; 2) dried lichen. With each you may have to carefully trim or thin out the "bush" in order to get that scraggly appearance. An advantage to using lichen is you can find it in colors that are already similar to the real thing.

I suppose you could take lichen clumps (the really cheap model RR scenic stuff that doesn't look realistic) and trim small parts into ball shapes, and paint them light brownish/gray. I've used it for desert scrub brush and it looks convincing. You could also use fine root systems from uprooted trees and bushes, and roll them up into a ball shape in your hands. Maybe add a couple drops of white glue, or carpenter's glue so the ball (tumbleweed) will hold it's shape.

No experience whatsoever but if I were you I would give steelwool a try, I think it has the right feel for tumbleweed (it just needs some plucking, shaping and colouring )

good luck!

Mark

Could probably do the same using cotton balls--not a whole ball; just pluck out a small piece and roll it into a ball shape then spray it to a pale beige-grey color.

Got more than my fill of tumbleweeds when I was living in the high plains of Eastern New Mexico...

Haven't made tumbleweeds yet but you got me thinking ... Could steel wool work, possibly using the several grades available?




And then, I found these 3M Heavy Duty Stripping Pads while surfing the web. Pretty sure I've seen something similar in local hardware stores.



Maybe a combination of balled-up pad material and the steel wool intertwined for variety?

—mike

Guys, these are absolutely FANTASTIC suggestions!!!

I'm going to get on it right after work...

MUCH appreciated!!!!

With Regards and Aloha,

Johnny B.