I have used lichen a lot for trees and bushes. The problem is that when it´s dry it breaks easily. I have seen some that is treated (chemically?) with something which makes it soft. I think this would be a lot better for trees.

The problem is that I´m cheap and won´t pay for it because I can go out in the forest and get it for free. So my question is- is there any way to treat it yourself so it won´t dry?

yeah go to a pharmacy and get glycerin. I beleive you mix it with some water then spray it with a pump srayer over the lichen. You should only have to do it once or twice every couple of years. Cheers Kevin

Kevin's right. I used to pick my own up in the forests of Wisconsin and put it in a plastic zip-lock bag. When it got dried out, I'd spray a little water in the bag and it would soften up after a few days and I could use it for my dios. It will harden again in a few weeks. I still have some I picked 10 years ago and it reacts the same way every time I use it.

The trouble with glycerine is that it is sticky -- every cat hair and dust particle within two blocks will come stick on it.

LOL ! That's exaclty what we need ! Maybe we can position some glycerin in the four corners of the room to keep the cat hair and other unwanted particles away from our dios ?!
A whole range of uncharted possibilities springs to mind...

I believe it was Shep Paine in one of his books suggested
a simple solution:
dip it in thinned white glue, let it dry, the paint as usual.

I agree with the thinned white glue, drying and painting tehnique. Cheaper, easier, quicker

I have used the glycerin it works well, and you can use it over and over. It only costs @ $3 for a good size bottle. I can't say the solution I use is sticky? I used a bottle of it with about half a cup of alcohol. I have used it for roots, lichen, and the wife likes it for drying her flowers, it a good arrangement, (just be sure to wash all the dirt away first It will color the flowers).

The only problem with lichen, is that it looks like lichen. Depending upon your scale, can you add chopped spices for more realisim?

Sealhead

thats true, but it is excellent for making the main body of foliage on trees. just add herbs to the outside of it. i use origano and parsley cos they smell really nice!

a word of warning with lichen. the kind that are used for modelling dont grow in my part of the world so i have to use the store bought kind which i believe are dyed. if they get too much moisture from the air in them the dye will run, ruining your dio!

cheers

joe

The really fine clumps of lichen will make convincing thorn bushes, brambles, etc.

I generally do the trunk and larger branches from twigs or stretched sprue/combination of the two, depending on scale and lichen as the main body of foliage. I do add coloured sawdust to it as well for leaves.

However, I have recently started using fine steel wool and sawdust/spices as Í´ve found that it´s a bit more flexible.