Hi, I'm new to the forum, and have essentially zero experience. I also, unfortunately, do not possess a great deal of artistic talent .

I'm trying to help my son (6th grade) construct a diorama of D-Day (say, a scene on Omaha Beach) for a school project.

I've read much on the web (here and elsewhere) about how to model water in dioramas.
I bought a pack of E-Z Water, and so far it's proven...well...frustrating and less than satisfactory.

It's been suggested to me by a local craft shop that gel candle medium may be a good option. This would certainly offer one advantage over the other alternatives: when (as I'm sure I will) screw up, I can scoop it out and try again.

I would greatly appreciate any advice anyone can give me as to modeling:

waves
whitecaps
breaking surf on the shore
wake off a "Higgins boat" landing craft
waves breaking on beach obstacles (i.e., hedgehogs)

using gel candle medium.

Thanks very much for any advice!

Hi Chrome,

And first of all welcome to Armorama .

Now on with your problem. First of all if you search this site a bit you will find several post and articles on this subject.

More to the point, if you are talking about the stuff they use to make candles (parafin or so), then it will not be of any help. It has the tendency to have a high opacity effect. It is great to simulate ice but not for clear water.

There are several options, one is to sculpt it with what in your part of the world is called "spakle" or so. Paint it greenish blue (white for wave tops) and apply multiple layers of gloss coat.
Or paint your base and use transparant polyester (stuff used for car body repair jobs), which at a certain stage in the hardening you can easily sculpt.

These are just two ways, I'm sure you'll get some more replies.

Beware, that this won't go right from the first time (nothing does in modelling) so first try out a couple of them until you're satisfied (well, 90%...) with the result.
Practice makes perfect, sorry...

Kris

Welcome to Armorama !

Ahhh the school projects - gotta love'em. I'll be doing one soon.

If your project is like mine - time is the critical factor, there probably isn't much there.......

As far as the gel medium, the thing you need to consider is how foggy it will get when it dries.
As far as sculpting with the stuff, I would pour it in multiple layers. As you do, build up a small ridge where you want wakes, waves and such, also wait till it strarts to harden and then with the back of a spoon mold in ripples, and wakes, add on white caps, as you go,

One other way to make water quickly for a project such as this is to use two part resin, or caulking (the stuff you use on the bathroom tub)

Omaha Beach? Whatever happened to the paper mache' volcano? I don't have any idea what size diorama you are working on for your project but there is a good article in this months Fine Scale Modeler magazine about modeling water using aluminum foil and arcylic gel medium. It may give you some ideas.

Link below.

Hope this helps.
Shaun

http://www.finescale.com/fsm/

PS: Welcome aboard!

Chrome2004

First "Welcome" to Armorama, I'm sure you'll enjoy the experience and doing it with your son makes it all the more special. Been down your way a couple times, Huntsville (Marshall Space Flight Center) and Montgomery (Maxwell AFB). Anyway, I used to do some 1/700 Waterline ship models and used Artist's Acrylic gels (available at Art Supply and Craft stores). Wide range of colors that mix well and can be sculpted easily to mave waves, etc. Good luck on project and hope to hear more from you on future endeavors.

Blade48mrd

First of all welcome,

Although I am not sure of the size of the project, however the gel that is used for candles has one major drawback that I have noticed with some of my better half's candles. Large surfaces of the gel turn into dust magnets and they don't clean off too well. Another elemnet that could make it difficult to work with is it levels on it's own which would require a a mould to form waves with it.

Jay

Here are some ideas.

1. Modpodge. It is cheap and easy. You can use throwaway foam brushes. It goes on white but dries clear and shiny (get the gloss not the matte). You can add color. You can make waves, etc.
2. Artists gloss medium. The same. Use cheap acrylic colors from Walmart. 44 cents.
3. E-Z water is lousy. Woodland Scenics has Realistic Water (smooth) and Water Effects (white water). Easy to use and control.

Sealhead

I'll second what Jay says........ Dust Magnet!!!!

Thanks very much for the ideas.

What is best to use to color/tint the Modpodge?
How long does it take to dry?
(Is it water-based?)

Thanks again for your help!

Thanks for your reply.

I was thinking I could simulate a sea surface by crinkling aluminum foil, then straightening it out, spraying it with Pam or something so it won't stick, then putting it on top of the poured gel candle medium while it hardens.

Your "dust magnet" comment is a good point. Do you know if gel candle medium would accept lacquer or some such, sprayed or painted on, as a top coat?

Thanks again for your help!

Here is another "water" link...


http://modelingmadness.com/navalcorner/robertowater.htm

Shaun

As a matter of fact I do. After the the little lady left I shanghi'd one of her candles and experimented, now I am cleaning up the mess, Lacquer and gel candles not friends.

I saw some stuff at Wal-Mart the other day that intrigued me. It is used for simulating water in silk flower arangements. The label call it clear acrylic and said that it would dry solid and clear. Has anyone seen or used this stuff?

BTW, I use clear resin from Hobby Lobby, but it would not be cost effective for a large diorama. Sculpted celluclay may be the best bet for this type project.

Patrick

Envirotex EZ Pour is the ONLY way to go, if you ask me (not that you actually DID!), Take a look at the Water thread I did outlining a project i just completed for the DDay Museum in New Orleans....