Ok - I've got some empty space in my current project and need some ideas on what to fill it with.

I've got a 3"x5" urban canal that needs something in it. It is framed on two sides by VP canal wall (brick and stone). It is open on the outside two sides. I'm filling some space with protective piers (dowels with rope caps) The wall does not allow for a civilian row boat because there is no good place to 'tie up' and dissembark.

I do not want a metal barrel - to many people have done it. I've painted a wooden barrel and might try that. There is still a lot of space though.....
Any ideas anyone?

How about some ducks or geese swimming by?

Jesse

Hi Scott, how about urban clutter civilian type stuff.
Depending on how you do the water, will you be able to see to the bottom etc? - if so semi submerged newspapers, a half submerged grandfather clock, a player piano, other civilian debris, chunks of lumber .
If it's slow to stagnant water alot of crap will just collect there especially against the piers. A table , chairs, make the water only 2 or 3 ft deep and paint the canal walls with a cool slimy high water mark. Rope, bottles crowd it up good, a broken wheelbarrow, an old hat , other civi clothes.
Ok I'm done, good luck. - Cheyenne

Cool ideas - hadn't thought of either.

I am planning on using liquid resin and pour it about 1/8" deep. I've painted the base of my dio a murky green/mustard/brown. I didn't say that the dio is a 'clean' town scene - but, I can totally see papers, and rope and some smaller 'stuff' more like typical litter being in there - especially in corners etc.

:)

Thanks

Possible to get a pic of your rough work or is it still just an idea at this point?

Maybe you could do a drain pipe sticking out of the wall emptying into the canal.

Ola Scott

Is it a dutch canal? In that case it probably could do with a huge load of wood drifting around, A couple of Garbagebags and a Bicycle steer sticking out of the water :-) :-) :-)

Basically everything can be in the water from Ducks as already is mentioned to old papers or other paperworks. Or try to think out of the box and put somethign in the water you really would not expect there. Maybe a piece of furniture. Or if a building close by has collapsed have some big pieces of debris sticking out of the waterline. But as I read in your replies it is a clean urban dio. Cardboard boxes just come to mind. Tree leaves etc. etc.

m:-)

Pictures - maybe tonight - I'll have to check to see if I have downloaded them off my camera. If not then tomorrow (camera is with SWMBO and she's out of town).

Bicycle - Hmmm, I like it.

Yea -the clean part throws a wrench in the works a bit. Good ideas ....

Scott,

How about a new bicycle, that was parked against a lantern, but fell over the edge into the canal and his owner trying to get it back up with a piece of rope....

just two cents.

How about an old wreck .. bombed out or just plain wrecked. You must have some old kit in your collection that you´ll never build, or an early model carcass, or an experimental vehicle that went wrong.
It could be great fun scratching bits and pieces and then rusting them all up. Some long weeds growing up through it and around it. Good chance to experiment, and a very probable detail left by the canal!

How about a partially submerged row boat? You could just cut it at an angle and glue it to the bottom and then pour resin around it.

Well, dont know what the setting is, but if it is during combat, maybe a body I actually think that would be pretty neat.

Thanks guys - sorry no pictures today - The camera is in WV (250 miles away )
I like the ideas and am going to try to incorporate as many as possible. I love the body idea, too bad the story won't support it on this (next one though - look out).

My biggest problem is depth. My base is solid and it will be shallow -- 1/8th of an inch or so. The water will be 'dark' so you can't see the bottom.
I'm thinking of a small 'dock' tied to a pier with a rope ladder to the top.

How about some vegetation, Scott? Cattails or some water grass sticking out of the water in a clump around the bridge or at the banks. Floatsam consisting of dried leaves & straw getting trapped along choke points or near the banks is another common feature. I had a river dio where I had a branch protrude from the water surface at an angle and all the flotsam trapped around it with their tail end pointed in one direction to give the impression of the direction of water flow.

I kind of like the old newspaper floating on the surface as mentioned by some of the guys especially if it takes the shape of the waves to give the idea of fluid motion.

I've found depth is not a major problem as the illusion of depth can be created by showing more or less of any object that is above water. If its a bicycle just show part of the handlebar and given the water is murky the eye is "tricked" to believe that the bulk must be hidden underwater.