im looking to create a ambush set in the ardennes forest. i will be using 1/35 armor and infantry , what height should i make my trees so they look realistic?

any help greatly appreciated

I am no expert on diaoramas having done my first recently however in my view the height of the trees depends on your vignette. The Ardennes being a forest contains trees of various heights so I think you can use what proportionally fits your vignette. The focus of your diorama should be the models, not the trees. Hope that helps.

this is my first try at this so im not sure what i should focus on but thanks for telling me not to worry about the trees so much , cuz that was one of my main concerns. thanks again

Trees are bigger than you think. A 12 meter tree is not a big one, especially not for a pine. That tree would be 34cm in 1/35 and would overwhelm most scenes.

I recomend scaling down the trees a bit using your own preference and try to place them in the background of your scene,

I hate to say it but it depends - it depends on the type of tree, age of the tree, and overall scene.


The trees in these pictures are anywhere from 9 inches to 11 inches.

Ola Scott

Well the fun thing about Nature is that almost anything goes and is possible. Even among one specific type of trees you will find a gazillion differences in height, Colors, the buildup of branches etc etc. So basically you are free to do whatever you like with the height of your trees. On the other hand I have walked through forests in both belgium and Germany and you will encounter some breathtakingly high trees.
Look at the following linkl and scroll down a bit to get an idea of what trees can be found in the ardennes.
Twenot Ardennes Photospecial.
Also the link gives you a good idea of how it would look like in winter.... Looking the 2 Bastogne Episodes of Band of Brothers will also give you a good idea.

Believe it or not, you've taken on quite a challenge. The Ardennes forest is quite old. Most of the trees would be very tall, with some other foliage struggling to grow beneath it's canopy. Seanuke hit it on the head. Thye focus should be your work and not the trees. It might be easier with one or two fairly "tall" trees and perhaps a bunch knocked down into a tangle for camoflage.

It all kind of depends on what type of forest you are looking for. In the ardennes you have several types of forest. For example, you can have huge trees especially pine trees with a large stem and few fooliage. Or much smaller trees at the side of the road.
It depends of the area and what you prefer.