Do most modelers use foilage (like Woodland Scenics) straight from the box or do they make their own? Which foilage looks realistic and which doesn't?

I'm wondering what foilage looks realistic. I use the lichens, grass, hemp grass, and photoetch leaves "as is." But I think the fir trees, plastic tree stumps, and larger trees look phony in scales larger than railroading although the trees with lichen on the twigs look nice. Also, I have yet to see a nice palm tree OOTB. I suppose most modelers make their own palm trees.

Comments, suggestions, feedback?

For realism I'd steer clear of lichen and go for WS sets of trees/branches. Have used them lots but don't have the box anymore (someone will help you out here) The branches are real twigs in great scale, and can be combined with other WS products to thicken with leaves etc. Even the addition of dried spice flakes etc. will work... So long as you keep the branches visible, because to me they are the 'stars of the show' in making a bush look like it has structure, for example.
Also Heki wildgrass can come out amazing, (check out Kevins [jackhammer81] dios with this and other grasses...) and in combination, well I think it will be the most realistic
HTH
Cheers
Brad

Peter -

Woodlands has some good diorama materials and though I haven't used it yet, the Heki products are excellent. Also plan on trying the Bragdon Enterprises tree kits for my "Ardennes" diorama. Also the local Crafts stores (like "Michael's" around here) have dried flowers and "foliage" material in abundance. Branches, roots, etc out of the garden are great to work up for trees, bushes also. Experiment and enjoy,

Blade48mrd

I use many products to do my dio's with some purchased, some grown in my back yard, and some I gather from the woods...
They key to good foliage in dio's is diversity in what you use. I would have to agree with the use of lichen, I would replace that with other ammo from the aresenal. I use mostly natural products. Dried flowers, dried herbs, roots, ect. My purchased items are from companies like Sweet Water, Woodland Senics, Some of the new PE products. Using natural products what better way to represent mother nature than to use what she will provide us with, it goes a long ways towards good results. Jackhammer 81 dose an excellant job of blending many different products together. Take a look at his work. Kevin is a good man don't be afraid to contact him!

Hi,

I found that using roots from bushes/plants in the garden has been the best way to go in making trees. I used that technique to build a tree from scratch a few years ago. I got a root the thickness of my index finger and tried to get one that had the makings of 'branches' coming off it and decent angles. Then I used other roots of decreasing sizes to make up the branches and twigs for the rest of the tree. I was using the tree for a scene in the Ardennes so I did not have to worry about leaves etc because it was obviously winter.

Some camo I used on the German vehicles was moss. I looked for moss growths that resembled minature fern branches. I found them all over the place where it had been damp/wet. Old drain holes, dead tree stumps. Once dried they really did look the business.

Not good...I have a ROCK garden :-)! Kind of looks like Mars, devoid of much life per se.

I may have to trade kits for shrubbery with some modelers some day...