Hello everybody

After a lot of months, here is the "beta" version of the coconut palms for my Vietnam air ambush diorama (with Oh-6 helicopter and NVA dshk machine gun)







The leaves are made with real "ficus benjamina" leaves, cut to side as you can see in the pictures.



Trunks are made with wood branches and a special item just for palms from Vegetarama company (a spanish company with a lot of vegetal items for diorama).





Please let my know what you think about this first version (I´ll give the leaves some brown colour to simulate the dry part of the leaves).

Still a lot of work to do ... I hope to finish all the dio for Euromilitaire contest next september ...

Thanks in advance ¡¡¡¡

I'm no expert but they look mighty convincing to me.
Looking forward to seeing them and your diorama finished.

They look quality to me very realistic, Have the leaves been treated with any thing?

redleg

Very nice! I would definately get some glycerine on those leaves if you have not already!

its got my vote! its very nice...and adding brown to simulate dry parts of the leaves is a good idea

The leaves are just painted with aerografic Vallejo acrilic paint, no glycerine, or something like that.

You just take the leaf from the plant, cut it to side, let it dry for 3-4 hours (more hours = more bending of the leaf), and paint it with acrilic Vallejo.

I cut the leaves you see in the palm a year ago ... and they looks like the first day ¡¡¡

Im not a palm tree expert, but they look very realistic to me. Im sure with a little weathering, they´ll be stunning.
Have you any more information on the "Vegetarama company" and this special product you have used? Have they a webpage? I´ll be building a base for my Tarawa sherman in the short future and this could something worth while investigating! Cheers .. and thanks for sharing.

They look superb! You ought to do an article on how to make these as they're the best palms I've seen.

Looks very VERY good!!! Can't wait to see the rest!

Hello Frank, and thanks for your comments ¡¡

Vegetarama was a spanish company that used to sell all kind of natural plants for dioramas, but it´s out of market now... I took the tape for palms in a bargain in a model contest.

In any case, you can use for making the trunks of the coconut palms the adhesive tape the house painters use for "maskings" doors, windows, and so .. you know what I mean ???. It´s a rough, yellow tape in varius sizes.

Just put a strip of tape over another one ( the upper one must let see the half of the donwside one). Then cut it making curves up and down (just like the real palms, and put the tape around a wood curved stick.

All you need then is a wash of putty, and the trunks are ready for painting ¡¡¡

My excuses for my bad english; if you need more explanations send me a message and I´ll send you some scaned pictures of the making of palms trunks.

Best regards ¡¡¡

bèta? If I made a tree like that I would be so very happy

Csago, those trees look great,
Don't worry about your English, it's much better than my Spanish. :-)
Hope you keep posting these little tidbits on techniques.