I everyone.

I started building a wire tree following the method displayed in this great article: https://armorama.kitmaker.net//features/135

As this was my first attempt, I wasn’t expecting it to come out perfect, but I must say that it is quite easy to get the hang of this technique. I didn’t have milliput, putty or anything like that, and I wasn’t too sure about using plaster to cover the wires (I think it’s a bit too brittle). So I used a mix of white glue (about 20%) and a thick wall paint (water based enamel).

I still need to cover some of the wires better, and then I’m going to texture the bark and paint it. This is what I did so far:






This is supposed to be a leafless autumn tree for a 1/35 diorama. Do you think I need to place more branches, or is it OK the way it is? I’m waiting for your honest feedback… As I said, this is my first attempt, so if you think I should start again from scratch, don’t be afraid to say so…

JNSA, you did a good job ! I like it. There's good depth in it. What an idea to finish it that way. I look forward to the finishing touch. Guy

Gday JNSA
Agree with Guy that you have done a great job here! As he said there is good depth, but maybe a small stub of a bough that has snapped long ago, about the height of the lowest bough on the opposing side?
Just a thought
Cheers
Brad

Very good result so far - especially consuidering it is your first attempt.

Keep us updated on the process - thanks for sharing

Well, after a few extremely interesting weeks spent studying for my exams, I came back to this tree. Since the last time, I added a few branches, for extra volume. I wasn’t happy with the texture of the bark, so I used a stuff called Polyfilla (a kind of wall plaster) to get a coarser look. The trunk and branches were painted with watercolors, and I’m going to give it a coat of matt varnish to seal it. The leaves were taken from a real plant, a kind of fern, sold in a small pot for under 1 euro in IKEA. They were preserved with glycerin and painted with watercolors. Some of them are a bit off scale so I still have to trim a few of them.

So, here are the pics of my an autumn tree. What do you think? Is it any convincing as a first try?

I think it came out real nice. Very realistic.

Well done wire tree with a nice gradual change in girth from the main trunk tapering to the finer branches. If there was anything minor to add I would say maybe a bit more bulk at the base to give it some girth and a bit of exposed roots at the base. Minor suggestions though.

It came out very well.

Thanks for your input, guys.




Thanks for your sugestion, I thought about that as well, but I finally decided it wasn't necessary. The tree is going to be used in a diorama depicting a flood, so the base of the trunk will be submerged, and the roots, invisible. In a normal diorama, though, I think you would be right.