introduction

Most dioramas will need some sort of plant life incorporated into it, and Eduard have already released several lines of leaves. Most of these are unpainted, but now they are releasing pre-painted versions.

the contents

Packed in a sealed bag with a cardboard backing, the one sheet of brass fret has six individual, one double frond and six triple fronds.

the review

All the sets Eduard have released so far, whether painted or not, are Photo Etch, and can be bent and shaped as desired. This set is similar to the earlier unpainted set (item #35617), but with a few more fronds. All the leaves are pre-painted— on both sides— in green, with one side a little darker, as found on real leaves where there is a different contrast in colours for the tops and bottoms.

The double and triple fronds are joined by the stems, but can be cut into separate fronds. You can probably model about three ferns with the contents of this set. The leaves do look quite realistic, and can be bent and twisted to shape them to Nature. Too much bending will start to take the paint off, though.

The stems are about a third of the leaf part long, and should be a good start to make a fern plant. You may need to lengthen the stalks, especially if you add more leaves to the top of the plant to make it bushier. Making a stalk for the plant, and inserting the fronds into it would be the easiest way.

Each leaf has a jagged edge to them which adds to their realism. In terms of scale thickness, they are probably a little thick (but I have seen worse), however, anything you use for leaves will always be too thick, as true scale leaves would have to be about the thickness of a coat of paint.

Conclusion

This is a very nice addition to Eduard's range of leaves, and a good alternative to other forms of foliage on the market. They’re a little on the expensive side, especially if you want to model a lot of ferns (e.g., a jungle setting).