Tutorial - working with natural leaves
by Roman aka jar
posted by roman, jarhead, kong
你 好!
This little article brings you my thoughts about working with leaves. Not the ones you can buy i mean those you can find, the natural leaves. My computer is now shipped, so i am still without, but my neighbours went in holiday for a week and i can lent the laptop - have a nice weekend to you 4 gangstas :) - Leaves...
Where to get them?
Over at the Reaper Forums you'll find a great article about how you can collect natural stuff (birch seed leaves) to use as leaves:
http://www.reapermini.com/TheCraft/24
For the lazy guys and girls, you can buy them already prepared at the PK-Pro Shop. Even i am using those by PK-Pro I am always collecting real leaves during autumn, let them dry and make them to dust with my fingers:
Using your leaves
I use those leaves explained over at Reaper very often in the last couple of years. It is simply a joy to bring in the element of autumn in the game of colours on your base. I simply glued them on the base after i did paint the base up to finish, i did this with a toothpick and superglue, one by one. Example, sorry for the old crappy picture:
After a while i have realized that using them on a 28 mm model is way to big in scale. I want them smaller. So i am smashing every sort of natural leaves i can find with my own hands to dust, yeah to dust. Not really dust, simply smaller pieces but dust sounds way more epic. Then i pick up a toothpick and spent hours glueing them to the base one by one. Example:
Closing words
Why do i write such a tutorial in spring? I have no idea :)
Hope you like this little article, if some questions may appear don't hesitate to ask them via comment.
Additional i quote your suggestions and ideas in, thanks for helping making this grow:
Nestor says via comment:
"Another way to do leaf and folliage is to use smashed oregano! It was used in doing camo for 1/35 dioramas for armoured vehicles etc."
Keep on happy painting!
Regards
Roman
你 好!
This little article brings you my thoughts about working with leaves. Not the ones you can buy i mean those you can find, the natural leaves. My computer is now shipped, so i am still without, but my neighbours went in holiday for a week and i can lent the laptop - have a nice weekend to you 4 gangstas :) - Leaves...
Where to get them?
Over at the Reaper Forums you'll find a great article about how you can collect natural stuff (birch seed leaves) to use as leaves:
http://www.reapermini.com/TheCraft/24
For the lazy guys and girls, you can buy them already prepared at the PK-Pro Shop. Even i am using those by PK-Pro I am always collecting real leaves during autumn, let them dry and make them to dust with my fingers:
Using your leaves
I use those leaves explained over at Reaper very often in the last couple of years. It is simply a joy to bring in the element of autumn in the game of colours on your base. I simply glued them on the base after i did paint the base up to finish, i did this with a toothpick and superglue, one by one. Example, sorry for the old crappy picture:
After a while i have realized that using them on a 28 mm model is way to big in scale. I want them smaller. So i am smashing every sort of natural leaves i can find with my own hands to dust, yeah to dust. Not really dust, simply smaller pieces but dust sounds way more epic. Then i pick up a toothpick and spent hours glueing them to the base one by one. Example:
Closing words
Why do i write such a tutorial in spring? I have no idea :)
Hope you like this little article, if some questions may appear don't hesitate to ask them via comment.
Additional i quote your suggestions and ideas in, thanks for helping making this grow:
Nestor says via comment:
"Another way to do leaf and folliage is to use smashed oregano! It was used in doing camo for 1/35 dioramas for armoured vehicles etc."
Keep on happy painting!
Regards
Roman
Nice Idea Roman!
Another way to do leaf and folliage is to use smashed oregano! It was used in doing camo for 1/35 dioramas for armoured vehicles etc.
Keep bringing these great tutorials for us.
Nestor
Hey! I'm aliveeeee!
I read you a lot, but I can't comment all your posts, sorry...
Massive Voodoo artists are awesome! Thanks again for show us your works.
Roman, your blog and art are growing... and I'm very happy for you!
Best wishes and regards for everybody,
Jose (Connann).
@Nestor
Thanks for the nice addition. I'll quote you in if this is ok?
@Conan
No issue to say sorry about - good to hear from you, time is always limited these days and it is most important to use it with sense ... really no problem, Conan... Thanks for spending your time reading in here - that is honour enough :) - good to hear from you :)
Keep on happy painting!
Regards
Roman
OK Roman :)
thank you... done.
Never had much luck with real leaves, but have always loved using birch tree seeds (you need to grind them in your hand).
Separate seeds are just perfect for 28-32mm scale minis. But you surely know it, judging gfrom your photos ^^
Another example of Autumn-themed base tutorial was posted to Chest of Colors some time ago, but I don't want to spam the comment with too many links unless you say so.
So which one of you painted the excellent Tom Meier's pirate? I have one (early stages of painting, left in my drawer for years) as well, and you even motivated me to get him finished at last...
Thanks!
-- Mahon
ChestOfColors.com - All about miniature painting
Fantastic tutorial, and I hope it's ok to ask even though it's an quite old, but how do you keep the color in the foliage from nature?? if you pick up red, yellow and brown leaves and blend them.. won't they over time loose the natural color and all turn brown?
Sure it is ok to ask ... Back in those days of this article I wasn't aware of the natural rotting effect myself. So you are right, they might turn into brown someday. Nowadays I would airbrush the leaves at the base with some matte varnish to seal them ... this should work, but I also have to check and keep an eye out if they still turn...
I saw the article you referred to in the beginning of the article. They painted the small leaves with some paint.. I thought how pigments would work when used and shaked.
By the way the book you made with idea (the kickstarter one) are amazing.
Mmh ... I am not sure if pigments stay fixed in a longer period of time. Thanks for the kind words about the book! Happy that you are happy! Thanks for the support!