Scenery and Layout - Building a Welsh Riverside

March 5, 2025 • Part of:

Build Log 005: Creating the Welsh Riverside Scenery

Date: March 5 - March 28, 2025
Phase: Scenery Construction
Time Spent: ~20 hours
Status: Completed

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The Challenge: Wales in Miniature

Planning the layout - fitting everything in limited space

Researching Welsh riverside vegetation

With all the main components complete (caravan, car, figures, and Tilly), I faced the challenge of creating a convincing Welsh riverside setting within tight space constraints.

The Brief:

• Riverside setting in Wales
• Native Welsh plants and trees
• Natural, not manicured
• Rocky riverbank
• Sense of depth despite small footprint
• Maximum display size: ~350mm x 250mm

The Problem: How do you suggest “Welsh countryside” without building an entire landscape? The scene needed to feel expansive while fitting on a small base.

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Space Management and Layout Strategy

Working out the base layout - every millimeter counts

Constraints:

• Base size: ~350mm x 250mm maximum
• Must accommodate caravan (70mm long)
• Must accommodate car (90mm long)
• Need space for figures
• Need to suggest river
• Need trees without crowding
• Must remain stable and transportable

Layout Strategy:

1. Caravan Positioning:
   • Slightly off-center (more natural)
   • Angled (not parallel to base edge)
   • Door facing toward viewer (showing detail)
   • Creates compositional interest
2. Car Placement:
   • Towing position behind caravan
   • Suggests “just arrived” or “about to depart”
   • Hitch connection visible
3. River Location:
   • Along one edge (allows suggestion without building entire river)
   • Diagonal flow (more interesting than straight)
   • Banks at different levels (topographic interest)
4. Tree Placement:
   • Background and sides (creates depth)
   • Varying heights (perspective)
   • Not blocking main subjects
   • Suggests continuation beyond base edges
5. Figure Positioning:
   • Near vehicles (logical placement)
   • Interacting with space
   • Tilly exploring (dog behavior)
   • Creating story moment

Key Principle: The base shows a “moment in time” within a larger landscape. Viewers’ imagination fills in what continues beyond the edges.

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Research: Welsh Riverside Flora

Researching Welsh native plants and trees

Understanding tree forms and foliage textures

To make the scene authentically Welsh, I researched typical riverside vegetation in Wales:

Trees Common to Welsh Riversides:

• Oak (Quercus robur) - iconic British tree
• Willow (Salix) - characteristic riverside trees
• Alder (Alnus glutinosa) - water-loving, common near streams
• Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) - common in Welsh valleys
• Birch (Betula) - lighter foliage, adds variety

Understory Plants:

• Ferns - abundant in damp Welsh climate
• Nettles and dock - realistic for riversides (though not pretty)
• Wild grasses - mixed heights and textures
• Moss - rocks and tree bases
• Wild flowers - foxglove, meadowsweet, primrose

What to Avoid:

• Palm trees (obviously not Welsh)
• Tropical plants
• Overly manicured appearance
• Mediterranean vegetation
• Desert plants

The key was creating the “feel” of Wales: lush, green, slightly wild, varied textures.

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Base Construction

Base Structure:

1. Foundation:
   • MDF board (~350mm x 250mm x 9mm)
   • Sealed with PVA (prevents warping)
   • Strong enough to handle weight
   • Transportable size
2. Topography:
   • Built up with foam board layers
   • Created gentle slopes
   • Carved river valley
   • Added rocky outcrops
   • Textured with filler/plaster mix
3. Riverbank:
   • Two levels (high bank, water level)
   • Rocky edge (small stones embedded)
   • Natural irregularity
   • Water area carved lower than surroundings
4. Texture Layer:
   • PVA and sand mix for general ground
   • Rougher texture near river (rocky)
   • Smoother areas for grass (campsite area)
   • Varied finish suggests different terrain types

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Tree Construction: Trial and Error

Wire armatures for trees - creating natural branch structures

Testing foliage materials - finding the right texture

Completed tree with multiple foliage layers

Tree Construction Process:

1. Wire Armature:
   • Twisted wire for trunk and main branches
   • Multiple strands twisted (creates realistic bark texture)
   • Branches divide naturally (Y-junctions, not T-junctions)
   • Taper as branches get smaller
   • Overall tree shape before adding foliage
2. Trunk Texture:
   • Painted with dark brown/black
   • Dry brushed with lighter browns
   • Highlighted bark texture created by twisted wire
   • Different colors for different tree species
   • Some green tint on north side (moss effect)

3. Foliage Material Testing:

   Attempt 1: Commercial foliage (foam clusters)

   • ✅ Looked okay
   • ❌ Too uniform in texture
   • ❌ Limited color variety
   • ❌ Expensive

   Attempt 2: Natural materials (dried herbs/moss)

   • ✅ Interesting texture
   • ❌ Deteriorated over time
   • ❌ Color faded
   • ❌ Too fragile

   Attempt 3: DIY foliage (stretched fiber + flock)

   • ✅ Controllable texture
   • ✅ Can create varied densities
   • ✅ Mix multiple colors
   • ✅ Cost effective
   • ✅ This was the winner
4. Foliage Application:
   • Pull apart polyester fiber fill (creates web-like structure)
   • Stretch over wire branches
   • Spray with diluted PVA (holds shape)
   • Apply different colored ground foam/flock
   • Multiple colors (dark green, light green, yellow-green, brown)
   • Layer different textures (depth)
   • Less dense at edges (natural, not solid blobs)

Tree Types Created:

• 3 background trees (taller, establishing scale and depth)
• 2 mid-ground trees (frame composition)
• 1 foreground tree (detail, shows off technique)

Total trees: 6 (enough to suggest woodland without crowding)

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Custom Tool Development

Custom tools developed for specific tasks

During scenery construction, I made several custom tools:

Static Grass Applicator:

• Purpose: Stand grass fibers upright (realistic grass effect)
• Construction: Modified tea strainer + 9V battery + wire
• Theory: Static charge makes fibers stand up
• Reality: It worked! (somewhat unpredictably)
• Cost: ~£2 vs. £40+ for commercial version

Foliage Applicator (Tweezer-Sifter Hybrid):

• Purpose: Apply fine flock precisely
• Construction: Fine mesh + tweezers + small reservoir
• Allows controlled sprinkle of flock onto glue
• Better control than fingers or shakers

Tree Bark Texture Tool:

• Purpose: Create bark patterns in putty trunks
• Construction: Wire brush head wrapped with coarse thread
• Roll along wet putty = bark texture
• (Mostly used twisted wire trunks, but tool available)

Lesson: Sometimes making a simple tool takes 20 minutes and saves hours of frustration. Don’t be afraid to make custom solutions.

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Rocky Riverbank Construction

Building up the rocky riverbank

Painting rocks with varied colors - Welsh stone tones

Rock Materials:

• Real small stones (appropriate scale)
• Broken cork bark (looks like larger boulders)
• Carved foam (lightweight, large rocks)
• Plaster/filler (embedding and texture)

Rock Placement Strategy:

• Larger rocks near water (realistic erosion pattern)
• Smaller stones higher up bank
• Random placement (nature isn’t regular)
• Some partially buried (realistic, not just sitting on surface)
• Varied colors (not all same stone type)

Rock Painting:

• Base coat: grey/brown mix
• Wash: diluted black (settles in cracks)
• Dry brush: light grey (highlights)
• Dry brush: green/brown (moss/lichen on some)
• Some orange/rust (iron in Welsh stone)
• Variation: Not all rocks same color

Result: Rocks read as Welsh stone - grey, weathered, varied, some with moss. Not pretty decorative stones, but realistic riverside rocks.

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Vegetation: Layers of Texture

Building up vegetation in layers - creating depth and variety

Vegetation Application Strategy:

Layer 1 - Base Texture:

• Fine sand/ballast
• Earth colors (brown, dark green)
• PVA adhesive
• Covers exposed base

Layer 2 - Coarse Ground Cover:

• Scatter materials (multiple colors)
• Varied shades of green
• Some brown (dead vegetation, dirt patches)
• Creates base for grass

Layer 3 - Static Grass:

• Multiple grass colors and lengths
• Applied in patches (not uniform lawn)
• Denser in some areas (campsite clearing)
• Sparser in others (rocky areas, under trees)
• Varied heights (2mm, 4mm, 6mm)

Layer 4 - Accent Plants:

• Fern fronds (made from painted fabric leaves)
• Taller grass tufts
• Wild flower clusters (small dried flowers painted)
• Patches of color (not just green)

Layer 5 - Final Details:

• Individual grass blades (tall, at edges)
• Fallen leaves (punched paper, painted)
• Small debris (tiny twigs, bark bits)
• Final flock and texture

Key Principle: Nature has layers of texture at different scales. Replicating this in miniature creates convincing landscape depth.

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The Composition Coming Together

Testing composition - do all elements work together?

Adjusting positions for best visual flow

Compositional Considerations:

Visual Flow:

• Viewer’s eye enters scene through foreground
• Travels to main subjects (car, caravan, figures)
• Explores details (Tilly, trees, river)
• Suggests continuation beyond edges

Depth Cues:

• Objects overlap (foreground over background)
• Size variation (larger near, smaller far)
• Detail gradation (more detail near, less detail far)
• Color shift (slightly hazier in background)

Balance:

• Not centered (more interesting)
• Weight distributed (not all on one side)
• Vertical elements (trees) balance horizontal elements (car/caravan)
• Negative space (allows breathing room)

Story Elements:

• Caravan and car suggest travel/arrival
• Figures near vehicles (setup/pack-up moment)
• Tilly exploring (dog behavior, adds life)
• Riverside setting (peaceful, vacation feel)

What Makes it Work:

• Clear focal point (vehicles and figures)
• Supporting elements don’t distract
• Sense of place (Welsh riverside)
• Tells a story (family trip moment)

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Problem Solving: Limited Space

Challenges Encountered:

1. Trees Too Tall:
   • First trees overwhelmed scene
   • Solution: Made shorter trees, saved tall ones for background
   • Varied heights create depth without dominating
2. River Too Wide:
   • Initial river took too much space
   • Solution: Narrowed river, made it diagonal (suggests flow continues)
   • Implied water more effective than showing entire river
3. Too Much Vegetation:
   • First attempt looked cluttered
   • Solution: Removed some vegetation, left space for eye to rest
   • Less is more - strategic placement beats blanket coverage
4. Figures Got Lost:
   • Figures disappeared among scenery
   • Solution: Cleared immediate area around figures, created “campsite clearing”
   • Natural but provides focus area
5. Base Edge Treatment:
   • Hard edges looked artificial
   • Solution: Brought vegetation and texture to edges, broke up hard line
   • Scene feels continuous beyond base

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Skills Developed

New Skills:

• Miniature tree construction from wire
• DIY foliage creation (fiber + flock)
• Static grass application
• Multi-layer vegetation techniques
• Composition planning with fixed elements
• Working within strict space constraints
• Custom tool making for specific tasks

Improved Skills:

• Color variation in natural elements
• Texture layering for depth
• Creating impression of larger space in limited area
• Strategic detail placement

Research Skills:

• Plant identification and regional flora
• Reference gathering for natural landscapes
• Understanding landscape composition

Important Lesson: Scenery is about suggestion and layers. You’re creating the impression of a landscape, not recreating every blade of grass. Strategic detail work beats comprehensive coverage.

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Materials Used

Base Structure:

• MDF board (foundation)
• Foam board (topography)
• Plaster/filler (texture)
• PVA glue (adhesive and sealant)

Trees:

• Wire (multiple gauges for armatures)
• Polyester fiber fill (foliage base)
• Ground foam/flock (multiple colors)
• Paint (trunk colors)

Rocks:

• Natural small stones
• Cork bark
• Carved foam
• Various paints

Vegetation:

• Static grass (2mm, 4mm, 6mm in multiple colors)
• Scatter materials (ground texture)
• Sand/ballast (base texture)
• Dried plant materials (modified)
• Punched paper (leaves)

Custom Tools:

• Static grass applicator (DIY)
• Foliage applicator (DIY)
• Various adapted household items

Time Investment: ~20 hours (including research, testing, and multiple layout iterations)

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The Scene Taking Shape

The Welsh riverside taking shape - trees, rocks, vegetation creating the setting

With the scenery largely complete, the diorama transformed from “components on a base” to “a place.” The caravan and car now sit in a Welsh riverside setting that feels authentic and lived-in.

What’s Working:

• Trees create depth and frame the scene
• Rocky riverbank suggests flowing water nearby
• Layered vegetation provides texture and realism
• Composition draws eye to main subjects
• Space feels larger than actual base size
• Authentically Welsh feel (green, lush, slightly wild)

What Remains:

• Ground cover completion (static grass areas)
• River water effects (resin water)
• Final integration of all elements
• Last details and weathering

Two major elements remained: completing the grass work to create the campsite feel, and adding the river water to bring the scene to life.

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Reflections

What Worked:

• DIY foliage technique (cost-effective, controllable)
• Layered vegetation approach (creates depth)
• Research into Welsh flora (authentic feel)
• Custom tools (solved specific problems)
• Strategic space management (fits despite constraints)

What Was Challenging:

• Working within tight space constraints
• Balancing detail with viewing distance
• Preventing scene from looking cluttered
• Creating depth in limited area
• Time management (20 hours flew by)

What I’d Do Differently:

• Make test trees before final trees (learned as I went)
• Plan vegetation placement more carefully (removed some initially placed)
• Take more in-process photos (focused on building, forgot to document)

Key Insight: Scenery is as much about what you leave out as what you include. The space between elements matters as much as the elements themselves.

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Next Steps

With the landscape and vegetation largely complete, two major tasks remained:

1. Ground cover completion - finishing the static grass application, creating the campsite clearing, final vegetation details
2. River effects - creating flowing water with resin, painting the river bed, achieving realistic water appearance

These final elements would transform the setting from “background” to “environment.”

Coming in Build Log 006: Static Grass and River Effects - Creating realistic grass coverage and water using resin techniques.

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Materials Cost This Phase: ~£35
Time Spent: 20 hours
Trees Built: 6
Custom Tools Made: 3
Research Hours: ~4 hours (Welsh flora and riverside landscapes)
Space Management: Successfully fit extensive scenery in 350mm x 250mm

Previous: 004 - Figures and Tilly
Next: 006 - Static Grass and River Effects

Have questions or feedback about this project? I'd love to hear from you.