Tutorials

How to make a fern (and some other leafy stuff)

Posted by Kekso on 22 Aug 2018, 14:26

Hi guys,
I made small tutorial how to make fern that you can see on my Star Wars vignette.

I won't comment much. I hope most of pictures are self explained.

Tools of the trade. Most important are masking tape and tiny copper wire.
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Cut the tape in double length of desired leaf size. I used 20mm wide tape in this tutorial.
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Place copper wire on sticky side of the tape. But only on the one half of the tape.
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Fold the tape over copper wire. You don't need to be very neat.
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Prepare your wife's favourite scissors :xd: ...
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... and cut tape into leaf shape
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With hobby knife cut leaf from center to the edge to make flaps
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Paint leafs in base (green) color
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When paint is dry but still fresh, separate individual flaps with tweezers and fingers. Paint glued them together. Repeat that after each highlight.
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Make 1st highlight (it's not good shown here):
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And 2nd (better). It is up to you how many levels of highlights you will make. Each next should be smaller and closer to the edge and top of leaf. If you will use pigments at the end, you don't need many levels of highlights. But make them more contrasted.
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I used some pigments on left and middle leaf. I left right one unpigmented for comparison.
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At the end, twist copper wires together and you have a fern.
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How many leafs you will use for 1 fern is up to you. I used 9-13 (to get some variety). This ones are suitable for 28-32mm. But with some patience you can easily make it for 1/72 as well.

That way you can make lots of different plants. For example, some broad leafed. Here is palm tree suitable for 1/72. I used same technique to make leafs:
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Kekso  Croatia

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Posted by Susofrick on 22 Aug 2018, 14:32

Nice!
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Susofrick  Sweden
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Posted by Bluefalchion on 22 Aug 2018, 14:45

Very good idea and nice tutorial. How did you create the texture for the palm tree trunk?
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Bluefalchion  United States of America
 
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Posted by Kekso on 22 Aug 2018, 15:04

Bluefalchion wrote:How did you create the texture for the palm tree trunk?


For the trunk is twisted wire. Then I wrapped it with some more wire but in irregular way. Then I covered it with medium fine sawdust. At the end I painted it and dry brushed it.
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Kekso  Croatia

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Posted by Bluefalchion on 22 Aug 2018, 19:25

Sawdust mixed with pva (white) glue? And water? 50/50 or so?

I like the way they turned out.
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Posted by Kekso on 22 Aug 2018, 19:30

Bluefalchion wrote:Sawdust mixed with pva (white) glue?


Yes :yeah:

Bluefalchion wrote:And water? 50/50 or so?


I think I didn't use water. Watered down PVA isn't that sticky.
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Kekso  Croatia

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Posted by Beano Boy on 22 Aug 2018, 21:35

Well done Dalibor, beautiful looking end result. :thumbup:
You used your camera along the pathway of construction, :thumbup:
and presented your instructive topic well. :thumbup:

I can well imagine FredG, saying he grew his from seed! :-D BB
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Posted by Bluefalchion on 23 Aug 2018, 01:23

But Dalibor's technique is quicker, and very inexpensive to boot.
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Posted by MABO on 23 Aug 2018, 01:38

Thanks for sharing. A good a idea!
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Posted by Kekso on 23 Aug 2018, 10:21

Beano Boy wrote:I can well imagine FredG, saying he grew his from seed! :-D BB


FredG hasn't visited forum for almost 2 and half months. I hope he's ok.

EDIT: It seems he's live and well on his forum http://fredg.boards.net/board/3/introductions
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Kekso  Croatia

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Posted by Peter on 19 Sep 2018, 21:39

Great tutorial! Thanks for sharing! :thumbup:
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Peter  Belgium

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Posted by FredG on 23 Sep 2018, 12:33

Kekso wrote:
FredG hasn't visited forum for almost 2 and half months. I hope he's ok.

EDIT: It seems he's live and well on his forum http://fredg.boards.net/board/3/introductions


I've had a word with him and he says it was his annual summer break from painting.
He should be back shortly.

He also says that for some reason his stash has grown even more.
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Posted by Wiking on 23 Sep 2018, 21:57

He is still alive !
(Unkraut vergeht nicht. :-D )

And he wrote:
He also says that for some reason his stash has grown even more.

And he feel fine !
:mrgreen:
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Posted by Mr. Andrea on 24 Sep 2018, 10:12

thanks for sharing, Dali. Great palm you did!
Not to mention what you use as colour palette. That's another great idea
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Posted by Kekso on 24 Sep 2018, 11:57

Mr. Andrea wrote: Not to mention what you use as colour palette. That's another great idea


That's not my idea originally. I saw it somewhere on Youtube.
Luckily, my girlfriend is a nurse so I have lifetime supply of empty pill cases. :xd:
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Kekso  Croatia

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Posted by FredG on 24 Sep 2018, 15:45

Beano Boy wrote:
I can well imagine FredG, saying he grew his from seed! :-D BB


My greenhouses are full so I commisioned the Chinese to grow them for me :-D

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This little lot cost £3.88 (€4.33) including postage.
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Posted by Beano Boy on 24 Sep 2018, 19:17

:coffee: I ordered some from China FRED, and received a blue marble after five months!
I guess someone at the ends of the earth is saying where`s my marble? BB
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Posted by FredG on 24 Sep 2018, 21:02

Probably in the podge hole with mine.
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Posted by Leonid Kireev on 30 Jun 2019, 15:12

Thanks for the advice)
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Leonid Kireev  Russia
 
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