Obviously I am very unhappy with how my ongoing commissioned Warmachine terrain pieces turned out after painting. My ground work looks toy like after painting and the 2 hills looks like giant cookies or hamburgers. So WHAT went wrong?
I thought my painting could save my lousy groundwork. Basically I had a hard time cutting the styropor blocks my client gave me. I had a hard time cutting the blocks to flat pieces with flat tops. I also thought that a thin paper mache around the edges of the OLD Terrain pieces ( see link or photo below ) will give them enough rock like texture ( I was obviously wrong ). The edges of the old terrain pieces looks so smooth and uninteresting. They look like giant cookies. The painting is also very thick softening the sand texture and making it look muddy than desert looking.
SO I bought some new materials for the Terrain pieces and thought I'll give it another try. This time I was very mindful that paper mache ( thin layers ) would not give the rock formations on the edges of the pieces, and so I carved the edges of the flat styropor to simulate a rocky edge / cliff.
After playing Warmachine with my brother and daughter for a few times, I think making the Terrain pieces bigger should be a bit more fun. I did a couple of bases as rivers, huge hill and a forest. I plan to use resin OR water effects paint for the river and should ( hopefully ) look great after painting.
Instead of applying more paper mache on the edges I think I have to buy a can of Dutchboy Versatex paint. The high profile kind according to a painter friend ( CJ SY ) told me that it is great for applying texture that hardens like rock ( Never a fan of plaster as it breaks easily ). Should grab a can soon and will create a simple tutorial about it.
A few materials to buy ( resin, Vallejo water effects paint, Dutchboy Versatex paint ) and this terrain pieces should look better than the old one.
Now here are a few crappy photos of the pieces after a thin layer of mache and sand...
