making habitat

[Wildbirdcarver]

I would like to start a thread on different ways to create habitat...to pool our knowledge in one place.
What materials and techniques do you use to create nature, such as rocks, plants, dirt, etc. Also what do you use for scenery for cariactures, etc.
Please do not assume that "everyone knows how to...". There are a lot of new/older carvers on this list that need to know and should also feel free to contribute.
I personally would like to know how to make LICHEN and MOSS...what materials and technique have you found useful? Thanks for your interest. Dick M.

[Hugh-P]

. Hope there is a response. I for one would like information on creating habitat.

[blackbeard]

yes i to like to make my own it is hard walking in the woods looking all the time for the right stump or branch

[songbirds]

I have taken Guges class on making habitat, but i am sure their are other ways of creating interesting habitat. I know a lot of carvers (bird and fish) that struggle with this subject and i believe you have a good point. For the lichen, you can use modeling paste and for the moss, use stripping pads. Good Luck
Jerry

[Wildbirdcarver]

So far this is what has been posted: Thanks!
lichen...MODELINGpaste
moss....STRIPPING PADS
REFERENCE material...gather it out of doors in nature.
If posting the complete technique of a habitat, maybe you could post the magazine source, internet web site, etc and give a brief discription of the content of the source. This subject stretches my brain but I have faith that together we can get some good ideas and information.

I have found that wood paste products (PLASTIC WOOD, etc) makes good looking bark on a carved branch. Stain the branch and wood paste (after dry) with a dark brown stain of your choice and then highlight the paste on one side of the branch...same side as the subject of your carving is highlighted. Put moss on the other side.

Epoxy putty (i.e QUICKWOOD) can be modeled to the side of a branch or mount to look like mushrooms growing

please keep adding to this list.

[Lynn O. Doughty]

The best source for habitat products is the nearest Model Train Hobby shop. Woodland Scenics sells a complete line of just about everything one needs to make good looking soil, grass, etc. As for trees I use dead Cedar branches that I pick up while hiking or trailriding. Just look for the dead tree and break off the most interesting branches. Don't pick them up from the ground as those are probably rotten and unusable. If I need a "special" branch I'll just dowel on an extra extension and use a little Bondo to disguise the join. A wire brush will git rid of all the bark and a little weathering with some paint will make that branch look just like an old tree.

One thing about making earth.....don't use sand or dirt. Sand has mica in it and you just can't disguise it to where it looks natural. Dirt will just dissolve into mud when sprinkled onto a fixing medium. I have a gravel county road close by where I get my earth material. There's a little triangle area between where cars turn left or right where the gravel has been reduced to a very fine powder. I scoop up a bucket full and then sift it through nylon hose several times to get the texture I'm after. I can get several different textures this way depending on how much I sift it. The last step is to sift it through two thicknesses of hose. This will not dissolve into mud.

To fix the material in place I paint the base surface with ModPodge the cover it with the earth material. Once the excess is bounced off I spritz on a very light spray of soapy water to draw the MP up through the material. This will anchor it firmly in place. I do the same thing when I apply grass. I use several shades to it looks natural. For small weeds around fence posts etc. I use the crushed foam material soaked with the Modpodge. I put it in place with a toothpick and apply more MP should it be needed. I don't use the Lichen as it will break down over time and it would be very hard to keep clean. You want any scenic material to be hard enough to stand up over time and to be anchored solidly so it can be cleaned without coming off.

Here's the Woodland Scenics link: Woodland Scenics - Model Layouts, Scenery, Buildings and Figures
You can find just about everything you need here along with instructional videos on how to do it. You can also visit my blog to see a couple of examples of how I do it for my figures. Here's one simple project: Picasa Web Albums - OUT WEST BLOG - Stretching Hi...#

[Lynn O. Doughty]

I think you should reread the original question which asks: "Also what do you use for scenery for cariactures, etc." Also, please explain where you can find anything anybody uses which is not "found" in someway. Unless a carver has found a way to miraculously produce something out of thin air they will have had to find it somewhere.

[MTnative]

Blackjaxe,
Ken, not meaning to be mean or imply any disrespect, but if you were to read the description, not just the title, you would see that Wildbirdcarver asks for input on how people "create" habitat. For those of us who enter pieces in shows we already know that we have rules to follow. It doesn't mean I don't like to try new ideas in my designs. Most of my carvings are not for shows but for sale and buyers don't care about rules. Buyers enjoy the more artistic expression in my pieces, including the habitats. What makes them happy, makes me happy.

Jane

[MTnative]

Wildbirdcarver,
I really like the "Breakthrough" series that taxidermists use. They have very good indepth descriptions on how to build/make various types of habitats along with photos. Especially the books:
The Breakthrough Habitat and Exhibit Manual, written by Tom Sexton and Jim Hall
and
How to Create Water and Ice and Other good Stuff by Larry Goldman

Jane

[pinefeathers]

The latest issue of WCI (spring 2010) has an excellent how-to article on habitat. Don Van Horn shows how he creates a milkweed pod and stem.
His method is used by many wildfowl carvers. As for other habitat, there are many approaches.

For moss I will sometimes use paper mache or pieces of real sponge.
Rocks are usually carved while pebbles may be made with Durham's Water Putty (R) then painted.
Berries can be fabricated with Apoxie Sculpt and wire for the stem.

Creating habitat is sure to set the imagination into overdrive. Have fun with it and SHARE.