The threads on trees, etc., made me think about this. I have a definate order to how I prepare a landscape and all, and it occurred to me maybe others don't do it my way.
1) I made the rocks cliffs, hillsides, etc.
2) I paint them all over - ever square inch, with a medium brown flat latex.
3) I paint "rocks" granite gray or iron-rich orange of whatever . .
4) I apply any "gravel" and beach sand (I use grey/brown ballast) or small rocks/scree - I paint only the area I want covered it it with yellow glue and pour in on, tamp it down, wait an hour and vacuum with a shop vac and recover 95%. Pour it back in the bottle.
5) I apply all the short "grass" next, the 'flocking" as my wife calls it. I use only Woodland Scenics. Again, I paint yellow glue on where I want it and pour in on, tamp it down, wait an hour and vacuum with a shop vac and recover most for reuse. Pour it back in the bottle.
- I do this for every color/shade of grass,
- starting with the lightest and going gradually to the darkest green
6) If I have water (I use the WS water, too, works well for me) I pour it on and let it flow out and harden overnight.
6) I glue down bushes and scrubs, cutting the spongy whatever-it-is material or tearing it off into bush-sized portions and placing it where it looks good.
- Here I usually put down the largest bushes and scrubby areas first, moving to smaller scrubs and tiny weeds last. This seems to make sense from both a standpoint of the scene (do the big first, then the small) and a practical reason: by the time I've torn off and done all the big pieces I have lots of tiny ones left!
7) I install and reeds, tall grass next, in bunches, along with cornstalks, thing like that.
7) I install all the trees, starting with the largest first, and gradually moving down in size to the smallest. I do this so I can look at the esthetics as I put smaller trees alongside/near the big ones.
8) I put wildlife - deer, bears, etc., into the scene next to last.
