Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Hey there, first post on the boards after lurking the website for quite a few months since when I started wargaming.

I finally wanted to sign up to ask advice to you, wargaming vets. I started modelling hills for a modular board but I don't really know how to progress after shaping a few of them, I'm stuck and don't really know hot to keep going and add details (and what details?)

Do you have any advice, question, suggestion or whatever to help me get through this bloody hills? WAAGH

Sorry for the crappy quality.

1) Are you just using a knife to contour them?If so I'd suggest investing in a hot knife.
2) I'd also suggest buying a hot wire cutter.
3)What are you trying to do with them?

Slipstream wrote:
1) Are you just using a knife to contour them?If so I'd suggest investing in a hot knife.
2) I'd also suggest buying a hot wire cutter.
3)What are you trying to do with them?

I used the hot wire cutter only as of now (+ a knife just to get an idea of carving ), I'm not following any particular reference or image, just sculpting these looking for some interesting shape, maybe I should search for some hills on google and get some inspiration but I still think O will make them kinda flat and boring, I would like to put some texture on it

A small surform tool works wonders with foam. Be sure to wear a dust mask though.

For texture I'd suggest plaster bandage,the downside it is messy! The big advantage is that it will give you a robust surface that will be textured. You can buy from DIY shops a textured paint but the particles of stone are more prominent than what you would use for basing figures.
As for the hills,I think that you need a smaller hill on top of those/the idea being the second level is small enough so that figures can stand on the first level.
On the edges you have carved well to give a good rocky edge;it will look good when you paint it.

What kinda hills are you going for?

you could use a long blade/boxcutter to score and chip the edges to make them look like a crag

you could use a wire brush then work all the edges smooth then flock them like a rolling hill

otherwise after you should give all of it including the outside edges a good coating of PVA or even liquid nails smooth to make a hard safe surface for painting and gaming

youtube has a TON of wargaming hill tutorials.

If you're going for your typical "stepped" looking gaming hills, it looks like you have the carving step mostly finished (the one in the first pic could use a bit more work, perhaps?) Now get some sand and gravel glued down on there and you should be ready for painting.

Many thanks to everyone for the helpful tips you shared with me

Todosi wrote:A small surform tool works wonders with foam. Be sure to wear a dust mask though.

Yeah, always on the safe side, I use the mask especially while cutting the foam because of the fumes, i fear them a lot, I tried the tool and it really works wonders, thank you very much for the tip.

Slipstream wrote:For texture I'd suggest plaster bandage,the downside it is messy! The big advantage is that it will give you a robust surface that will be textured. You can buy from DIY shops a textured paint but the particles of stone are more prominent than what you would use for basing figures.
As for the hills,I think that you need a smaller hill on top of those/the idea being the second level is small enough so that figures can stand on the first level.
On the edges you have carved well to give a good rocky edge;it will look good when you paint it.

Yes, I think I will add anothert level of foam on the top just to make it look more interesting, maybe with some shrubs too at the end.

Wasteland wrote:If you're going for your typical "stepped" looking gaming hills, it looks like you have the carving step mostly finished (the one in the first pic could use a bit more work, perhaps?) Now get some sand and gravel glued down on there and you should be ready for painting.

If I put the sand and then paint the hill can I still use flock for the grass or does it get messy?

Desubot wrote:What kinda hills are you going for?

you could use a long blade/boxcutter to score and chip the edges to make them look like a crag

you could use a wire brush then work all the edges smooth then flock them like a rolling hill

otherwise after you should give all of it including the outside edges a good coating of PVA or even liquid nails smooth to make a hard safe surface for painting and gaming

youtube has a TON of wargaming hill tutorials.

I find the wire brush pretty helpful in giving texture, thanks mate

I will soon post new pics of the work in progress as soon as I find a good way to photograph the models, eheh.

I've got another question: I've seen people using tree bark to mimic elaborated rocks, is any tree bark good to get the job done? Do you use it in your tables?

You may find my terrain thread answering at least some of your questions:

https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/706067.page

nou wrote:
You may find my terrain thread answering at least some of your questions:

https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/706067.page

Wow, nou, thanks for linking it to me! I just started scrolling through it and just from the images it looks promising. Definitely worth a read and a try

If the style you want is similar to this I could walk you through it. I just finished this myself a couple weeks ago.

 SplinteredShield wrote:
If the style you want is similar to this I could walk you through it. I just finished this myself a couple weeks ago.

Wow, I really like the realistic look of this I'm definitely going for a semirealistic style talking in terms of grasslands but this resembles most what I'm trying to achieve with the rocks

Hiho,

I worked on a variety of hills with different layouts and design.

What you have so far looks already like a good basis. Others gave you already very good advise, so I just add two other ideas:

You can use woodfiller and apply it generously to the rock face. After it is dry you can carve it and run a steel brush over it to depict stratifications. As you cna see I just used whatever pieces of XPS I still had around and combined them to a pleasing result.



Bark also works very well for some kinds of stone:



This one may be already a bit too naturalistic for your needs. You can not place a whole unit on it easily, but I wanted something dramatic .

Obviously you can also go for a more stepped design:



This one I made with a cutter. I don't think it looks too realistic, but unit placement is super easy.

Finally, if you want to place trees etc. on your hill I recommend to integrate some steel tacks:



Then you can place trees that have a magnet in the bottom on the hill:





I wrote a tutorial on the magnetised hills, it may come in handy for your own endeavors:

http://wp.me/p49oPQ-F1

I did something similar to DaggerAndBrush for my giant trees: http://atticwars40k.blogspot.com/2014/11/giant-trees-for-40k-apocalypse.html

I found that a long, thin/flexible (cheap!!) Bread Knife is the best tool for foam. You will need slightly more muscle than a hot-wire but otherwise it is imo, far superior, especially if it's flexible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JX1I4M7V2Eg I highly recommend starting with this and then if you get time check out the rest of his series on hills and mountains, etc. The Terrain Tutor and Luke Towan's channels, as well as DM Scotty, have a lot of really good terrain videos.

And remember too - they'll look a good bit unfinished even ugly before you get to the final stage. It's a process What's really amazing is, that it does work however. They'll look awesome with sand, rocks, some flocks and a few tufts.

Sorry for the absence from the thread (Internet didn't work so I had to change contract with my ISP, we were paying ADSL the same amount others pay to get FTTC, lol, shame on me)

By the way the processes you suggested me and the tips about the various tools you talked about are proving really well, I'm still waiting to put sand and debris on the models because I want to finish the rough shapes before going to the next step

 DaggerAndBrush wrote:
Hiho,

I worked on a variety of hills with different layouts and design.

Yay, DaggerAndBrush, Your tutorial is the first I read before signing up on DakkaDakka, nice to see you here too, eheh