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Does anyone have any tips on trying to model something erupting out of the ground? Im currently working with some Tau drones, trying to get them popping out of the ground. Ive tried with cork mats (see pics for proof of concept) but any other suggestions would be really appreciated

Cork usualy represents rocks so you might want to consider using either something else, like sand or cutting the parts up a bit. Right now the rocks look a bit too big for a drone to violently erupt from underneath them. Also if you really want to sell the eruption thing you need to have the rocks/sand shoot outwards (a hot glue gun would help here). Right now it looks like the drone was buried under the rocks and emerged from underneath them, but not like it did so explosively (that's fine too if you want that kind of effect).

Manually sculpting with greenstuff or mill put.

its a cool concept. drone foxholes.

but the amount of material coming off doesnt make sense unless it was like covered in layers of paper.

id make the escape hole smaller (less vertical. needs to be the same diameter as the drone) , and have less cork on top. more of it dropping to the side. with only a little bit of dirt on the top.

but it may not be the case depeding on the theme. what kinda ground is it going to be?

I guess im probably going for the slightly less explosive emergence. I kinda threw that together in a few moments just to see if it worked, so I didnt rip it up as much as I should, as you say the "rocks" are a bit big. also quite hard to get the proper vertical movement of some of the rock just sticking it to the flying base, but thats all i had to hand (and with the deficit of a gluegun)

When you say sand, im assuming thats using the gluegun to form the displaced ground and coating with sand?

Drone foxhole idea came from the original dawn of war tbh, where you can burrow the drone squads for ambush.
Im not really sure what type of ground im going with yet, im toying with some ideas of a woodlandy type arrangement around the drones but still in testing phase really. though i might be able to go with a dried up riverbed affair of cracked dry earth, which might work well with the cork.

Williamruss wrote:
I guess im probably going for the slightly less explosive emergence. I kinda threw that together in a few moments just to see if it worked, so I didnt rip it up as much as I should, as you say the "rocks" are a bit big. also quite hard to get the proper vertical movement of some of the rock just sticking it to the flying base, but thats all i had to hand (and with the deficit of a gluegun)

When you say sand, im assuming thats using the gluegun to form the displaced ground and coating with sand?

Drone foxhole idea came from the original dawn of war tbh, where you can burrow the drone squads for ambush.
Im not really sure what type of ground im going with yet, im toying with some ideas of a woodlandy type arrangement around the drones but still in testing phase really. though i might be able to go with a dried up riverbed affair of cracked dry earth, which might work well with the cork.

For woody you can sell the idea by

make the hole less explody. fluff it up a bit with roots sticking out of it forest floors unless its some kinda trail will often be very loose.

have roots and dirt clumps sticking on the top of the drone since its probably going to stick due to moisture.

dark brown dirt, and lots of colored foliage on top like moss and leaves.