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.

Hi all, I've scoured through both tutorials and modelling forum and came up blank, hoping you guys/gals will be willing to help.

I'm wanting to make a battle board to represent a large body of water like the sea or a deep lake so I can make some unique battles and missions based around groups of islands or floating platforms out in the middle of nowhere.

I already have three boards split into 4' x 2' to make a 4' x 6' board. I have a Blue paint which is appropriate for a water colour, but I don't want to just slap it on as it will just look bland as hell so wanted to get your advice on how I can make the water seem a bit more realisitic.

Many thanks for any help or advice

(I already have idea's on how to make shallows, which I'll put onto seperate mini boards so I can move them around to connect islands etc.)

Paint a darker blue almost black in the areas where the water would be deepest, and work your way to a light blueish green in the shallows, the cover the board with water effects.

If you don't want to use water effects, use a gloss varnish to give the water a... watery look

If you are really feeling like spending a lot of time and effort on the board, have you thought about dividing it up into several layers?

The bottom layer would be the basic table, painted a nice dark blue – this would be the sea bed. Then the next layer would be made up of the bases of the islands (say 1 inch high) which you would then scatter on the table as you like.

The next layer would be a Perspex screen which would rest on top of the 1 inch high islands (you may need to edge the bottom board in 1 inch high wood to give the Perspex something to rest on around the edges).

The top layer would be the top halves of the islands (if required) and any other terrain, which would rest on top of the Perspex, above the already placed island bases. Thus you don’t just have the illusion of depth, but actually have depth

I'd go for varying depths of blue then varnished and textured. Oh and don't forget you can add wavelets and white horses using decorators mastik/caulk.

If you're planning on separate island pieces to give a variety of set ups I assume you want a flat board. If so I wouldn't really paint on 'deep' pateches as it could look odd with the islands. Think I'd go for a more 'pastchy' look. Shades of the same colour that blend together rather than contrast to show depth. Think maybe battle fleet gothic style - blue base with different patches of ripples/squalls/seaweed painted in a different blue. If you're adding islands I wouldn't worry too much about painting on lots of detail, just enough varietion so it's not a flat blue. Gaming tables just a few years back tended to be plain goblin green, maybe highlighted with yellow and very uniform but still lokoed great when pateches of terrain were added. Be sure to post some pics of what you come up with!

you could probably use pva glue as well , but it has to go on very thin and takes while to dry. there several wet effect type products to by , nevr tried any myself, just texture paint dark blue light blue/green drybrush white horses and gloss varnish as someone eles said, mybe have sunken shipss in the shallows , shoals of fish , coral reefs , and the old floating half cut oil barrels. leaking oil pipelines of internation oil companies etc..

Many thanks to all your help, will give it a go using some spare bits of wood so I can see which method i like the best.

Cheers

Just ot chirp in, following on from Catyrpelius, paint the whole boar as if it is deep sea, and make the island bigger than required, you could then paint the edges of the island as shallow water. Then you could move the island and still get the effect of varying depth.

I've gotten good results on mini bases doing waves, by putting down a thin layer of modeling medium (clay or something similar) and then tapping it lightly all over with a brush handle or other rounded objects to make a wave texture, then drybrushing it up in gradually lightening shades of blue..

http://d.facdn.net/art/icheetah/1156553034.half.icheetah_darkmaiden.jpg

It can often look a bit crude, but shaped tin-foil can actually look quite good, especially if painted well.

Saw this the other day...

http://www.lemaxvillages.com/servlet/the-415/Lemax-Christmas-Accessory-cln--Ocean/Detail

http://www.michaels.com/Lemax%C2%AE-Ocean-Display-Mat/ch1016,default,pd.html?start=50&cgid=products-christmas-lemaxchristmascollections