1:35 Plane tree leaves

1:35 Plane tree leaves – paper plane tree leaves

A printed paper accessory for a diorama in 1:35 scale from ETA diorama. It is not a model or a decal: it is a printed sheet usable on both sides, from which you cut plane tree leaves out and use them on trees, bushes and on the ground. Paper foliage has the advantage over scattered leaves that you can see the shape and the color in advance and do not have to paint anything.

Cutting and shaping the leaves

Leaves come out of the sheet fastest freehand with scissors with fine blades, but for a clean shape of the veined edges a scalpel on a cutting mat is better. Do not leave the cut leaves flat – a real leaf is not straight. Draw them between your nail and your thumb or run them briefly over the edge of a pair of tweezers, so that they curve along the central vein. Crumple a few leaves and straighten them again, and you get the irregularity that sells a scene.

Gluing and sealing in a scene

Attach the leaves to tree canopies with thinned PVA glue or a small drop of matte glue at the end of a twig; on the ground the easiest way is to scatter them into a pool of thinned glue with a drop of detergent, which holds them once dry and yet cannot be seen. Avoid super glue on a print, as it makes stains. Seal the finished foliage with matte clear coat from a greater distance – it strengthens the paper, unifies the sheen and protects it against humidity. Vary the density: around the trunk and by walls the fallen leaves naturally pile up thicker.

Who the leaves are for

• builders of dioramas and vignettes in 1:35 scale
• modelers who build trees and bushes on a wire armature
• figure painters who need fallen leaves on a base
• modelers looking for an alternative to scattered foliage

The accessory is supplied as a printed sheet. Glue, paints, clear coat and trees are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.