1:48 Maple twigs

Maple twig by twig

A broadleaf tree looks convincing on a diorama only at the moment its leaves are arranged into twigs rather than glued on individually or in a shapeless clump. This set deals with precisely that step: on a sheet measuring 116 by 87 millimeters there are 41 laser-cut maple twigs, each with the veining engraved.

The material is fine graphic paper that can be shaped with fingers and with tweezers. The white color of the sheet is intentional, not an omission. The manufacturer chooses it because white paper takes paint and a glaze evenly and behaves predictably under varnish, whereas pre-colored material always shows through and limits you to a single season.

The procedure and uses

The shade is chosen according to the scene. Fresh spring green is mixed toward yellow, summer growth tends to be darker and flatter, an autumn maple stands ocher and rust and a dry leaf can be finished off with a brown glaze. A few leaves colored differently from the rest will do more for believability than a perfectly matched crown.

Coloring while still on the sheet gives the best result, ideally from both sides and in slightly differing tones, so that a leaf does not look flat. Once taken out, a twig is bent, twisted and only then glued to the armature of a tree or into a bush. The leftover leaves from the sheet come in useful on the ground under a tree.

The 1:48 scale matches ordinary aircraft and military kits, so the set fits into a scene with an airplane, an off-road vehicle or a group of figures. The pattern was designed by Pavol Hanzel.