Diorama Effects Set - Mud & Puddles set

Mud and still water on one base

A rutted field track and a puddle with the sky reflected in it are among the most striking elements of a terrain scene. It is precisely this pair of effects that the line-up is aimed at. It holds two thick mud compounds and two water textures, so it covers the whole procedure from the earthy undercoat to the glossy surface.

The earthy part consists of Thick Mud European Mud and Thick Mud Black Mud. The first matches the lighter loamy soil of the temperate zone, the second the dark soaked earth after rain. The water part is handled by the Still Water and Transparent Water textures, that is a cloudier still surface and a clear version meant for shallows and the edges of puddles.

Typical situations

• Ruts left by tracks and wheels on a soft road
• Puddles in hollows of the terrain and in shell craters
• Deposits on fenders, running gear and the bottom of a hull
• Soggy stream banks and the edges of drainage ditches

The compounds are applied straight from the container with a spatula or a worn-out brush and hold a three-dimensional relief once dry, so a track mark stays legible. The water textures are poured in layers; a thin layer dries more evenly and without bubbles than one heavy pour all at once. The two parts work well together: first a churned-up undercoat is made, then water is poured into the hollows and the scene looks as if a morning downpour had just passed. Its use is not limited to large dioramas; it serves well on a small base under a single vehicle or figure too.