Diorama FX Landscape Texture Warm Orange 0,1-1mm

Rusty orange soil

Orange in a modeling scene rarely stands for itself. As a rule it means iron in the soil, crushed brick or dust from old roof tiles. The range of 0.1 to 1 mm is happily chosen for this role, because it covers both the finest fraction, which holds in the joints, and grains distinct under sharp light. Thanks to that a surface does not look like a painted board but like compacted earth.

Subjects where it suits

• Roads and yards in southern regions, where the soil is naturally reddish.
• The surroundings of ruined masonry, where brick has crumbled into dust.
• A deposit on the running gear of equipment that has driven through laterite mud.
• A base under rust streaks on parked machines and sheet metal.

The recommended procedure differs according to the intention. When the area is to be continuous, it is scattered into glue applied over the whole surface and the color is then unified with a glaze. When patches are wanted, glue is applied only to selected places and the older tone is left showing between them. The second route tends to be more credible, because natural soils change color within meters.

Combining with the brown and gray fractions adds age to a scene. A saturated orange on its own looks somewhat stronger once dry than one is used to in a real landscape, and a muting admixture brings it back to a reasonable measure. A thin layer of a dust shade on top also helps, holding the color together while taking away the first, sharpest impression of newness.