Gravel - White Blend

Gravel - White Blend by Woodland

A loose scenic medium, a scatter material. The word Gravel in the name places it among the gravels, that is among the coarser materials whose grains stay visible on a finished scene; the designation Blend suggests that it is a mix rather than a uniform material.

A light material is the hardest on a scene to get right

Light areas draw the eye. On a finished diorama, and even more in a photograph, they easily burn out into a white field with no structure, while the surrounding terrain goes dark. Three things therefore pay off. First, not making a continuous light area but interleaving it with a darker fraction and letting the base show through between the grains. Second, working on the boundaries: light gravel looks good when it disappears under soil and vegetation at the edges, not when it ends in a straight line. And third, muting the area once dry, that is going over it with a thinned dark shade or fine weathering that runs between the grains, gives them a shadow and takes away the sugary look that always makes a new light area look unfinished.

Application

• Pour it onto an area coated with glue beforehand and press it so that the grains settle into the profile.
• Layer it gradually; one heavy layer bonds on the outside and stays loose inside.
• Fix with thinned PVA glue dripped over it, and never by spraying.
• Once it has dried perfectly, mute the area with weathering and leave islands of the original light tone in it.

Who the material is for

For modelers who need a light stony surface on a diorama and want it under control. It also serves well as a contrasting material in an otherwise dark scene, where a small area is enough to light the composition up.

The material is supplied as a loose medium; glue, paints and tools are not part of the package, unless stated otherwise.