Lesní základ, pozdní léto MINIPACK

Forest floor base, late summer — MINIPACK Model Scene

A forest floor base is finished growth that imitates the floor of a forest — that is the layer where low herbs, ferns, moss, grass and fallen needles mix. In a diorama it is the detail that decides the credibility of a whole forest scene, because a bare painted substrate under the trees gives a model away at once. MINIPACK is the smaller package from the manufacturer's range of finished growths, intended for filling in smaller areas and for trying the material out. The manufacturer is the Czech brand Model Scene.

Late summer coloring

Late summer is the period when the green has lost its spring freshness but has not yet passed into autumn tones. The growth therefore contains more muted shades shifted toward yellow and olive and reads as drier than the spring version. That suits scenes dated to August and September, scenes with the harvest, summer exercises and anywhere you want to suggest hot and dry weather. Combining it with the spring or autumn version in one diorama is not recommended, because the seasonal shade is the first thing a viewer notices.

Usage tips

• Before gluing, lay the growth out dry, tear it into irregular pieces and avoid straight edges.
• Glue with PVA glue and fill the gaps between pieces with a scatter or static grass.
• Always break up the transition to a track, a trunk or a rock — a sharp edge gives away that it is a part.
• Place the darkest tones under trees and in shadows, the lighter ones on sunlit spots.
• Add small twigs, fallen leaves and possibly mushrooms or a stump.

Who it is for

• Builders of forest dioramas with military and civilian vehicles.
• Railroad modelers who create the forest sections of a layout.
• Figure modelers who need a realistic forest base.
• Modelers who want to save time compared with building undergrowth up in layers.

This is a finished scenery accessory, not a model kit. The glue, the base and the paints are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.