Rolling Pin Alien Hive

Rolling Pin Alien Hive — a roller with an alien hive pattern

Organic scenes take a long time to model by hand and it is hard to keep a consistent hand across them. This roller creates an interwoven structure over the whole area that is reminiscent of the walls of an alien nest: undulating ribs, hollows and smooth transitions with no regular grid. The pattern runs around the whole circumference, so an area can be put together from several impressions and the joins vanish easily in an irregular structure — which is a great advantage over paving or brickwork.

How to work with it

• Roll the compound out somewhat thicker than for regular patterns — organic relief is deeper and needs material to register in.
• Impress it in one pass; with an irregular pattern you can also turn the roller slightly and get a variation.
• Do not pull a soft sheet by its edges but support it under its whole area — organic structure deforms easily.
• Blend the joins between sheets with a spatula or add a lump of compound into them; with an irregular pattern the seams hide better than with paving.
• Clean the roller while the compound is still soft — set residue is hardest of all to remove from deep hollows.

Painting organic structure

A surface of this kind is painted from a dark base, because the sense of depth is carried by the shadow in the hollows. Gradual lightening of the edges, restrained gloss on the high points and translucent glazes can turn gray compound into a wall that looks alive. Avoid an even light color over the whole area — the relief would flatten out.

Who it is for

• Modelers of science-fiction and horror scenes.
• Tabletop gamers who build their own terrain.
• Makers of bases with an unconventional, non-stone structure.

Modeling compound, paints and tools are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise. Sand cured compounds in a ventilated space and with respiratory protection.