Summer Grass Mats

A summer meadow on a springy sheet

Green tuned toward yellow recalls growth dried out by the August sun. Against richly green versions it comes across more soberly and tends to be more faithful everywhere a landscape is not meant to look fresh: by dirt roads, on a village green, around farm buildings or on an embankment that is walked along.

The backing is a pliable film and the grass fiber holds on it firmly. It does not crumble when bent, cut or when two pieces are joined side by side. The format given measures 31.7 x 35.8 cm, which covers a smaller scene, a plinth under a vehicle or one street with its surroundings.

What can be done with it

The quickest way leads through fixing the sheet to a board and adding shapes in height from below. A thin layer of foam or paper is put under the film, the sheet is stretched over it and a slight undulation of the terrain arises that a level area never has.

For a road, a ford or a furrow the fiber is removed in a narrow band and the smooth surface uncovered is repainted. The boundary between the grass and the soil then only has to be softened with a little fine scatter, so that the transition is not sharp.

The practical side

The sheet can be rolled up without damage, so a scene in progress does not have to take up a whole table. The fastness of the color makes a later extension easier, because a piece newly obtained will not glare in a different tone beside an older one. Anyone building in several stages will appreciate that most.

The surface stands up to ordinary PVA modeling glue too, so trees, fences and small figures can be set on it without any need to put further material under them. Excess glue leaves no shiny patch once dry, provided it is applied sparingly with a wooden skewer or a thin brush.