Waters Edge

The upper layer by a water surface

While the small pieces make up undergrowth on a bank, this pair takes the role of the mature trees that hold a crown above the water and cast a shadow on the surface. The range is from 12.7 to 15.2 centimeters and the package holds 2 pieces. In a scene with a stream or a mill race, two trees like these are enough for the whole water section to gain an outline of its own.

The color keying

The shade matches foliage that grows in the damp and never dries out into the yellowed color of late summer. It is therefore more saturated than on the variants meant for dry slopes, and it goes better with model water, whether of resin or of glossy gel, than a pale green does.

The procedure during the build

The trunk takes bending and turning, which suits trees on the edge of a bank, where real trees lean out over the surface toward the light. The pin at the bottom drops into a drilled hole, and the plate supplied holds the tree standing while it is being tried out. At the edge of a water surface it is advisable to choose permanent seating, because a free-standing plate is harder to hide on an uneven bank.

The real size

On a layout in 1:87 a piece like this matches a tree around eleven to thirteen meters tall. In 1:35 it works out at four and a half to five meters, so a sturdy willow above a ford. The difference between the two scales shows why there is no point talking about a single correct use: what stands next to it decides. Anyone who is unsure can lay a figure or a vehicle from the scene being prepared beside the tree and judge the ratio before any holes are drilled in the base.