Alternate water solutions.

[Stormhowler]

We have all seen the water effect done using two part clear resins/epoxy compounds. They're amazing, but expensive. Does anyone know a tried and true method that's on the cheap side. I only want to do a couple small ponds/puddles. Very shallow in reality, even if they look deeper on the terrain. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks.

[minibart]

I used secret weapon realistic water for the pond on my tavern diorama. It comes in a 0.5oz dropper bottle. Works very well for shallow water.

[Stormhowler]

Thanks,Minibart. I'll check it out.

[Willen]

Several manufacturer's sell a single-compound realistic water effect. 

 

If you are looking for something very calm, and still, you can experiment with white glue, Future, varnish... anything that would dry clear and (usually) with a sating or gloss finish. However, shrinkage and glosiness might not be optimum for you.

[Dontfear]

future works quite well but is very prone to a pronounced miniscus so do very shallow layers.  A method for minimizing a miniscus is pour a layer, there will be a pretty pronounced one with that layer.  then fill up to just the miniscus for the next layer.  continue this until you have the depth you need.  ITs painstaking but it does work if you can't afford resin.

[Laoke]

You can get a relatively cheap water effect from a translucent paint, but it's not even close to what I've seen others get with a purpose made material.

 

I've used Tamiya Clear Blue on a Well of Chaos and it looks... well, ok for table top.

Edited August 20, 2014 by Laoke

[Aard_Rinn]

Jo-ann & michaels sell a stuff for flowers that's basically designed to go into fake flower arraingments and look clear like real water  It stays slightly rubbery/squishy, not hard like resin, but it's 12$ for two .5L bottles, or something like that. Can't really put waves in, though, but it's good for glassy ponds, just don't drop sharp things on it.

[fishnjeeps]

The Secret Weapon Realistic Water is the same as the Woodland Scenics stuff, just relabeled. I've used the woodlands scenics stuff and it works well. I think I paid $25 for a large bottle of it. I've done a few mini's with it and have barely used any of it. Just find an empty bottle with a pointy tip if you plan to use it for basing as the large bottle is a bit unweildy for base work.

[Stormhowler]

What I want to make is basicly a diorama for one of my player character's home. A farmhouse with barn, hedge fences, garden, and small pond for swimming. Small being about as big as the farmhouse. Figure 3 inches by 6 inches.

 

I've trial tested pva glue. Not good.

Same with a light high gloss varnish. I am currantly trying a poured varnish to see the effect. Waiting for it to dry.

Also I am going to try hair spray and super glue for their effects. These are all on test samples of the same material for the diorama/terrain.

 

I may even try clear plastic sheets over pva glue or varnish. Just to see the effect. Mainly, trying to avoid brush strokes.

Edited August 20, 2014 by Stormhowler

[smokingwreckage]

Cheapest would be to pre-shade and then give it several coats of Future. I've done it, it worked... OK. Not much better than OK, but no worse.

 

OK you tried that, more ideas follow:

Edited August 20, 2014 by smokingwreckage

[smokingwreckage]

Probably the cheapest would be some clear gloss medium from art supply joint.

 

Dick Blick has a self-leveling clear gel on sale right now online, or Liquitex Pouring Medium. I can't guarantee either of those, but they'll work better than PVA and a billion times better than super glue. Don't waste the super glue. It dries cloudy. Before shelling for the medium, check it dries clear and glossy.

 

In any case you'll want to use careful shading to create depth. You want to paint the illusion in first, so the medium just has to add a finishing touch.

 

There's a few tricks you can do to sculpt the "shape" of deep water in, without actually going deep. You can use foam or even cardboard with a hole where the pond will be, glued down to the "true" base. Smooth and sculpt the edges of the hole with some ordinary filler putty or acrylic caulk (like, $3 for a tube at the hardware).

 

Don't fill the hole to the very top, though, when you add your gloss. Paint it as though the water (and therefore, deeper, hazier, coloured shadows) starts a tiny little way down the hole, and shade down to deep green or brown. Then build up with the medium so it ends where you've already painted the water's edge. You're like Wile E Coyote painting a tunnel, the medium is just to add some "bling".

 

Leave a little "bare ground" as a shore in the remaining bit of "hole" above the water line, then go nuts with grasses etc at the "ground level" to help add the illusion of lush growth and a little more illusory depth.

 

The hint of a shore.

The depths are almost black.

Edited August 20, 2014 by smokingwreckage

[Stormhowler]

Smokingwreckage, I have that and am testing it. I figure a few practice run on samples before the real project.

[fishnjeeps]

If your using foam for the base (and testing) the I'd be wary of the hairspray. The propellant in spray cans tend to cause chemical melting of the foam (similar to super glue and foam). Though there are some foam safe propellants. I'd still take some precautions with it.

 

If your not using foam, then ignore this advice for now...

[hosercanadian]

I might be dating myself here.

 

Woodland scenics makes (hopefully still do) clear plastic pellets you melt and pour. It dries hard and can be easily smoothed with a heatgun. It works best for small areas like you are talking about. I had the misadventure of trying to make a swamp over a 2' table section and just made a mess as retained heat melted the board section (foam on MDF base).

 

Important thing I forgot to mention - cheap. It was only $10 a package of about 1-2lbs.

Edited August 20, 2014 by hosercanadian

[Dontfear]

Its a product called EZ water and its 15 bucks a pound.