Base :: Hex and Crystal Terrain :: A Thrym Project

[Thrym]

Yeah, another base. Shocker, I know.  It's one I've been thinking about for years, basically, since I bought the beads that are in it.

 

So, the premise:

I use the air-dry clay hexes from the previous project as well as these beads I bought at Walmart so long ago. The Bugle Beads are hex-shaped and iridescent.  The color on the tube is labeled as "black iris."

 

 

I build a flat of the hexes and use the beads upright on a portion of the base to represent an unusual terrain.  I use a pill bottle shell along one edge to build the terrain upward on that edge more easily.  I'll peel that off later.  

 

So here's the bottom layer of the piece.

 

 

The front layer is as high as it will go.  The next layer will go to the top of the beads and also be flat.  The last layer will be more like a hill on the other side of the beads.

 

Now if this was for a mech it would look like pilings holding back the earth.  I will use more of them here than just along the fronts.

 

Stay tuned. Enjoy. Please, stay safe.

[Thrym]

I took another pic after I added more beads and went with some crystals for the next layer.  Gonna mix in some ground shortly and more beads.

 

The crystal is a piece of quartz I broke up.

 

I over exposed the image a bit to better capture the iridescence of the beads.

 

 

Stay turned and Enjoy.  Please stay safe.

 

[Thrym]

Added more beads and my custom ground mix. 

 

The next step is to add watered down white glue along the back to fill with ground mix.  It won't be a paste, per se, I will likely apply loose ground mix in to the base to level and add the glue to saturate.  Once that sets, I will pop the shell off.

 

 

 

Custom Ground Mix:

 

●  Bark

●  Cork - Dark Brown

●  Cork - Light Brown

●  Foam Tree Flock - Tan

●  Static Grass - Green

 

This gets you powder to simulate dirt, shreds that simulate sticks and forest litter, and bits that look like moss or leaves.

 

I use a coffee grinder (kept separate from the kitchen) to grind these up.  Mix the ingredient colors up, add in colored paper for small leaves or just whir away to get it really ground into dust.  Don't add sand or other minerals until after you grind up the organics (or light foams and plastics).  It will ruin your grinder.

 

Add a little water and white glue in a mixing bowl if you want to apply it like a paste or stucco.  I usually just dust it over super glue (various viscosities) to apply it where I want it.  A brush and a mix of water and white glue dropped in place can work as well but it takes longer to dry.

 

If you ever want to add color, you need to make the acrylics more than a wash.  Think of it as flavored water.  Barely any paint and mostly water.  Do it more than once to bring the colors up.  If you do this, remember, dark bark is still dark bark.  So it will still be darker than the other bits.  Spread the lot out to dry and re-grind when done if needed.  It will take some practice to get the color correct.

 

Stay tuned and Enjoy.  Please stay safe.

Edited December 14, 2020 by Thrym

[Glitterwolf]

That's cool!

It can be an Alien landscape or maybe even a crystal mine or something like that.

 

[Thrym]

The base is finished but the lighting and resolution sucked so these aren't the final images.

 

Zero painting went into this piece.  Everything is its original material mixed with glue, that's it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I will put together some real photo booth type images.  I just took these quickly this evening.  My work area is a mess and I haven't used it in a while.  Been working at my office desk or in my living room chair.

In any event, a Show Off will come.

Stay tuned and Enjoy. As always, please Stay Safe.

[Glitterwolf]

Great base!

[Rigel]

Very "Giants' Causeway"/ basalt-column effect! I like it!