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Simulation of water and liquids in crafts - anna_podolina — LiveJournal. Imitation of water in bench modeling Creating water on a diorama with a ship

The age-old diorama question - how and from what to make water? - probably puzzled everyone at least once. And no one will give a definite answer to it. Water in a diorama, unlike other objects, it seems to me, does not tolerate compromise - in the end it is either similar or not. There can be no middle ground. Just as there cannot be the only true technological solution to this problem - after all, a puddle, a waterfall, an ocean surf, a quiet backwater, a mountain river - it's all water in its countless and magnificent manifestations. This problem needs to be solved anew each time.

I will tell you how I simulated water in a particular case. For something else, this solution will be useless, but I will be glad if it helps someone and prompts new thoughts and findings.

The idea of ​​the diorama lay on the surface - there was an excellent dragon set of SEALs, there was a dragon boat LSSC. What else remained to be done - of course, landing on the shore. Enough for a simple plot, but for the sake of completeness, I wanted to fill the composition with an exciting mood. I decided to create the effect of silence - in literature, films, there is more than once a mention that when going out into the jungle for an operation, members of the groups kept silence using sign language. This determined the small alterations of the figures. The fact that water should be made is understandable, but what kind of water should be made? Probably also quiet, calm, splashing at the side of the rocking boat.

Of all the materials that I had, epoxy was the most suitable for this. But experiments with its traditional use (and of course, the traditional shrinkage meniscus around the perimeter and ubiquitous bubbles) did not please. But who said that this should be the surface, and not the wrong side of the simulated water? If epoxy can be molded into excellent, fine details, why can't it be water-cast as a "face down" part into a modeled mold. The material for the mold was aluminum foil. I used a blank plate for offset printing (it is used as a form in printing presses, you can buy it in stores selling printing consumables). The size of the sheet is enough for a full-fledged diorama, and one can only dream of such a quality of the surface, evenness and thickness of the metal.

First you need to draw on the foil the outline of the diorama, the outline of the coastline and the “spot” of the boat. To do this, you need to make a template in a sheet of cardboard - a section of the ship's hull along the waterline. It is desirable to be as accurate as possible so that the body clearly, tightly and without gaps enters this template. All parts below the waterline that form negative angles must be removed.

The plate is too hard, so it must be annealed over the flame gas stove. I placed the annealed sheet (the size of the reservoir on the diorama plus an allowance of several centimeters per side) on a substrate consisting of a piece of chipboard and folded into several layers of dense fabric. Along the perimeter, I secured this “sandwich” with slats nailed to the chipboard with studs.

Now comes the creativity in its purest form. To create the relief, I used the entire range of spoons available in the kitchen. Mainly useful dining room and tea room. Big I set the main rhythm and plasticity, small I worked out separate waves. It didn’t work the first time - I got carried away, and went over with the depth of the relief and somehow didn’t “catch” the nature of the waves. So brevity and again brevity. Finished shape you can now cut it out along the intended perimeter and stick it “face down” on chipboard or plywood - after all, despite the wavy relief, the water remains a flat plane. I glued the “Moment” and, for greater certainty, put a press (book) on top.

After that, you need to fashion a side from plasticine that limits the cut of the coastline and the opening into which we will then insert the boat. In the case of a ship, this must be done as accurately and accurately as possible. It is easier to get or cut off the plasticine and spend an extra half an hour than to sharpen the epoxy casting for a long and tedious time. I limited the even sides to strips of glass, which I again fastened with plasticine.

The mold is ready for casting, so the surface must be perfectly smooth and clean, because all this will then remain on the surface of the water. Since I was imitating a muddy tropical river (remember Apocalypse?), I didn’t need to do a depth effect, it was enough to convey the color and plasticity of dirty water. For casting, I needed two standard sets of EAF. The first layer that will create the front surface, I touched up oil paint. By varying the amount of pigment, you can achieve different transparency. In my case, I did not stint. It is better to dilute the resins with a margin so that the first tinted layer completely hides the relief of the waves. In principle, you can pour everything at once without making layers.

For every fireman, I reinforced the second layer of the casting with pieces of fiberglass twine. After polymerization, you can remove the mold and cleanly remove the remains of plasticine with acetone. Now our accuracy when applying plasticine comes back to haunt us - let's try to launch the ship into the water. There may be gaps - how to fix them, I hope it's clear from the picture. The boat should "sit" in the water like a glove.

We will assume that everything worked out and now it will not be difficult to include water in the fabric of the diorama. To bring the water to the condition, you need to make its surface glossy. I achieved this effect with car varnish - I decanted it from an aerosol can and blew through an airbrush. It is better to blow in thin layers, allowing each to dry well, so that the varnish does not gather in puddles in the recesses. To prevent dust from settling on wet varnish, it is better to cover the diorama with a suitable box until it dries. As a result, the layer turned out to be rather big, I glossed it with automotive polishing paste and fixing polish. Flakes of dirty foam near the sides and near the shore I imitated with thick tempera. For the reed, I had to drill a lot of holes, it took several 0.5 mm drills, which shamelessly broke. But, in my opinion, these are all trifles compared to the final result.

Every ship modeler sooner or later faces the problem of simulating the surface of the sea on a stand (minivignette) or on a diorama maritime theme. Usually, in this case, models along the waterline are used. In our market, models “along the waterline” (in plastic these are ships of a scale of 1:700, and in cardboard 1:400 published by JSC) are widespread and popular, therefore, this article can be. useful to a lot of people. I myself have encountered "water problems" while working with "seven hundred" ships - well assembled, they look great, but they will look even better on the "surface of the sea". Such a miniature allows you to fully experience the beauty of the ship in its natural environment.

Water in dioramas is divided into transparent and opaque. The choice of water type depends on what we want to show. Transparent water is used in dioramas, where it is necessary to show that something is drowned in it. For example, this method is used when it is necessary to show the periscope of a submarine or the underwater part of a ship. There are several methods for creating clear water:

- gelatin. The advantage of this method is simplicity, you need to fill your plot with gelatin and wait for its concentration. It must be remembered that gelatin is rather unstable and will change its structure especially at high temperatures.

- two-component transparent pitch. It has more advantages, good transparency, strength and resistance to mechanical stress. The disadvantage is a greenish color, which is not always desirable. This occurs as a result of a chemical reaction, which, among other things, is accompanied by the release a large number heat. The correct arrangement of diorama elements is difficult and can be deformed during the pouring process, there is also a possibility of plastic elements melting.

- Still Water by Vallejo- a special composition, transparent as glass and very hard after drying. No flaws, but I don't recommend it. The composition is more suitable for reproducing puddles on a diorama than for our purposes.

- Blue Water by Vallejo- preparation of cream consistency blue color. Easy to apply and smooth with a spoon. Working with it is similar to working with silicone, only with a more pleasant smell. The product should be recommended for the execution of coastal water, "deep" water cannot be imitated.

This brings us to the heart of the matter - there is no way to make perfectly clear water. Each of these methods has its drawbacks. I use opaque imitation in my dioramas. A well done surface painting gives the complete illusion of water. My "sea" comes from aluminum foil, ordinary kitchen foil on a roll. The material was not chosen by chance, I was attracted by the opportunity to create a beautiful relief with it. "Is it difficult?" - you ask. Not at all. The surface of the water consists of many small and large splashes and waves. Chaos in its purest form. But aluminum foil makes it possible to reproduce it!

Now I will state everything point by point:

This is my method, and I hope that my experience and photos will be useful to you. Good luck creating spectacular dioramas and vignettes.

Simulation of water and liquids in crafts May 7th, 2011

source: http://women-on-line.ru/publ/kukolnaja_miniatjura/imitacija_vody_v_kukolnykh_miniatjurakh/59-1-0-514

Imitation of water in puppet miniatures

Typically, miniaturists use epoxy to simulate water and other liquids. If you have seen various drinks, shiny sauces on food, raw eggs, soups or other liquids in doll miniatures, and have also seen beautiful water effects in railway or landscape scenes, you may have looked at epoxy resin products.


When you prepare such a mixture, it will harden, become shiny and durable. It can be poured in several layers to create the effect of deep water.

Only a layer of 3 or 6 mm of material can be cast at a time. You will not be able to pour one thick layer of this material. For example, deep water can only be made in a few layers.

What is a two part clear epoxy resin?

A two part clear epoxy is a high gloss finish made from a mixture of epoxy and hardener. You can buy it in hardware stores and building supermarkets. The main use of the material is a long-lasting and strong gloss after it hardens. Two-component epoxy is sold in a set (two jars: one with hardener, and the other with epoxy). When these two components are mixed in equal amounts, the mixture heats up, then becomes gel-like, and then completely hardens.


Dyes, dyes, and fillers can be added to a mixture to simulate colors and textures. Paints must be suitable for working with epoxy. Other dyes may react with the epoxy and destroy its normal properties.

Safe work

Work with epoxy resins only in a well-ventilated area. You should avoid breathing vapors (epoxy vapors are much lighter than vapors from other chemicals that are used to simulate water), and it is also advisable to wear gloves and goggles when working with epoxy to protect your hands and eyes from accidental splashes. The product is sold with accessible instructions for safe use.


This is not a product that children can use. Therefore, bottles with epoxy resin and hardener should be kept away from children.

Rubbing alcohol or regular alcohol can be used to clean spilled liquid resin from surfaces and tools.

Mixing

The two components must be completely mixed together in one container (which must be discarded after work). The material from which the container is made must not react with the epoxy. Good to work with miniatures small plastic cups with measured marks (for example, they are sold with cough syrup) are suitable, in which you can mix the two components of the resin. If you don’t have anything like that at hand, you can also use disposable syringes in order to measure the right amount of material.


Epoxy must be mixed by carefully measuring the exact amount of resin and hardener (1:1). This option is also possible: you measure the right amount of epoxy, pour it into a disposable cup, and then add hardener to the same level in another cup.

When you have two equal batches, you pour the epoxy into the hardener pot and mix the two thoroughly with a wooden stick.

Then, when the ingredients are well mixed in the container, you pour them back into the container where the epoxy was, to make sure that you used the ingredients in equal amounts, and that what was left at the bottom of the first vessel was completely used up.

Bubble removal

Mixing epoxy and hardener will cause bubbles to form. If you blow on the mixture, the bubbles will burst due to the presence of carbon dioxide in your breath. If you will be filling small bottles, jars, glasses, or jugs, allow the epoxy to vent for a few minutes before pouring it into the container in which it will solidify.

Working conditions

Most epoxy resin manufacturers list approximately 30 minutes in the instructions for the resin to gel (depending on room temperature). Most two part epoxy mixes cure in approximately 8 hours at 21°C. But they can not be used when the humidity in the room is about 50%, otherwise they may become foggy. The material has a shelf life of at least a year if stored in a tightly sealed container. Epoxy resin products will turn yellow if exposed to direct sunlight.

Liquid Simulation with Two-Part Clear Epoxy

Epoxy resin settles into a flat surface. She slowly stretches down the walls of the vessel. To simulate still water, you will need to apply a final smoothing to its surface to remove the "protruding" edges that form after the mass flows down the walls.


Plan your work carefully. You may need to glue the parts before pouring the resin into the jar. Also, you may need to add details with each layer (for example, to make a realistic environment with fish or tadpoles at different levels, jars of fruits or vegetables that do not sink to the bottom).

If you're thinking of simulating melting jelly, ice cream, or a spilled drink, allow the epoxy to gel before pouring it. In this way, you will get a thicker layer than if you poured it immediately after mixing.

To create a wet mark or puddle effect, but with the condition that you later need to remove this effect from the surface, pour resin on a bendable plastic surface. Tear off the plastic from the "puddle" and then place the "puddle" on the floor in the dollhouse without pouring resin on the floor.

There are other products that are better suited for running water, and most of them can be combined with a hardened two part clear epoxy.

Tips & Tricks

Epoxies will not easily fall out of shape. Don't use them to make doll jelly or anything that needs to be taken out of molds.

Improper mixing will cause the epoxy to not cure. Measure well before mixing.

When filling a container with a small neck, fill it drop by drop from the tip of a pin or toothpick. Or use a disposable pipette or syringe.

Avoid working in a cold and damp environment, otherwise the resin may fog.

Use special paints for working with epoxy resin. Compatible paints are transparent or translucent, and colors can be mixed.

Some plastic parts may dissolve in epoxy. Check for resin damage to paints or bases before working with them.

After a beautiful diorama that was almost spontaneously posted on my blog turned into a permanent theme and works on the marine theme began to appear in it, readers are increasingly asking the question about water modeling technology. One of the ways, suitable for small scale battle topics, I have already described. Today it is the turn of the second one - for marine dioramas, like the same U-96 presented above. The master class is conducted by Alexander Blokhin aka Alex-Goblin from vif2ne.ru.

The sea is eye-catching. Pictures of great artists, photographs convey to us only a short, almost imperceptible moment of all the dynamics and endlessly changing beauty of the sea. But I want to feel this moment forever. It's funny, but the most eager for this spectacle are ship modellers. After all, what is a model of a ship (an airplane, a tank, etc.) if not a moment in the life of the original? And the diorama? The most complex and more time-consuming aspect of modeling in all respects. It is necessary not only to skillfully "revive" the model, but also to harmoniously arrange it in the diorama.
Making, or to put it more correctly, imitation of the water surface on a marine-themed diorama, is often a stumbling block for most modellers. And it’s not about skills at all - it’s just that the materials themselves and their combination raise a lot of questions. There is a lot of advice in the modeling literature and the net. But in my opinion, most of them are quite time-consuming, require certain skills in working with the materials used and, importantly, they are not cheap in terms of money...

My method is built initially on this last aspect. But, more to the point. For example, I chose to work on the destroyer USS Leutze. The model assembled from cardboard along the waterline and glued to a wooden board. (See Fig. 1-2). It is desirable not to process the surface. This is important for the next operation. Taking into account the "layered nature of the sea", I glue the body on cardboard with a margin of 4-6 mm. I paint the borders in the color of the waterline.

Fig.2

I made a solution of gypsum. It should not be too liquid, but not thick either. With a small spatula or stick, I "spread" it on the surface of the board. Having already initially imagined the general and desirable appearance of the sea I am creating, I try to give the texture of small waves. A kind of ripple. Please note - these ripples should be more frequent astern. This is a wake track. (See Figure 3-5).

After the plaster has dried - about an hour, painting begins. I usually use gouache and acrylic paints. (See Fig. 6-9). The sea is never one color. From dark - blue with black additions, I move smoothly to lighter shades. I add some green.

In general, my advice is to keep photographs or paintings depicting the sea in front of your eyes more often while working. Aivazovsky, for example. After painting, I let it dry for about 1.5-2 hours.

Then comes the most important and crucial stage. To simulate water directly, I use transparent silicone. Or, as it is called - "transparent construction sealant".

Gradually, slowly, I "spread" it not thick - from 1 mm to 3-4 mm on the surface. For this I use a small flat brush (see Fig. 11). It should be noted that the strokes, although not uniform, are by no means chaotic! This is primarily due to the current, the movement of the ship, the excitement - in short, the conditions set in this problem.

Many factors must be taken into account. Silicone coating should not be tightened in view of its solidification. After coating with the first layer, I take a small piece of cardboard and, dipped in machine oil (other types of technical oils can also be used), “smooth out” unnecessary bumps. The oil can also be removed with a cotton swab after the silicone has solidified.

You can start working on the second layer. In it, I try to give the main outlines and shapes of the waves. Before applying it, I partially tint with lightly diluted acrylic paints first layer. The sea should be multi-layered, so I try to give this effect. Again, with the same small flat brush, I “spread” thicker waves (see Fig. 14-16).

Then I let it dry. I paint foam on the crests of the waves with white acrylic paint. Also, here and there, I lightly give her the same light strokes on the entire surface. (See Fig. 10 and 13).

I'm going to the finish line. With a thin brush, I add silicone. I especially carefully work out the breaker from the stem. As a rule, this is the "face" of a moving ship. Again, I constantly check with photographs of the original or other images of ships. Silicone makes it possible to make it translucent and the most reliable. On the crest of the breaker, I carefully “mix” a piece of synthetic with tweezers. cotton wool (see Fig. 17).

Basically everything. I do not give specific instructions for working with tools and material. It's like who gets it. Using the example of my work, I only tried to convey my method of modeling a diorama of a marine theme.

Probably one of the many enjoyable activities is watching the water. It doesn't matter if it's a stream, pond, sea or ocean.

The works of many artists try to convey in them all the power, beauty and romance at the same time, to capture a certain moment in time. It is this moment that remains in our memory and makes us remember many, many times.

For this reason, the diorama allows you to create a composition that will delight you. long time. In addition to composition and artistry, a diorama's realism plays an important role. In this article, we will show you how you can imitate water for your dioramas in poster modeling.

Materials and methods

All simulation methods can be divided into 2 groups:

  • voluminous;
  • superficial.

Imitation of the thickness (volume) of water

This technique is used when it is necessary to convey "actions" inside the water, to show transparency. For such purposes, as a rule, polyurethane and epoxy resins are used.

- a yellow-brown or transparent substance that hardens with a hardener.

Advantages:

  • 2-3 hours after mixing the components, the resin changes its characteristics and it is convenient to apply it to the surface and give it a wave shape.

Disadvantages:

  • thorough mixing and exact observance of the proportions of the components is necessary. If this is neglected, then bubbles may appear.
  • serious shrinkage after drying;
  • toxicity, odor.

is a modern replacement for epoxy resin. Unlike epoxy, it has better fluidity and transparency. For this reason, it is better suited for simulating objects submerged in water. Shrinkage is present, but not significant. The time to complete drying can be up to 48 hours.

Disadvantages:

  • highly toxic;
  • high price.

If you need to create a large water surface and do not need water transparency, the “old-fashioned way” - gypsum is suitable.

Gypsum - inexpensive material odorless, has a significant hardness. The mixture should not be very liquid, but at the same time - not thick. After drying (1-2 hours) - the surface can be painted. For these purposes, both the most inexpensive paints - gouache, and more expensive water-soluble acrylic paints are quite suitable.

Simulation of the surface of the water

Sometimes it happens that only surface effects are enough in a diorama, for example: puddles, ponds, other small reservoirs. Although there are exceptions - the sea surface. Here are the main ways.

Silicone sealant(transparent)- this is the most common sealant, which is packaged in tubes. Ideal for rough water simulation. Dries out from moisture in the air. Following the application, it is desirable to immerse the work under the cap.

Disadvantages:

  • toxic while drying, has a strong smell of vinegar;
  • peeling is possible under mechanical action;
  • fast drying (about 30 minutes).

Liquid nails (transparent)- also familiar to us glue. It is a white, odorless, non-toxic substance. It has a transparent base that can be tinted with acrylic paints. The transparency of the layer appears only after complete drying. A thick layer dries for a very long time, so it is recommended to pour glue no more than 5-6 mm thick. and make the wavelength up to 1 cm.

Disadvantages:

  • long drying time.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are quite enough ways to simulate water in modeling, besides, we have not described everything here - but only the main ones. One universal method does not exist, each modeler must choose one or another method that is suitable in a given situation.

We hope this article has helped you. Good luck with your modeling!

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