D&D General DIY xps foam terrain. Videos? Pics? Advice?

[el-remmen]

Yep, got my box of "random crap" started

 

[not-so-newguy]

Any tips on how to apply sealant to xps foam? Specifically, Krylon Matte Finish.

I keep melting the piece when I apply it

 

[el-remmen]

Any tips on how to apply sealant to xps foam? Specifically, Krylon Matte Finish.

I keep melting the piece when I apply it
View attachment 148949View attachment 148950

Honestly, I have not sealed anything even though I bought some sealant, for this reason, and for the reason that I don't trust myself to give it an even coat. I just figure this stuff is so cheap to make I think of any one piece as disposable and easily replaceable.

 

[not-so-newguy]

I'm kind of proud of this one. I hope I don't melt it when I add the sealant


Pink Marble (attempt #1)

 

[el-remmen]

I am just now starting on making 18 of these:

 

[not-so-newguy]

Simple and useful

 

[pogre]

Any tips on how to apply sealant to xps foam? Specifically, Krylon Matte Finish.

I keep melting the piece when I apply it
View attachment 148949View attachment 148950

The key is to move back further so the sealant is almost dry when it hits the foam. Alternatively, you could use sealers designed for foam - like the Army Painter version. Or do what I do - coat it in PVA glue thinned with water.

Although not required by a long stretch, I do like my foam cutter table and tools.

Check out my thread Pogre's 2022 Model Thread to see my latest foam terrain project.

 

[not-so-newguy]

First big project: create four 1 foot square boards; one side stone tiles and the other wooden boards

All 4 Stone tiles:


Wood board (first one carved)


I like the wood board/stone tile side view:

 

[pogre]

If you do Facebook - and I totally get it if you do not - I only use it for gaming stuff. There is a great group called Foam Modelling Workshop. A lot of amazing stuff show cased there.

 

[el-remmen]

If you do Facebook - and I totally get it if you do not - I only use it for gaming stuff. There is a great group called Foam Modelling Workshop. A lot of amazing stuff show cased there.

I don't really do FB, but I have one I mostly ignore. Maybe I will look into this group.

 

[el-remmen]

Some steps (no pun intended) from my current modular stair/stacker project:

 

[not-so-newguy]

@el-remmen
Very cool! If/when I get a hot wire table, I'm going to make these asap.

How many times did you dry brush? My tiles so far are coming out too dark

 

[el-remmen]

@el-remmen
Very cool! If/when I get a hot wire table, I'm going to make these asap.

How many times did you dry brush? My tiles so far are coming out too dark

I actually cut most of these by hand because I don't have a table yet - but when I get one I will redo these or just make a set that fits together better. I think next time I will put some small washers between the layers to give them some heft as well.

As for dry brushing: black matte/mod podge layer first (two coats), heavy coverage dark gray (mixed with a little bit of regular gray to lighten it slightly), painted some of the "off-color" squares (after seeing that ziggurat!) and then dry brush regular gray for the edged and bevels, and then very light dry brush with "fog gray" over various places to bring up texture.

Next step is a black wash which always comes out too dark and dirty looking - so looking to once again adjust my mixture - not sure why it always looks so bad. Any advice for blackwashing terrain, @pogre?

 

[pogre]

I actually cut most of these by hand because I don't have a table yet - but when I get one I will redo these or just make a set that fits together better. I think next time I will put some small washers between the layers to give them some heft as well.

As for dry brushing: black matte/mod podge layer first (two coats), heavy coverage dark gray (mixed with a little bit of regular gray to lighten it slightly), painted some of the "off-color" squares (after seeing that ziggurat!) and then dry brush regular gray for the edged and bevels, and then very light dry brush with "fog gray" over various places to bring up texture.

Next step is a black wash which always comes out too dark and dirty looking - so looking to once again adjust my mixture - not sure why it always looks so bad. Any advice for blackwashing terrain, @pogre?

My process is not too dissimilar, but a slightly different order to my steps.

Prime black - modge podge/black paint mix.
Dark Gray heavy dry brush - huge make up brushes from dollar general store used here and for most dry brushing.
Lighter gray dry brush
Fairly bright stone variations painted
Very light white dry brush
Dark wash - my formula = 100 ml of water, 100 ml of Liquitex Matte Medium, a splash of flow aid, 30-40 drops of black acrylic ink and 30 drops of burnt sienna acrylic ink
Dry brush of Desert yellow - kind of a dark yellow/tan color.
Very light dry brush of Ivory

For me, it seems like the last couple of dry brushes help bring the whole thing together.

 

[el-remmen]

So what you're saying is, just paint, water, and dishsoap are not enough I need to go out to Michael's for the matte medium and risk buying a bunch of other stuff while there? Damn.

 

[el-remmen]

Actually just made another batch and it came out PERFECT! The difference was using slightly less paint, adding a couple of drops of dark green paint as well, and replacing the dish soap with a few drops of that dishwasher finishing sauce and mix the bejezus out of it. It really has the right amount of flow. I think my last few tries were too thick and ended up just staining the whole thing.

 

[not-so-newguy]

Started over. The line work was bad.

Round #2

 

[el-remmen]

Here some quick formations I did as a test - I think they came out pretty good and when actually laying flat on the battlemat and not on brown paper laid down to manage the mess of paint and glue, they should look even better.

 

[not-so-newguy]

Painting will probably get started next week. I'm thinking about using this color pattern...


Here's my "paint by numbers" map:



Here's the choices so far:

Choice #1
yellow (1) /orange (2) / blue (3) / purple (4)
Inspired by Better Call Saul. I know it's anachronistic, even for d&d, but I just like the colors
I nixed green because it was the oddball color



choice #2
Red (1) / Brown (2) / Yellow (3) / Blue (4) / Black (0)
Inspired by Mystara Spheres of Power
Energy = Red
Matter = Brown
Thought = Yellow
Time = blue
Entropy = Black (placement of black squares will be rolled randomly within each row)

 

[el-remmen]

I vote for choice two. This is a democracy right?