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Post by adamantinedragon on Feb 14, 2014 21:56:56 GMT
I've used everything from toothpicks to chopsticks as tools to make impressions in foam core. My experience has been that you generally want something with a relatively blunt end to avoid tearing the foam. My best results were from using a kid-sized chopstick.
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Post by earlteagrey on Feb 14, 2014 22:18:22 GMT
Looks fantastic. I would modify the original post to explain the "etching" process you used. Etching is an acid burning process and that confused me. I read your reply to earlteagrey about the back of a paint brush and then it made sense. I thought you applied acidic compound to the foam. Maybe "blunt grooving". You can use a spent ball point pen for finer details. Robert Fourie (formerly epicfantasia on youtube uses a soldering iron on polystyrene, that should work as well) Haha I guess I always associated "etching" with this bad boy: static.ddmcdn.com/gif/etch2.jpgNever knew it was also an acidic process.
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Post by DMNate on Feb 14, 2014 23:21:40 GMT
There are many a different method of etching/engraving or whatever one wants to call it. Sometimes I like to tear some of the foam, as it can make some interesting textures.
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Post by grym247 on Feb 14, 2014 23:36:44 GMT
Outstanding DMNate
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valas
Room Planner
I'm being twisted, on the sideway down.
Posts: 459
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Post by valas on Feb 15, 2014 0:35:24 GMT
Nice DMNate. I use the blunt end of a mechanical pencil to do my engraving/carving lines into foam. I drag it slowly over what I want to etch so as not to tear the foam. Depending on what it is, I will also use my razor knife to deeper then lines and then go over the grooves with a pen. Works great for doing stone work and designs. Never tried it for doing board work.
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Post by thedmg on Feb 15, 2014 6:27:35 GMT
I understand how DMNate used the word "etching" which is correct when talking about carving, but this will clarify why I got confused. Etching Process. Also the root form of etch from German and Dutch means "to eat". I have done this. It is painstaking and you dont want to make mistakes... One of my cave ideas was a layer of polystyrene on a single layer of cardboard, covered with acrylic paint in the negative space and then spray painted. The uncovered portions being eaten away by the aerosol, leaving nice textured space. The first issue was finding sheets of polystyrene just the right thickness, the second was the uncontrolled nature of this etching process.The third having to then base the space manually with black acrylic.
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Post by Sleepy Hollow Mike on Feb 15, 2014 9:44:39 GMT
The thing that I learned the hard way with doing wood grain (and other textures for miniatures) was that you sort of had to drop the idea that your items had to be realistically scaled. Realistically scaled wood grain down to 1/72 scale is pretty much invisible, and what is visible just looks like a general sort of fuzziness. So the trick I eventually learned, and which DMNate's example does a good job of demonstrating, is to have the grain be recognizable wood grain at a glance, which is best done by having the wood grain be pretty close to actual size wood grain, which makes no "sense" in terms of scaling the items, but that's what works. the same was true when I tried to make marble grain and even things like grass or leaves. You sort of have to accept that to make it recognizable, you can't scale it accurately. I should have used the same reasoning on the wood grains as I do with my tiles. I dont put the lines to mark out individual stones becuz of two reasons. A: I am a lazy painter sometimes and B: I always just considered the space between the stones to be so small as to not be noticed. I love how both methods turn out but I picked Dm Scotty's method becuz it was faster in the long run.
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Post by DMNate on Feb 15, 2014 18:33:16 GMT
Painting isn't just re-creation. It's implication and misdirection. I can see the use in painting something in a less interesting way so people don't spend as much time looking at it. Build scenes by guiding What people look at. Make what you want people to look at the most interesting thing to look at. DMScotty's quick method had use beyond speed. It gives a quick impression of what's there. If you use his method with the same colors you're using for more intricate wood pieces, there will be enough continuity that players won't think twice about it. That's how you know you're doing things right. When players are engulfed in the world you create, and not in the methods you used to craft it. Guide their gaze by being aware what needs to be looked at.
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Post by adamantinedragon on Feb 15, 2014 21:16:17 GMT
Painting isn't just recreation. It's implication and misdirection. I can see the use in painting something in a less interesting way so people don't spend as much time looking at it. Build scenes by guiding What people look at. Make what you want people to look at the most interesting thing to look at. DMScotty's quick method had use beyond speed. It gives a quick impression of what's there. If you use his method with the same colors you're using for more intricate wood pieces, there will be enough continuity that players won't think twice about it. That's how you know you're doing things right. When players are engulfed in the world you create, and not in the methods you used to craft it. Guide their gaze by being aware what needs to be looked at. Sent from my SGH-T679 using proboards Heh, I'm tempted to say "What!? do all that work and not get my ego stroked by my game buddies? No way!" But I hear ya. Still I have to admit that when my game buddies express appreciation of my efforts outside of the game immersion I don't mind. Spoken like a true artist there DMNate.
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Post by DMNate on Feb 15, 2014 21:46:40 GMT
Lol. It's a difficult line to draw, for both practical and egotistical reasons. Maybe it's just my background in theater, but I've trained my brain to appreciate their (the players) engagement in the story more than their praise of my work. If a good story teller does their job, the listeners shouldn't even notice the lights and costumes. Those things are just an intuitive part of the world's continuity.
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