??? Realistic cracked earth for large board ???

[magno]

Anyone have any good techniques, tips for making realistic cracked Earth? Like a dried see bed?

Depending on how much work it takes, I'd like to cover a 3'x3' terrain table with it, or make large patches of it.

Many thanks.

 

[nels0nmac]

One way would be to get a solid board that won't flex, cover it with a layer of clay and then leave it in the sun to dry quickly. Should crack up nicely. The board you put it onto will need to be braced though otherwise it will curl up like a leaf as the clay dries.

 

[magno]

That's not a bad idea. I could just brace it with some 1"x2". I reckon the way to control the size of the earth clods(?) would be how thick I put the clay?

 

[funnymouth]

sounds like it would work, but you'd have to use wet clay to get it to crack, and you'd have to seal the heck out of it or it would crumble.

 

[Firestryke31]

Fire it after it dries? Just be careful getting it off of the drying platform and into the kiln, or it might be more cracked than you want it...

 

[Twosoc]

it would shrink beyond use if you fired it, plus you'd never get it to fit together right. Another way is to get some cheap plaster, or unmixed filler powder and sprinkle it over the board in a good layer of about 5mm, deeper in some areas. then gently spray the plaster with a plant mister from a good distance away ( so not to move the plaster around with the spray). This should then soak into the plaster and if you don't move it or jiggle it should dry and crackle.

 

[BPI]

Hi Magno, do you want an effectively flat gaming surface with a dried riverbed effect painted on (max, say 3mm raise) or a far larger scale series of crevices running between separate "islands". How much height difference is acceptable? For eg. if the cliffs that form either side of the crevices can vary in height by up to 6", it would enable room for ledges, use bottom of crevices as "roads", have bridges between islands, better vantage points for warmachines on the higher "islands", etc.

For the larger scale version I'd use photo reference like this...

...and cut the main islands out of that pink insulating foam I've seen people use. Carve some fatter cracks into the top of each one, glue to base, paint the lot. Get gaming.

Perhaps I should have asked: do you want a flattish board for wargaming or a full terrain board for Mordheim style skirmish play or RPGing

Cheers, B.

PS Post pics once you're underway please, I want to see how this one turns out!

 

[magno]

What I'm looking to create is a Helldorado table. A table that kind of communicates loneliness and torture. It doesn't need to be perfectly flat, but flat enough so I can place 3"x3" pieces of terrain here and there.

I'll have to try some test pieces using the advice on this thread.

 

[Mason]

One thing you might try:

Apply a layer of cellulose clay/paper clay to a sheet of foam core. After an hour or two, bend the foam core downwards in the two directions of the sheet. this should cause the cracking you want. After it's dry you should be able to slide it off the foam core and glue it onto a more stable substrate like plywood. I think priming it in the mud colour of your choice and then sealing it with a matte varnish like quickshade would do the trick.

 

[nels0nmac]

Just thought of another way of creating that look.

Place a weave of fairly open material (like a string vest but probably not quite such big holes) over a smooth surface or maybe over a board which has been covered in clingfilm. Cover in plaster to a suitable depth say 3mm- 5mm and leave to dry - effectively creating your own ModRock ( think that's how its spelt). Once it's dried, assuming it hasn't already cracked, you can peal it off the surface and crack it up as much as you like and the material will hold the plaster pieces in place.
This way you end up with a flexible sheet of cracked material which could be stuck to a flat board or layed over other stuff to create a more undulating surface.

This is just an idea and I haven't actually tried it in real life although I think in theory it is a sound concept.

 

[Sand Rat]

Here's what I'd do for the surface texture -

Line an old baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Mix a batch of plaster of paris or durhams water putty

Pour into baking sheet

Let dry

Remove foil, take outside and drop

Jigsaw pieces together on either masonite or insulation foam.

 

[Lord Maggot]

Cork tiles? They tear up real easily and have a nice random cracked effect. You could maybe lay some flat then grind and tear at them with something?

 

[neonjfd]

The cork board idea is good, or just carving the foam or putty works too. You can mix in some crackling medium to paint to create smaller cracks too.
Check this site http://site.scratchmod.com/Crackle_Technique.php. he uses the crackling for chipping effects but it can be used for groundwork as well
Cheers
Jose

 

[BPI]

A bit of inspiration...

Cheers, B.

 

[Godlikebuthumble]

I'd go with the cork tile, as well. At my LGS, we made two tables: one an arctic wasteland (larger chunks), one a lava/mordor style with smaller chunks. The cracks in the cork (depending on the type you get), combined with the gaps between the scraps of cork should do nicely.
Seems like the overall quickest and tidiest solution. Slap on a desolate-looking paintjob and (especially for Helldorado) some hellish knickknacks (like skeletons, rubble, altar to some evil entities, and whatnot), and you should be settled.

 

[Shawn R. L.]

What about a good thick layer of crackle paint?

 

[IdofEntity]

I'd say GodLikeButHumble has the right idea. I'd put a liberal amount of "dust" on the board since there would be high winds and a lot of weathering in an area like that. Maybe even placing in dust "drifts" would be a cool addition.

Some cool terrain might be the skeletal remains of whale carcasses and dried out coral reefs.

 

[freakinacage]

ok threadomancy here but i had an idea:

cracked bark:

either get a load or get some, make a mould and use plaster to texture the board

 

[cassar]

depending on if you want it to look cracked or if you actually want it to be like a thick cracked bed of clay you could use a spray bottle like you get for watering plants then spray a fine layer of water onto the wodd surface (lightly) then spray halfords primer car paint over the top this will then react with the water and should give you the desired effect

 

[Pdxpete]

I think a good dose of crackle paste would work