Another great tutorial VLog Boomer! One question... I've checked out the GAC line in my local art supply store. I've noticed there's multiple options, something like GAC 200, 300, 500, 900, etc... In terms of modeling water, what's the significance of the different options that are available for this product? Thanks!
I use the GAC 500 as you know. The other options are for different applications on different materials, etc. They have different viscosities (stiffness or fluidness) depending on the texture you want (tool & brush marks), or the material you apply it to like cloth, canvas, board, etc. It's all pro stuff and you just have to research it a little because it covers everything and is compatible across the whole line of paints, as well, when you mix it. Cheers.
@@boomerdiorama Thanks Boomer... Did a little research this morning. Going to try a 50:50 mix of GAC200 and GAC500, as well as each of them by themselves. The GA200 is formulated for increased hardness, something I've found is lacking in off the shelf artists mediums. Experimented with Acrylic Gloss Medium a lot years back and sort of gave up on it because while it looked great, it was too soft (almost rubbery) and sometimes tacky, even after drying for a long time. Maybe GAC500 by itself will be fine too, but with some experimentation, I'll figure out which is best. There's also "pourable" acrylic finishes too. Purchased a small bottle of that a while back.
@@WHJeffBI’d be interested in those results with the various viscosities. My instinct is that it might be some years before you may have the whole picture. You may possibly be able to do it all with GAC 500 then a thin gloss coat of 200 to harden the surface and reduce the chance of scratches and the like. But I too need to run this experiment. I think getting a bottle of 500 and 200 are also in my future.
@@AndyCrawford_NorfolkWestern My only concern with the GAC 200, is that is says nothing about "self leveling". It does have excellent clarity, but it requires temps above 70°F/21°C to dry. It might make more sense to add 1 part of the 200 to two parts of the 500. Or, as Boomer has shown (which seems to work pretty darn great), just use GAC 500 straight up. I'm inclined to purchase 16oz of the 500 and a smaller 8oz bottle of the 200 for testing. It's top notch artists material, but not cheap!
@@AndyCrawford_NorfolkWestern Purchased some GAC 200 and 500 today and did a small sample of both mediums. The GAC 500 appears to set quicker and self level better. The GAC 200 is more translucent and slightly glossier. Will let them set overnight and evaluate the hardness of both. My initial inclination is that the 500 will be fine as it is for most work (as Boomer already has shown), but a mix of the two might have some benefit.
Had some Golden GAC 500 left over from my water surface - (worked great BTW.) Per your suggestion tried it today to glue windows into a vehicle, in lieu of canopy glue, (which I had on my list but never bought.) Of course I got a big white smear on the window. And watched it turn clear in a matter of minutes. Brilliant! Thanks Boomer!
Hi Boomer. I agree with your advice on your other videos that the only way to really learn something is to do it yourself, but it takes experience to know what will work, and what won't. Thanks for sharing with us the benefits of your many years of experience, I'm sure your videos will save me countless hours. Cheers. Ian
This video is a reminder to thank you again for introducing me to acrylic art mediums. They are far more useful than the usual model railroad items. I'm still not a good modeler but I can now manage a reasonable representation of what I attempt to achieve. Gimme 20 years😊
You have a good attitude and you are on the right track. Enjoy the process, practice, have fun and watch your skills grow coupled to the inevitable rewards! Cheers.😁
I still use carpenter glue here-and-there, but most of my modeling medium is as you described. I'm playing around with the "Crackle" paste now and the stuff is awesome for effects as well. 😉@@baronjutter
Boomer , I can't say enough , I watch , learn an repeat , from your mastering of the techniques you use. Wow , always love your encouragement to your fellows modelers ... till the next time on River road , cheers take care and see you an Dusty then...
My friend, the way you give a variety of different types of techniques to accomplish the same result is absolutely essential for those who are beginners or advanced modelers, fantastic instructions.
As if your not the master already you drop a tease of your skills with a scratch built boat with motor you are something special to learn from I thank you and I'm sure I speak for alot of your followers I've learned at least a dozen or more things every vid. Amazing work and thank you boomer!! 😊
Can you imagine trying to read this from a book. Don't get me wrong, I grew up on books & practice, but social media (video demonstration) has revolutionized this hobby. Thanks for sharing. Cheers ~ Boomer.😁
Absolutely I agree this is video era and I would not know half the stuff I do from reading alone I'm a watch and mimic type of learner so yea this type of video is the way to learn as well as ask questions your awesome at responding as are alot of good teachers so yea I love the digital era, have a great day
Boomer your giving away the store man, thank you! That two part epoxy, I helped a friend demolish his 10 yr old layout on which he had some two part epoxy(ET Lite). While we were working, I place my pop can on the water since it was the smoothest part of the area. Five minutes later I picked up my pop can and noticed it had left an impression in the water surface. Boy was I surprised! That happening has caused me to search for other methods, thank you for showing this method, here and in the past V-log post #66
Thanks Ralph. If you don't empty the vessel (give away the store), the gift will dry up and blow away. No incentive to fill it up with new and exciting creative imagination if I stay old and stale . . . ;-) Thanks for sharing Ralph. Say hi to Andy for me. Cheers ~ Boomer.
'I came for the modelling artistry, but stayed for the music!' And I'm not entirely kidding, the music selections here are far-and-away the best of any video I watch. ( I wonder what The Doors would think of this episode's ...).
Well there's a coincidence, I've just come down from my loft room whilst waiting for some weathering effects to dry off on the very same Intermountain CNWX freight car! Brilliant as ever, cheers from the UK.
Hey Boomer, thanks for another great video. For those interested in building your own layout it's not likely you'll complete it in a day, month, or year. That's part of the attraction. I started my layout 3 years ago. Its a 9×11×15 and I painted the entire 4' high backdrop using less than a gallon of laytex wall paint and a couple of small less than 6 dollar tubes of mastertouch or liquidtex acrylics artist paint from Hobby Lobby. A little goes a long way because it is thinned with watter. I use the small bottles of Americana or Anita's craft paint less than a dollar a bottle from Hobby Lobby to paint scenery and structures. A little goes a long way as it's thinned with water. Using a lot of water makes a great stain for wood or weathering. I learned when painting with acrylics to use more than one color as it always dries darker than what it appears in the bottle and is part of the fun of discovery as what occurs naturally in nature. For example, using green straight out of the bottle turned black after it dried so yellow needs to be mixed in to make various shades of green. Acrylics will naturally blend on their own, which helps with the end results. You'll marvel at how the picture seems to magically change before your eyes as it dries. Once you learn the techniques where the only rules are perspective and shading, everything else is abstract, which is a freeing way to create something that's only limited by your imagination. Not so much for us OCD types. For me, I discovered even though the trains seem to take center stage, It's really all about the art that seems to blend into the background, that ties everything together, that brings everything to life. For me, it's a giant 3D abstrat art project with trains running through it. I model in 0-gague, where most of the accessories require scrath building, but all of the scenery techniques are the same other than scale, which I'm greatfull to guys like Boomer because most scenic elements and accessories require scrath building due to scarcity of realistic commercial items, and is the part of the hobby where simply by design it progresses a little over time where the objective is to build the layout with the least amount of investment possible, because the trains are the reaI expense. The same thing can be said for scenery materials. Although somewhat expensive, a little goes a long way when building from scratch. Unless you pay someone to build it for you. I discovered our limitations are only limited by our desire for our willingness to start and our imagination. I'm greatfull that there are artists like Boomer willing to share his valuable knowledge and talent because of his desire and compassion he has for passing on his skills to carry on this hobby. You can literally get lost in your work without a care in the world. The very idea of therapy. It's not something you can put a price on. Start with building a backdrop if that's part of your plan, then benchwork, lay your track plan, and run trains to get a sense of design efficiency, make changes, then focus on scenery. It's a slow natural progression, likely making changes as you go, as your skills and techniques will likely improve along the way and is very rewarding. As Boomer would say. "It's a process". It's about the journey not the destination that leads us to the joys of model railroading. So what are you waiting for. Just dive in and have fun with it. Don't limit yourselves with fear of failures, as failure is the best teacher when learning something new. The cost is insignificant as it's typically spread out a little over time as one progresses. I doubt anyone starts out buying everything at once.
Self-subsidizing therapy… that’s an interesting economic theory of our hobby investments. I gotta see if I can get my wife to buy into that economics model ;)
@@boomerdiorama Yes indeed. That’s why I have my orders delivered to the office. I also added a line to my Will, telling my wife to not sell the railroad stuff for what I told her I paid for it ;)
I really liked this video! I'm a big fan of the Golden Acrylics myself. I like how you "can't really screw up" water effects with acrylics. Take care! - Andy
Yup. You can screw it up and fix acrylic medium all day long. Pouring two part epoxy resin doesn't teach anything other than grief and anxiety in my experience. And then I grow sick of looking at it. But then you can always fix it with Acrylic Resin if you want to learn something new. Cheers Andy!
Boomer, your work never ceases to amaze me and yet you make me feel like I can achieve those same results. Thanks for sharing your techniques and for your inspiration!
Another inspiring tutorial, one that is particularly useful for my upcoming harbor scene. Thank you! On a personal note, deepest sympathy in view of the forest fires your country is enduring and hope that you are not directly affected.
Thank you for expressing concern. The smoke here is brutal as it drifts down the lower mainland (Southwest British Columbia). Mind you, this is nothing compared to those who are losing their homes and livelihood in the interior.
Another great video! I think beyond just tools and technique, you help point our eyes on how to view our subject. I honestly never put much thought into how a foam ripple looks in a river. Now that I have focused there it is like a little light bulb goes off. Also proof that these basic materials are in many ways superior in many respects over model railroad specific products.
Great timing on this one… I’m just getting ready to do some water and want to use your technique! Thanks again Boomer can’t tell you how much I reference your vids for little tricks. You have helped me be a better artist for sure looking forward to the next next one😊
Thanks for sharing and glad to hear you are trying new things. Be patient with the process and learn as you go. I'm still learning things about modeling water artistically. Have fun!
I think anyone with eyes or who's been keeping tabs on your work would put you on a list of the all time great Modelers in the hobby. It isn't simply an attention to detail here, it's the careful attention you've given to the right details that really transports us into the scene. There's so much love in every square inch of this layout and as a view I really feel a sense of how familiar the prototype is to you. If I can manage to take and pass along a modicum of the wisdom you've shared into the hobby, I'd feel like I've made it. Thanks for all the work you do to share this with us!
Thank you for taking the time to share such an eloquent compliment. It makes it all worth while to share the whole experience and practice with the community. Cheers ~ Boomer.
Thanks for another great tutorial. I have a water scene in mind as my signature scene, the first thing one sees when walking into the layout room. It's be on the end of a peninsula where the track does a 180 degree turn. It's going to involve a long curved trestle with a river flowing from fascia to under it, then on the far side the river flows along it before curving back under the trestle and to the fascia. I'll need to stock up on Golden products when Michael's has a good sale. - Paul
Hi Boomer! This is the first water treatment I've found that I really like! I want to model the shoreline along Puget Sound where the Great Northern Railway sits atop a rock wall between Seattle and Everett, Washington. I've made up some test bases of wood and masonite to practice on and am now going to revue your vlog #66. Thanks in advance for showing us how to do it.
I love hearing that people test things. One learns a great deal this way. Thanks for sharing and have fun with the technique. If you go a shade of dark olive and multiple "clear" coats you really can't go wrong in my opinion. CHeeers.
Hey Boomer Just got around to watching the video today. Great tips, should come in handy , I have a slow moving Ontario river to do in the near future Cheers Bob
I just took a sea plane back from Vancouver on the weekend and was observing the area you model from the air :) I think I spotted the plastics industry.
Was a fun trip! We went to the museum in north van that has a heavy focus on transport and industry, really cool. One of the staff members personally had a huge thick book on the rail history of BC and we all just sat and talked trains for like 40 min. If you've never been, it's totally worth checking out. I was wearing my BC Rail shirt and the staff freaked out and thought it was some sort of official visit/event that no one told them about. Nope, I'm just a regular ol' train nerd.
Well done Boomer... again!👍🏻😃 I was wondering how/what your technique was for this paticular application. Thanks so much for sharing. Looking forward to your next vid/tutorial. Your O Gauge Nemesis. Lol👍🏻😁
Another home run ! I never modeled water, but if I do it will be acrylics...are wildfires a common occurrence in your area? We wish you all the best in the coming weeks...
Thanks Boomer - I have watched people “pour water” then use hair dryers to remove the bubbles. Scary! This method is definitely the one I am going to use.
I am creating a small creek that is meandering down to a small lake. For the most part I want the creek to be clear enough to see the details in the creekbed, such as rocks. Can I use the GAC 500 alone or is there something I should use with it?
Hi! Could you use this to hold flex track down to cork (I used DAP Alex Plus and there are places where it's not holding). Or any ideas on this. Thank-you. Mike.
Would you please consider doing a segment on the different modeling gels, I see from soft modeling to very hard modeling jel. Which would be the most useful one to buy ?
It depends on the type of water condition you wish to model. If you are starting out I would just try the GAC 500 on test samples etc first. Then you can try a "Medium" gel for waves etc.
Thanks for asking. I worked on several movies I would rather not mention. Hint: they had space craft and shuttles, etc. Most of my steady (contract) work was through the nineties on popular Science Fiction Shows like X-Files and Outer Limits, etc. When I retired I was hired by a museum and taught the craft at a local university amidst a busy career of subsequent commissions. Cheers.
I work in visual effects. 99% of the work I do is all on computer but sometimes I get to make practical assets that we film and then bring into my projects. I know what you mean about "rather not mention" as most of the movies and tv shows I've worked on are quite awful, but theres a few here and there to be proud of. Thanks for replying. Your work is amazing and so much fun to watch! Science fiction shows like outer limits and x files inspired me to get into the biz. You probably had a hand in that. Have a great day and I'm looking forward to more videos. @@boomerdiorama
I sort of left the industry when things went digital. I get why they did, but it spelled the end for traditional "tactile" model makers like me.@@augustcoleman5637
Boomer do you think the gac500 would work with static grass? For example in a marsh area. Thanks for sharing the different techniques with us, it really gets the wheels turning.
Yes, absolutely. I like hearing ideas like that. Try a test piece first (seal the surface well) and then "pinch & stab" some static grass into it and see how it looks the next day.
Great video. Quick question, once cured can you place boats in the harbor area without them sinking into the material? Years ago a friend used mod podge and it never fully dried which glued down a boat he had in the harbor.
It's sitting in front of me on the shelf above the bench. I don't have time to re-engage it yet because of my work schedule. I plan to commence the build on it this winter.
hello Mr Boomer, regarding the waves in the port on my layout I was inspired by a tutorial by Mr Troels Kirk he practices 0n30 but the technique remains the same, I think he uses GESSO, I think that it's the same as yours but with another name, it gives a very realistic rendering, but after everyone has their own technique, with the wet fingertip and pull towards you to create the wave. Sincerely, have a nice day
Hey Boomer! Great video as always....question for you: I typically do 1/35 scale and 1/24 scale dioramas. I have never modelled water other than little puddles and such. I am working on a piece that will have a small river. Do you think that the Gak 500 and this water/bead gel mixture will translate in those scales? Would I treat the application any differently?
HI. Can you help me please? Sorry for my English. I have to reproduce water in some fountains for the nativity scene. I would like to use Golden products. However I live in Italy and I can't find these products in Italy. I can't find Woodland Scenics either. I can find Liquitex. Are they good Liquitex products? I would opt for multiple pours of a few millimeters, waiting for complete drying between one and the other. Until you reach the desired thickness. About 1 centimeter. I'm also happy with 7/8 mm. As for the liquid product, which one should I take? Liquitex Gloss Medium (green packaging) or Liquitex Gloss Varnish (orange packaging)? After doing several layers I would like to move on to Liquitex Gloss Gel (red pack). Am I doing well? Give me good advice please. I don't want to waste work and money. Thank you.
Yes, you are doing well. I almost prefer Liquitex over Golden anyway. Thin patient layers is the way to go for a beautiful finish. You might want to consider painting the surface with a dark green first as most water is dark green in the shade - true color. Cheers.
Hi Boomer, I follow your channel for a long time and you impress me over and over again. But now another question. Here in Europe we see Canada almost every day in the news with the devastating wood fires in West Canada. Is everything going well in your area because it looks very scary. All the best, cheers Ronald
I use Super Glue "spots" under every fifth tie (over cork roadbed) with push pins to hold it down. So I glue the track down with CA onto cork first once I am satisfied with the arrangement. When the glue is set the next day I ballast the track using diluted "Matte Medium." This way you can lift the whole track by soaking with Isopropyl Alcohol if need be down the road.
Since you show your cat in almost every video I was wondering how you deal with cat hair. I have 2 cats that mainly occupy the room I want to build my layout in and fear it will constantly be covered in cat hair.
Dusty doesn't go on the layout without my permission so it's rare and only during production. I vacuum my layout often. It only takes ten minutes. Since all the terrain is hard and fixed I can be quite robust with the vacuum and no harm done.
Not really a personal question, but I can understand if you don't want to answer. But in a ballpark figure, how much money does this cost? NOT in your time. But with paint, brushes, materials, tools, etc. If I was to go out and buy what is needed to build something like this.....? Thanks? LoL
In my opinion, nothing is expensive in the full context of the hobby coupled to investment. If you have to ask how much then you probably can't afford it - Meaning: no one counts the cost initially. Which probably means I couldn't afford it either. ;-) It's much cheaper than pouring expensive epoxy resin at this scale. Each bottle or tub I showed is twenty bucks. They have a great shelf life as well. In total, I have only used a small miniscule part of the total product as well. How much wear & tear did I put on the ten dollar paint brush? You can use any kind of cheap paint for the base color. How much of the product did I use in the demo? If I defer a Tangent Boxcar or an Athearn Hopper, I can afford to do all of this. The bench work is up to you and a completely different subject. 😁Cheers.
And as a secondary opinion. Scenery, especially if you do use a lot of natural scavenged material, and scratchbuild the bulk of your more human elements. Is probably the cheapest sector of the hobby relative to the effect it has on the final composition. Dollaring out a Commision layout I am working on, the scenery so far is around $50 usd on a 2x4 layout with 1/2 being foam boards. Since the current buildings are made out of Styrene scraps and anything fancy was 3D printed with an FDM printer its pretty cheap. But will prob shoot up by around $200 since the client is hard requiring the use of Woodland Scenics Ready made buildings and lighting as a product showcase for the shop the layout resides in.
You raise a great point. If I had to zero my budget I could still build for a long time based on the scavenged inventory I already have. 😉@@dexecuter18
Another great tutorial VLog Boomer! One question... I've checked out the GAC line in my local art supply store. I've noticed there's multiple options, something like GAC 200, 300, 500, 900, etc... In terms of modeling water, what's the significance of the different options that are available for this product?
Thanks!
I use the GAC 500 as you know. The other options are for different applications on different materials, etc. They have different viscosities (stiffness or fluidness) depending on the texture you want (tool & brush marks), or the material you apply it to like cloth, canvas, board, etc. It's all pro stuff and you just have to research it a little because it covers everything and is compatible across the whole line of paints, as well, when you mix it. Cheers.
@@boomerdiorama Thanks Boomer... Did a little research this morning. Going to try a 50:50 mix of GAC200 and GAC500, as well as each of them by themselves. The GA200 is formulated for increased hardness, something I've found is lacking in off the shelf artists mediums. Experimented with Acrylic Gloss Medium a lot years back and sort of gave up on it because while it looked great, it was too soft (almost rubbery) and sometimes tacky, even after drying for a long time.
Maybe GAC500 by itself will be fine too, but with some experimentation, I'll figure out which is best. There's also "pourable" acrylic finishes too. Purchased a small bottle of that a while back.
@@WHJeffBI’d be interested in those results with the various viscosities. My instinct is that it might be some years before you may have the whole picture. You may possibly be able to do it all with GAC 500 then a thin gloss coat of 200 to harden the surface and reduce the chance of scratches and the like.
But I too need to run this experiment. I think getting a bottle of 500 and 200 are also in my future.
@@AndyCrawford_NorfolkWestern My only concern with the GAC 200, is that is says nothing about "self leveling". It does have excellent clarity, but it requires temps above 70°F/21°C to dry. It might make more sense to add 1 part of the 200 to two parts of the 500. Or, as Boomer has shown (which seems to work pretty darn great), just use GAC 500 straight up.
I'm inclined to purchase 16oz of the 500 and a smaller 8oz bottle of the 200 for testing. It's top notch artists material, but not cheap!
@@AndyCrawford_NorfolkWestern Purchased some GAC 200 and 500 today and did a small sample of both mediums. The GAC 500 appears to set quicker and self level better. The GAC 200 is more translucent and slightly glossier. Will let them set overnight and evaluate the hardness of both. My initial inclination is that the 500 will be fine as it is for most work (as Boomer already has shown), but a mix of the two might have some benefit.
Had some Golden GAC 500 left over from my water surface - (worked great BTW.) Per your suggestion tried it today to glue windows into a vehicle, in lieu of canopy glue, (which I had on my list but never bought.) Of course I got a big white smear on the window. And watched it turn clear in a matter of minutes. Brilliant! Thanks Boomer!
I use it for canopy glue as well. Acrylic never turns brittle like epoxy does.
Hi Boomer. I agree with your advice on your other videos that the only way to really learn something is to do it yourself, but it takes experience to know what will work, and what won't. Thanks for sharing with us the benefits of your many years of experience, I'm sure your videos will save me countless hours. Cheers. Ian
Well said! I try new stuff all the time though and never sure how it turns out. ;-)
This video is a reminder to thank you again for introducing me to acrylic art mediums.
They are far more useful than the usual model railroad items.
I'm still not a good modeler but I can now manage a reasonable representation of what I attempt to achieve. Gimme 20 years😊
You have a good attitude and you are on the right track. Enjoy the process, practice, have fun and watch your skills grow coupled to the inevitable rewards! Cheers.😁
Yeah I've replaced almost all my scenery glues with various art mediums now. So superior.
I still use carpenter glue here-and-there, but most of my modeling medium is as you described. I'm playing around with the "Crackle" paste now and the stuff is awesome for effects as well. 😉@@baronjutter
Boomer , I can't say enough , I watch , learn an repeat , from your mastering of the techniques you use.
Wow , always love your encouragement to your fellows modelers ... till the next time on River road , cheers take care and see you an Dusty then...
Thank you! Cheers!
My friend, the way you give a variety of different types of techniques to accomplish the same result is absolutely essential for those who are beginners or advanced modelers, fantastic instructions.
Thank you. Cheers!
As if your not the master already you drop a tease of your skills with a scratch built boat with motor you are something special to learn from I thank you and I'm sure I speak for alot of your followers I've learned at least a dozen or more things every vid. Amazing work and thank you boomer!! 😊
Can you imagine trying to read this from a book. Don't get me wrong, I grew up on books & practice, but social media (video demonstration) has revolutionized this hobby. Thanks for sharing. Cheers ~ Boomer.😁
Absolutely I agree this is video era and I would not know half the stuff I do from reading alone I'm a watch and mimic type of learner so yea this type of video is the way to learn as well as ask questions your awesome at responding as are alot of good teachers so yea I love the digital era, have a great day
What a gold mine if information! Thanks yet again, Boomer!
No sweat! Cheers!👍
Boomer your giving away the store man, thank you! That two part epoxy, I helped a friend demolish his 10 yr old layout on which he had some two part epoxy(ET Lite). While we were working, I place my pop can on the water since it was the smoothest part of the area. Five minutes later I picked up my pop can and noticed it had left an impression in the water surface. Boy was I surprised! That happening has caused me to search for other methods, thank you for showing this method, here and in the past V-log post #66
Thanks Ralph. If you don't empty the vessel (give away the store), the gift will dry up and blow away. No incentive to fill it up with new and exciting creative imagination if I stay old and stale . . . ;-) Thanks for sharing Ralph. Say hi to Andy for me. Cheers ~ Boomer.
'I came for the modelling artistry, but stayed for the music!' And I'm not entirely kidding, the music selections here are far-and-away the best of any video I watch. ( I wonder what The Doors would think of this episode's ...).
Thank you. I would love to use music like you mentioned, except they would probably demonetize the video.
Well there's a coincidence, I've just come down from my loft room whilst waiting for some weathering effects to dry off on the very same Intermountain CNWX freight car! Brilliant as ever, cheers from the UK.
😁Awsome!
This is awesome and ultrarelistic, so much of details, I also like your plants and trees!
Thank you very much!
Unbelievably high level discourse. An actual masterclass, as always. Thank you.
Thank you. It's nice to share the inspiration since I seem to have plenty of it. Where it comes from I'll never know.😉
Class dismissed! Epic result Boomer🚂🇨🇦🖌🎨🙋
Awesome - Thank you!😁
It feels so relaxing watching this layout.
All the more reason why I build it . . . nice and slow . . . ;-)
And nice SNL themed music. 🤩
;-)
Hey Boomer, thanks for another great video.
For those interested in building your own layout it's not likely you'll complete it in a day, month, or year. That's part of the attraction. I started my layout 3 years ago. Its a 9×11×15 and I painted the entire 4' high backdrop using less than a gallon of laytex wall paint and a couple of small less than 6 dollar tubes of mastertouch or liquidtex acrylics artist paint from Hobby Lobby. A little goes a long way because it is thinned with watter. I use the small bottles of Americana or Anita's craft paint less than a dollar a bottle from Hobby Lobby to paint scenery and structures. A little goes a long way as it's thinned with water. Using a lot of water makes a great stain for wood or weathering. I learned when painting with acrylics to use more than one color as it always dries darker than what it appears in the bottle and is part of the fun of discovery as what occurs naturally in nature. For example, using green straight out of the bottle turned black after it dried so yellow needs to be mixed in to make various shades of green. Acrylics will naturally blend on their own, which helps with the end results. You'll marvel at how the picture seems to magically change before your eyes as it dries. Once you learn the techniques where the only rules are perspective and shading, everything else is abstract, which is a freeing way to create something that's only limited by your imagination. Not so much for us OCD types. For me, I discovered even though the trains seem to take center stage, It's really all about the art that seems to blend into the background, that ties everything together, that brings everything to life. For me, it's a giant 3D abstrat art project with trains running through it. I model in 0-gague, where most of the accessories require scrath building, but all of the scenery techniques are the same other than scale, which I'm greatfull to guys like Boomer because most scenic elements and accessories require scrath building due to scarcity of realistic commercial items, and is the part of the hobby where simply by design it progresses a little over time where the objective is to build the layout with the least amount of investment possible, because the trains are the reaI expense. The same thing can be said for scenery materials. Although somewhat expensive, a little goes a long way when building from scratch. Unless you pay someone to build it for you. I discovered our limitations are only limited by our desire for our willingness to start and our imagination. I'm greatfull that there are artists like Boomer willing to share his valuable knowledge and talent because of his desire and compassion he has for passing on his skills to carry on this hobby. You can literally get lost in your work without a care in the world. The very idea of therapy. It's not something you can put a price on. Start with building a backdrop if that's part of your plan, then benchwork, lay your track plan, and run trains to get a sense of design efficiency, make changes, then focus on scenery. It's a slow natural progression, likely making changes as you go, as your skills and techniques will likely improve along the way and is very rewarding. As Boomer would say. "It's a process". It's about the journey not the destination that leads us to the joys of model railroading. So what are you waiting for. Just dive in and have fun with it. Don't limit yourselves with fear of failures, as failure is the best teacher when learning something new. The cost is insignificant as it's typically spread out a little over time as one progresses. I doubt anyone starts out buying everything at once.
It's a subsidized hobby like most things at the end of the day. Cheers!😁
@boomerdioramas That's a good one, Boomer. Now if only I could get someone to subsidize my build.
Self-subsidizing therapy… that’s an interesting economic theory of our hobby investments. I gotta see if I can get my wife to buy into that economics model ;)
How times do we sneak things into the model room through the back door. 😉@@AndyCrawford_NorfolkWestern
@@boomerdiorama Yes indeed. That’s why I have my orders delivered to the office. I also added a line to my Will, telling my wife to not sell the railroad stuff for what I told her I paid for it ;)
I really liked this video! I'm a big fan of the Golden Acrylics myself. I like how you "can't really screw up" water effects with acrylics. Take care! - Andy
Yup. You can screw it up and fix acrylic medium all day long. Pouring two part epoxy resin doesn't teach anything other than grief and anxiety in my experience. And then I grow sick of looking at it. But then you can always fix it with Acrylic Resin if you want to learn something new. Cheers Andy!
Your SKILLZ are RIDICULOUS ✊✊🚂🔥🔥🔥🔥. I’m practicing to get there
Right on! Practice makes us all better modelers for sure!
Boomer, your work never ceases to amaze me and yet you make me feel like I can achieve those same results. Thanks for sharing your techniques and for your inspiration!
My pleasure and thank you for sharing! Cheers!
Another inspiring tutorial, one that is particularly useful for my upcoming harbor scene. Thank you! On a personal note, deepest sympathy in view of the forest fires your country is enduring and hope that you are not directly affected.
Thank you for expressing concern. The smoke here is brutal as it drifts down the lower mainland (Southwest British Columbia). Mind you, this is nothing compared to those who are losing their homes and livelihood in the interior.
Another great video!
I think beyond just tools and technique, you help point our eyes on how to view our subject. I honestly never put much thought into how a foam ripple looks in a river. Now that I have focused there it is like a little light bulb goes off.
Also proof that these basic materials are in many ways superior in many respects over model railroad specific products.
You nailed it! Cheers ~ Boomer.
Great timing on this one… I’m just getting ready to do some water and want to use your technique! Thanks again Boomer can’t tell you how much I reference your vids for little tricks. You have helped me be a better artist for sure looking forward to the next next one😊
Thanks for sharing and glad to hear you are trying new things. Be patient with the process and learn as you go. I'm still learning things about modeling water artistically. Have fun!
I think anyone with eyes or who's been keeping tabs on your work would put you on a list of the all time great Modelers in the hobby. It isn't simply an attention to detail here, it's the careful attention you've given to the right details that really transports us into the scene. There's so much love in every square inch of this layout and as a view I really feel a sense of how familiar the prototype is to you. If I can manage to take and pass along a modicum of the wisdom you've shared into the hobby, I'd feel like I've made it. Thanks for all the work you do to share this with us!
Thank you for taking the time to share such an eloquent compliment. It makes it all worth while to share the whole experience and practice with the community. Cheers ~ Boomer.
Thanks for another great tutorial. I have a water scene in mind as my signature scene, the first thing one sees when walking into the layout room. It's be on the end of a peninsula where the track does a 180 degree turn. It's going to involve a long curved trestle with a river flowing from fascia to under it, then on the far side the river flows along it before curving back under the trestle and to the fascia. I'll need to stock up on Golden products when Michael's has a good sale. - Paul
The scene you described sounds epic. Thanks for sharing and have fun working on it. Cheers.
This video will help me so much with a water diorama, I'm building in 1/700 scale of Pearl Harbor. Thank you much for sharing your skills with.
Glad it was helpful! 1/700 Naval Dioramas are awesome! Cheers - Boomer.
I love the way the flat brush allowed you to created a second wave, which is following the initial wave. Very neat !
You can move the acrylic resin around for awhile before it starts to kick and it won't run away from you.
Hi Boomer! This is the first water treatment I've found that I really like! I want to model the shoreline along Puget Sound where the Great Northern Railway sits atop a rock wall between Seattle and Everett, Washington. I've made up some test bases of wood and masonite to practice on and am now going to revue your vlog #66. Thanks in advance for showing us how to do it.
I love hearing that people test things. One learns a great deal this way. Thanks for sharing and have fun with the technique. If you go a shade of dark olive and multiple "clear" coats you really can't go wrong in my opinion. CHeeers.
Another outstanding tutorial and simply stunning water line!
Thank you! I never grow tired of looking at this scene. I mean after all I have to live with it . . . ;-)
Hey Boomer
Just got around to watching the video today. Great tips, should come in handy , I have a slow moving Ontario river to do in the near future
Cheers
Bob
Ahhh . . . I love those "slow" moving river scenes . . . ;-) Have fun with it and take your time, it's a very enjoyable experience. Cheers.
Learning more
Me too! 😉
Looks terrific👍🏻and seems to be really simple 😊
I'll try your method on my own layout 🌊
Best wishes 😊
👍😁
thanks again for the wonderful tips.
You are so welcome!
I was looking forward to this video. I love water effects on a layout and this was amazing. Looks great from all angles. Thanks Boomer!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I just took a sea plane back from Vancouver on the weekend and was observing the area you model from the air :) I think I spotted the plastics industry.
Awesome! Must have looked real cool as well.😁
Was a fun trip! We went to the museum in north van that has a heavy focus on transport and industry, really cool. One of the staff members personally had a huge thick book on the rail history of BC and we all just sat and talked trains for like 40 min. If you've never been, it's totally worth checking out. I was wearing my BC Rail shirt and the staff freaked out and thought it was some sort of official visit/event that no one told them about. Nope, I'm just a regular ol' train nerd.
Well done Boomer... again!👍🏻😃 I was wondering how/what your technique was for this paticular application. Thanks so much for sharing. Looking forward to your next vid/tutorial. Your O Gauge Nemesis. Lol👍🏻😁
Thank you! - O guage (1/48 Scale) is awesome! Cheers!
Another home run ! I never modeled water, but if I do it will be acrylics...are wildfires a common occurrence in your area? We wish you all the best in the coming weeks...
Wild fires have been common out here for several years now. Usually they are contained, but not these ones. They are way out of control right now.
Oh, another quick question, have you covered building the trash bins or dumpsters? Thank you......
No, not really because they were from Glover Road way back under videos. I may try and produce another one down the road.
Keep safe from the fires mate.
The smoke is almost unbearable right now. Hard to breath normally so I stay inside.
Thanks Boomer - I have watched people “pour water” then use hair dryers to remove the bubbles. Scary! This method is definitely the one I am going to use.
Sounds awesome! Cheers Peter!
Thanks
Thank You Peter! You are awesome!
I am creating a small creek that is meandering down to a small lake. For the most part I want the creek to be clear enough to see the details in the creekbed, such as rocks. Can I use the GAC 500 alone or is there something I should use with it?
GAC 500 is better for shallow water over paint. If you want depth like you say you need to pour resin.
@@boomerdiorama thank you for your prompt reply.
Hi! Could you use this to hold flex track down to cork (I used DAP Alex Plus and there are places where it's not holding). Or any ideas
on this.
Thank-you.
Mike.
If you pinned the track down while the acrylic sets up, then yes you can. It is no different than "matte" medium which dry's flat instead of glossy.
Should I just use "matte" medium in the first place? Again thank-you, Mike.
Would you please consider doing a segment on the different modeling gels, I see from soft modeling to very hard modeling jel. Which would be the most useful one to buy ?
It depends on the type of water condition you wish to model. If you are starting out I would just try the GAC 500 on test samples etc first. Then you can try a "Medium" gel for waves etc.
I love watching you work. Such amazing detail. I think you mentioned that you worked on movie sets and theater. What movies have you worked on?
Thanks for asking. I worked on several movies I would rather not mention. Hint: they had space craft and shuttles, etc. Most of my steady (contract) work was through the nineties on popular Science Fiction Shows like X-Files and Outer Limits, etc. When I retired I was hired by a museum and taught the craft at a local university amidst a busy career of subsequent commissions. Cheers.
I work in visual effects. 99% of the work I do is all on computer but sometimes I get to make practical assets that we film and then bring into my projects. I know what you mean about "rather not mention" as most of the movies and tv shows I've worked on are quite awful, but theres a few here and there to be proud of. Thanks for replying. Your work is amazing and so much fun to watch! Science fiction shows like outer limits and x files inspired me to get into the biz. You probably had a hand in that. Have a great day and I'm looking forward to more videos.
@@boomerdiorama
I sort of left the industry when things went digital. I get why they did, but it spelled the end for traditional "tactile" model makers like me.@@augustcoleman5637
Boomer do you think the gac500 would work with static grass? For example in a marsh area.
Thanks for sharing the different techniques with us, it really gets the wheels turning.
Yes, absolutely. I like hearing ideas like that. Try a test piece first (seal the surface well) and then "pinch & stab" some static grass into it and see how it looks the next day.
Great video. Quick question, once cured can you place boats in the harbor area without them sinking into the material? Years ago a friend used mod podge and it never fully dried which glued down a boat he had in the harbor.
Yes you can! I just re-textured the whole water two days ago and it's tack free!
How is the tugboat coming along?
It's sitting in front of me on the shelf above the bench. I don't have time to re-engage it yet because of my work schedule. I plan to commence the build on it this winter.
hello Mr Boomer, regarding the waves in the port on my layout I was inspired by a tutorial by Mr Troels Kirk he practices 0n30 but the technique remains the same, I think he uses GESSO, I think that it's the same as yours but with another name, it gives a very realistic rendering, but after everyone has their own technique, with the wet fingertip and pull towards you to create the wave. Sincerely, have a nice day
Very cool!
That was cool how to make water
Thank you I like your avatar. I had a Tonka Tractor like that when I was a kid. 😉
Hey Boomer! Great video as always....question for you: I typically do 1/35 scale and 1/24 scale dioramas. I have never modelled water other than little puddles and such. I am working on a piece that will have a small river. Do you think that the Gak 500 and this water/bead gel mixture will translate in those scales? Would I treat the application any differently?
Yes, absolutely. I prefer this method with larger scales as well.
HI.
Can you help me please?
Sorry for my English.
I have to reproduce water in some fountains for the nativity scene.
I would like to use Golden products.
However I live in Italy and I can't find these products in Italy.
I can't find Woodland Scenics either.
I can find Liquitex.
Are they good Liquitex products?
I would opt for multiple pours of a few millimeters, waiting for complete drying between one and the other.
Until you reach the desired thickness. About 1 centimeter.
I'm also happy with 7/8 mm.
As for the liquid product, which one should I take?
Liquitex Gloss Medium (green packaging) or Liquitex Gloss Varnish (orange packaging)?
After doing several layers I would like to move on to Liquitex Gloss Gel (red pack).
Am I doing well? Give me good advice please.
I don't want to waste work and money.
Thank you.
Yes, you are doing well. I almost prefer Liquitex over Golden anyway. Thin patient layers is the way to go for a beautiful finish. You might want to consider painting the surface with a dark green first as most water is dark green in the shade - true color. Cheers.
@@boomerdiorama to make the layers Liquitex Gloss Medium or Liquitex Gloss Varnish
Hi Boomer, I follow your channel for a long time and you impress me over and over again. But now another question. Here in Europe we see Canada almost every day in the news with the devastating wood fires in West Canada. Is everything going well in your area because it looks very scary.
All the best, cheers Ronald
It is scary actually. Fires are everywhere. The smoke here is pretty bad right now as well.
@@boomerdiorama I hope and cross fingers that all stays well for your village and rain will come fast. Be safe.
We haven't had much rain the last few years. We usually get tons of rain but very dry these days.@@ronaldvanpinxteren3644
Hi again i have a second question, think I put it in the wrong place! Should I just use "matte" medium in the first place? Again thank-you, Mike.
I use Super Glue "spots" under every fifth tie (over cork roadbed) with push pins to hold it down. So I glue the track down with CA onto cork first once I am satisfied with the arrangement. When the glue is set the next day I ballast the track using diluted "Matte Medium." This way you can lift the whole track by soaking with Isopropyl Alcohol if need be down the road.
Thank-you, Mike.@@boomerdiorama
Since you show your cat in almost every video I was wondering how you deal with cat hair. I have 2 cats that mainly occupy the room I want to build my layout in and fear it will constantly be covered in cat hair.
Dusty doesn't go on the layout without my permission so it's rare and only during production. I vacuum my layout often. It only takes ten minutes. Since all the terrain is hard and fixed I can be quite robust with the vacuum and no harm done.
Hi Boomer, heard you on the second section podcast,,,, what is the “Taco Sauce” you folks mentioned!? ( recipe?,,,,) thanks!!
I think we were talking about "Raw Umber" which is 50/50 Black/Brown with 80% thinner. Any color thinned enough becomes "Taco Sauce" . . . ;-)
Boomer did you make the boat or purchase it somewhere?
I show how I scratch build & paint the Skiff next Sunday episode. 😁
Not really a personal question, but I can understand if you don't want to answer. But in a ballpark figure, how much money does this cost? NOT in your time. But with paint, brushes, materials, tools, etc. If I was to go out and buy what is needed to build something like this.....? Thanks? LoL
In my opinion, nothing is expensive in the full context of the hobby coupled to investment. If you have to ask how much then you probably can't afford it - Meaning: no one counts the cost initially. Which probably means I couldn't afford it either. ;-) It's much cheaper than pouring expensive epoxy resin at this scale.
Each bottle or tub I showed is twenty bucks. They have a great shelf life as well. In total, I have only used a small miniscule part of the total product as well. How much wear & tear did I put on the ten dollar paint brush?
You can use any kind of cheap paint for the base color. How much of the product did I use in the demo?
If I defer a Tangent Boxcar or an Athearn Hopper, I can afford to do all of this. The bench work is up to you and a completely different subject. 😁Cheers.
And as a secondary opinion. Scenery, especially if you do use a lot of natural scavenged material, and scratchbuild the bulk of your more human elements. Is probably the cheapest sector of the hobby relative to the effect it has on the final composition. Dollaring out a Commision layout I am working on, the scenery so far is around $50 usd on a 2x4 layout with 1/2 being foam boards. Since the current buildings are made out of Styrene scraps and anything fancy was 3D printed with an FDM printer its pretty cheap. But will prob shoot up by around $200 since the client is hard requiring the use of Woodland Scenics Ready made buildings and lighting as a product showcase for the shop the layout resides in.
You raise a great point. If I had to zero my budget I could still build for a long time based on the scavenged inventory I already have. 😉@@dexecuter18
With all the #nosponsor you’re sounding a bit like second section ;)
Also, bought my first airbrush last week. Paasche H whatever.
I just do it so I don't get flagged over Golden.
Sounds awesome. Paasche are great airbrushes to start out with.