Making groundwork with Textured Gel Medium

[Maschinen Krueger]

PDF Download about 1.6M.

In the process of working on the PKA Berndt, I have created a document which outlines the materials and steps used to create the base. This is the same process I used on the displays for the Vampyre and the Conqueror.

Enjoy.

[FichtenFoo]

Just great... more outdoor debris I gotta explain collecting to my wife. The roots are a great idea though and the process looks good. Wish it wasn't a PDF though.

[Maschinen Krueger]

Wish it wasn't a PDF though.

Curious why? It's easier to download and save to the HD.

[FichtenFoo]

I save web pages all the time actually. My reasoning is that it's generally easier (for me) to read a web page than a PDF from a crisp text standpoint. The PDF scrunches the text a bit here and there so one needs to find the "sweet spot" of scale where they can view it without L/R scrolling but have the text be easily legible. Plus the web page would be searchable via the web which is always nice for those looking for that sort of info. Although I think google indexes HTML too so that logic might be outdated.

Or maybe I'm just old and crotchety.

[Ezechiel]

This is an awesome tutorial, thanks MK!
I'll have to do some research to find how this textured gel is called here, though.

[NickM]

Awesome. And I found the PDF was easier to download.

[clee-cm]

@Ezechiel

I did some looking around the internet, I believe acrylic texture gel medium is called "Gel acrylique de texture" in French, I had to satisfy my intellectual and linguistic curiosity.

Here is a sample of what I found:
Gels et pâtes de texture

à la prochaine... 

[Ezechiel]

Oh cool, thanks
That was simplier than I thought
Merci encore!

[FichtenFoo]

Hey BK,

I tried out part of your tutorial by doing the following with fantastic results. (pics later as my photobooth is currently an oil-drying station) Still need to gather some roots.

• Primed with dark gray primer.
• Airbrushed all with Polyscale "Dirt". What a great paint, both in look and smell. Smells delicious somehow.
• Painted rocks with acrylics and picked out smaller ones with same random shades of grays.
• Did another thinner coat of the Polyscale Dirt to blend it all in.
• Dusted it all with Russian Earth (since it's for my KV) pigment.
• Used my airbrush to spray a fixative coat of mineral spirits.

[Maschinen Krueger]

Hey BK,

I tried out part of your tutorial by doing the following with fantastic results.

Glad to hear it. Were you still using Celluclay?

Did the airbrushed mineral spirits blow the pigments around?

[FichtenFoo]

I am still using celluclay as it makes a nice hard base in which to make slopes and whatnot. I've worked with it enough that I've figured out workarounds for its flaws such as warping, cracking and such. Basically, apply it as thin as possible! The texture work with the brush also helps make "air holes" to let it dry more evenly.

As for the pigments, I had them pretty well "ground in" to the surface before hand using a stiff brush. Nothing blew away! Although I wouldn't use this technique for piles of pigments.

[Maschinen Krueger]

I've worked with it enough that I've figured out workarounds for its flaws such as warping, cracking and such.

I got fed up with the pealing, warping and such. I'll stick to the acrylic gel for now on.

[makalaka]

WOW awesome job. I'm glad you made this little instruction manual. I was gonna use epoxy putty in addition to celluclay for my next base so that the ends wouldn't curl up but I think I'll just use this stuff instead.

I have one question though. After a few months or maybe longer won't the shrub roots start to rot?

[Maschinen Krueger]

WOW awesome job. I'm glad you made this little instruction manual. I was gonna use epoxy putty in addition to celluclay for my next base so that the ends wouldn't curl up but I think I'll just use this stuff instead.

I have one question though. After a few months or maybe longer won't the shrub roots start to rot?

Hope it work out for ya. Root rot? Got me. The roots are dead and dried out long before I use them.

[thejurasikfrank]

Hey!
This technique looks awesome! Thanks Maschinen Krueger for sharing. However, for some reason, I can only open the 3 first pages of the linked pdf file... Maybe the problem is on my end ? Does anyone saved Maschinen Krueger's original pdf file and could upload it again. I'm starting to work on my base soon and would like to try the Textured Gel Medium tehnique.
Thanks, cheers!

[thejurasikfrank]

Nevermind, problem was on my end!