Scenery Clinics - Thread Suggestion

[shark_jj]

Recent discussion on the Weekly Updates on how to blend foreground trees into the background, as well as the fact that I am now getting heavily into scenery got me thinking about the various techniques that I have seen displayed by many members of this Forum.  The photos on Weekly Updates as well as others show that some great work is being done out there.  When questions are asked, methods are freely shared, but there is no common location for these. 

My suggestion is that we start a series of Threads, one each week, and we focus on a different scenery topic, and we share what we have learned.  For example, I know that after 30 years in HO, I have a tendency to oversize things, so I have to be cautious and rely heavily on others to see what something should look like in N Scale.  My suggested first topic, Ground Cover, is a good example.  It becomes very easy to use ground cover that is out of scale.  Here are my suggestions for Threads, feel free to add to the list.  If there is support for this idea, I will begin tomorrow by posting the first Thread and then each week thereafter.

Week1:  Ground Cover
Week2:  Trees and Shrubs
Week3:  Paved and Gravel Roads
Week4:  Ballast and Right of Way Details, Culverts etc.
Week5:  Rock Castings and Carving
Week6:  Water, and Detailing Streams and Rivers
Week7:  Backdrops
Week8:  Blending Structures into Scenery, Bridge Supports, Building Foundations

Some of you have already posted on some of these subjects, like Lee's tutorial on building Sedum Trees, this would be an opportunity to link back and put it all in one place. 

If I am re-inventing the wheel and this has already been done, perhaps someone can point me in the right direction to find it.

[wm3798]

Good idea, JJ.
I've just been going back and forth with a guy from the MR board covering the same topics.  If we could create a resource here, it would be easy to just direct people to it.
Lee

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I guess I can write some stuff up.

I'll add it to the writing queue... damn, so much crap to write, so little time...

[shark_jj]

That's great guys, you were two of the people I was hoping would be major contributors.

[sparky]

I guess I can write some stuff up.

Yeah Ed, you could write a piece on "Trees Every Night".   :

[wm3798]

I already have a bunch of stuff on my website...  A lot of it can just be linked.
Lee

[shark_jj]

I agree Lee, that would work great.

[Ian MacMillan]

Sounds pretty cool.
I have a 2 part scenery series coming up on Railroad.Net (City scenery / Rural Scenery) as part of my Amoskeag Northern series.

Damn, more witting deadlines for me!

First article

"How Ed stole his scenery ideas from me, and how I re-appropriated them from Sassi."

[wm3798]

Don't think of it as stealing... It's called "research"... ;D

Lee

[3rdrail]

Don't think of it as stealing... It's called "research"... ;D

Lee

No, it's called "plagiarism".

Joe Biden

 ;D ;D ;D

[chuck geiger]

With building a new layout...And learning from Railwire folks, I can also contribute. I am
working in sections of a new layout trying new techiniques. One main idea is to rely less on
common scenery techniques and finding a new way to make the effect more multi-dimensional.

[Ian MacMillan]

Sounds pretty cool.
I have a 2 part scenery series coming up on Railroad.Net (City scenery / Rural Scenery) as part of my Amoskeag Northern series.

Damn, more writing deadlines for me!

First article

"How Ed stole his scenery ideas from me, and how I re-appropriated them from Sassi."