You can tell that a person is skilled in an art when they make it look simple and easy. Oh, yeah, that seems really easy to do-until you look over the minute details and understand how much experience is needed to achieve the look. You, sir, make it look like child's play.
You raise a good point and I often think about what you just wrote. Subsequently, I can only come up with the following: It must be all the practice, infused with passion, to achieve something that meets the standard I set for myself and no one else.
I've had a lifelong problem modeling trees..and patience is usually the problem..yours are about as perfect as it gets..all your scenery is gorgeous..your static grass is the best I've ever seen..another modeler that I admire is George sellios..I'm finally going to see his layout this winter..
Trees can have a very deep connection with humans. Many years ago I was out walking in the English countryside and came across this tree that drew me in. It had a mythical, almost pagan like aurora to it. I will never forget it.
When you actually study a tree, they are incredibly complicated and profoundly beautiful as well. Everyone is uniquely different just like people. Some often ask why I don't have people on my layout. I don't miss people, when I have trees that feel alive on my layout for some strange reason. The people look like lifeless mannequins and the trees look alive if that makes any sense. ;-)
Howdy Boomer! Another outstanding video... your vids are always more than just 'how-to' vids. You do such a good job of adding the philosophical to the 'how'. Really adds to the understanding of the creative process that adds so much to the project. Really loved the moss detail. One of the model RR clubs I joined has this old forgotten F7 on an abandoned siding... they did such a good job of aging and 'mossing' it in I just can't help staring at it. It is done so well you really can't see the livery... but it looks natural. Really is so effective! Thank you 🤠
You sort of summed things up for me - "I just can't help staring at it" If I can't get some satisfaction staring at my layout, then I can't get motivated to work on it. Running trains is great but if the scene doesn't do it justice, I don't bother running trains.😁
Wow - my favourite things to model! I don’t think I would ever have thought of hand building trees in such detail had I not found your channel. All those filter furnace trees just look so ordinary now. I must have built over 100 trees since I first watched the 3 sisters and other tree build videos on Glover Road and with each phase of my progress I tried to advance to building a more challenging species of tree (ie from the florist wire spruce to the wooden dowel old growth tree). I recall you once said imagine a judge gives you the choice of either going to jail or building 1,000 trees - I chose the 2nd option lol. Thanks Boomer for showing how to model these magnificent creations. Mine look nowhere as good as yours but boy do they look a hell of a lot better than the furnace filter or even commercially available trees with their plastic trunks. 😊
Most of the trees I have are models in themselves except for the background and filler trees. I don't mind doing it for a smaller (diorama style) layout like this. A larger layout like yours is a whole different story . . . unless you hire people to do it. ;-)
@ I don’t disagree Boomer :) at some stage I will have to compromise but between now and sometime next year when the layout should be ready for installation I will be madly building trees lol
@@boomerdiorama I can travel a couple of hours to be surrounded by the pines of northern California. It is where I want to model my logging railroad. Some oak mixed in.
Hi Boomer, well summarised. I can still remember looking at dioramas of gold mining at the State Museum in Melbourne, Australia,some 65 years ago. You continue to inspire to keep trying and hopefully improving my layout. Thanks Peter from downunder. PS trees are also good for scratching cat’s chins.😊
Mesmerizing! I never tire of watching your videos and learn something from every single one. This video was no exception. I have begun experimenting with florist wiring and now have a bottle of Golden Fiber Paste to cover the trunk portion. You inspire others to go beyond their comfort zone and for that I am very grateful!
Bob Letterman and the Verlinden catalogs a small rags I still look at and they are tattered. I love Ray Andersons book also. Great video Boomer. Shep Paine is in a class all of his own. Malcom Furlow and John Olson are 2 more favorites.
Yes indeed they certainly were. I admired Furlow's approach to the layout concept as theater and the trains being the actors that would enter and exist the stage as they played out their roles. The thing about Anderson and Paine is they let up on prototypical legalism and allowed their artistic expression to justify their view on historical reality. They didn't actually care to much about accuracy in the micro but more so in the macro. They were the true masters in the hobby that still inspire me to this day. ;-)
I used your method last winter for the wire armature trees to " bank" a batch for future use. The methods you use are easily modified into tree species that are specific to the areas I model specifically the trash trees that pop up along unkept ROWs. Mimosa, sassafras, eastern red cedars and young deciduous trees . I've yet to attempt the signature trees of my modeling area that being said , your video library is there for research. Thanks Brother! Great work and video!
I always have a "bank" batch of trees at some stage on the go. When I I am in the mood or need a change of pace , I flock a few. Like you said, the wire method can be adapted and revised to attempt any type of tree as well. 😁
Gotta say, I do love your trees Boomer!! All your scenery techniques are superb and yield top quality results. I only use PVA now if I'm gluing wood to wood, Matt Medium is King!!
Thanks again for the tutorial. I live and am planning a diorama to refresh my modeling skills, before attacking the layout.. The information will translate well for Ash, Hickory, Maples, Oaks, and the Sycamore trees that dominate my area.
Good plan. You are going about it in the right way. Building a small diorama first will teach you ten times' more than just diving into a larger layout. I never left the diorama (concept to modeling) philosophy once I started. Have fun! ;-) Cheers.
Boomer, great thoughts on trees. I think the take-away is to study the trees where you are modelling, and replicate them. A big Western Redcedar would look out of place in the Australian bush, but not in B.C. Canada, but a River Gum fits in well, but not in Canada. The other thing is the size, some trees are massive, other thin. Look at where you are modelling. Cheers, and thank you for a wonderful video. Stay safe, and Happy Modelling, Michael
I agree. The one thing you cannot escape up here in B.C. is very large trees and plenty of them. I just installed a "Lightning" effects strobe at the top of the grove and it looks incredibly stunning (at night) when the shadow from the old growth trees flashes' across the tracks. This hobby never gets dull . . . lol. 😉
@@boomerdiorama Wow, that sounds so good, maybe a short video of the effect, if possiblke, would be great to see. Youre right, the hobby never gets dull.
Thanks, Boomer. Good thing it's wood because you absolutely nailed it. I hope to try some wire form deciduous trees this winter. Not to be too critical, but that cat in the opening scene is way out of scale but is very lifelike. 😅
Another great video with applications beyond the topic. I won't have many "hero" trees, since there's going to be an urban feel according to my current plan, but there should be several areas such as deep corners where I won't have any active elements like trackage, and a few could go there. But the same techniques can be used for a lot of smaller trees normally found in urban areas, or the couple loners that escape the axe when an industrial park pops up. These techniques will be good for those as well. Thanks!
Boomer, nice one. Those warehouses around the big bend are messy places have you noticed all the junk they've thrown out around there? The local council passed the "Keep River Road Clean Bill" the other night. So in the next year or two a private consultant ( $500 an hour) will be out to inspect and write a 60 page report on his/her plan of action to return this area back to nature to attract the native birds and wildlife. Help is on it's way. Cheers, Chris Perry.
Hi Boomer - such an outstanding vlog and one which I will be watching over and over again. Question: when sealing the flocked tree do you shoot the diluted Matt Medium through your airbrush? I think you may have responded to this question in the past but I wanted to double check. I guess the airbrush would be easy to clean with IPA?
No. I don't use my airbrush to shoot diluted matte medium. I just use a good quality pump spray bottle. Then I flush it out when done. I dilute the matte medium with 80% water/ 20% matte medium (with a little flow agent), and just soak the trees down. They dry flat, flexible, and never shed debris on my track or layout. ;-)
Hey Boomer, have you ever thought of a way to model air hose connections between freight cars? I was thinking of something with magnets on the tips to simulate "glad hands" and allow them to connect without using glue...
Does Dusty bother the trees? Years ago we had "Wilber the Cat". He loved to get on the layout when I was at work and pull all the trees out. Never got on the layout when I was around. I finally did a desert theme.
Hi Boomer - you make the application of Golden Fibre Paste look so easy :) I have been working with it for the past week and it ain’t easy to spread without it coming off the tree and sticking back onto the brush. Is the secret to keep wetting the brush because that seems to be the best way for me to apply the paste? But as you say, practice makes perfect. Cheers
I start with 10% matte medium to 90% water. It all depends on the quality of the spray bottle temperature, etc. Start low and then work up to where you get enough matte medium coverage. You will know after the three dries as well. Soak the trees down good. When you get the right ratio, it's awesome how resilient and tough the trees become! Grab and squeeze one after they are dry) and see if it springs back or holds up . . . then make a note of the ratio. ;-)
How do you get the fibre paste to adhere to the wire on your trees? I find that the paste is very hard to stick to my wire branches, and I see from the description for Golden Fibre Paste that painting it on metal will allow you to peel it off after it dries. I must admit that I am using a different brand of fibre paste, recommended by an art store that also sells Golden products, but did not have any Golden Fibre Paste at the time.
You can get other types of different colors from Noch but I have not been able to find these particular ones. You can try two different shades of green with two applications.
Nice trees! 😍 You are featured in my latest video amongst a couple of other modelling masters btw, feel free to take a look. Thank you for your inspiration. -1- Sebas
You can tell that a person is skilled in an art when they make it look simple and easy. Oh, yeah, that seems really easy to do-until you look over the minute details and understand how much experience is needed to achieve the look. You, sir, make it look like child's play.
You raise a good point and I often think about what you just wrote. Subsequently, I can only come up with the following: It must be all the practice, infused with passion, to achieve something that meets the standard I set for myself and no one else.
I've had a lifelong problem modeling trees..and patience is usually the problem..yours are about as perfect as it gets..all your scenery is gorgeous..your static grass is the best I've ever seen..another modeler that I admire is George sellios..I'm finally going to see his layout this winter..
My tree making has progressed tenfold from watching and using your techniques. My dioramas have “come alive” !!
🤩🤩🤩
I am so glad to hear that! It is always gratifying to see how my videos can help modelers.
Trees can have a very deep connection with humans. Many years ago I was out walking in the English countryside and came across this tree that drew me in. It had a mythical, almost pagan like aurora to it. I will never forget it.
When you actually study a tree, they are incredibly complicated and profoundly beautiful as well. Everyone is uniquely different just like people. Some often ask why I don't have people on my layout. I don't miss people, when I have trees that feel alive on my layout for some strange reason. The people look like lifeless mannequins and the trees look alive if that makes any sense. ;-)
I have never seen better looking model trees than yours. Outstanding work boomer.
Thank you! I appreciate your kind words.
Watching your video is very relaxing.
You have a very pleasant way of explaining your work.
Very much appreciated and best regards from Tasmania. 👌
Thanks for the kind words! I hope you enjoy your modeling.
Howdy Boomer! Another outstanding video... your vids are always more than just 'how-to' vids. You do such a good job of adding the philosophical to the 'how'. Really adds to the understanding of the creative process that adds so much to the project. Really loved the moss detail. One of the model RR clubs I joined has this old forgotten F7 on an abandoned siding... they did such a good job of aging and 'mossing' it in I just can't help staring at it. It is done so well you really can't see the livery... but it looks natural. Really is so effective! Thank you 🤠
You sort of summed things up for me - "I just can't help staring at it"
If I can't get some satisfaction staring at my layout, then I can't get motivated to work on it. Running trains is great but if the scene doesn't do it justice, I don't bother running trains.😁
I model Britain but great stuff and still applies. Very enjoyable watching you work and listening to your council. Rob
It’s always great to hear from modelers around the world! Cheers, Rob.
Thank you so much for sharing your methods and techniques. Your talent is amazing!
You are welcome and thank you for supporting the channel the way you do. Cheers ~ Boomer.
Wow - my favourite things to model! I don’t think I would ever have thought of hand building trees in such detail had I not found your channel. All those filter furnace trees just look so ordinary now. I must have built over 100 trees since I first watched the 3 sisters and other tree build videos on Glover Road and with each phase of my progress I tried to advance to building a more challenging species of tree (ie from the florist wire spruce to the wooden dowel old growth tree). I recall you once said imagine a judge gives you the choice of either going to jail or building 1,000 trees - I chose the 2nd option lol. Thanks Boomer for showing how to model these magnificent creations. Mine look nowhere as good as yours but boy do they look a hell of a lot better than the furnace filter or even commercially available trees with their plastic trunks. 😊
Most of the trees I have are models in themselves except for the background and filler trees. I don't mind doing it for a smaller (diorama style) layout like this. A larger layout like yours is a whole different story . . . unless you hire people to do it. ;-)
@ I don’t disagree Boomer :) at some stage I will have to compromise but between now and sometime next year when the layout should be ready for installation I will be madly building trees lol
You are a legend in your trees. Beyond everything else your trees make me want to go camping!
They are stunning.
Lol . . . This tress are right outside my window.😁
@@boomerdiorama I can travel a couple of hours to be surrounded by the pines of northern California. It is where I want to model my logging railroad. Some oak mixed in.
Hi Boomer, well summarised.
I can still remember looking at dioramas of gold mining at the State Museum in Melbourne, Australia,some 65 years ago.
You continue to inspire to keep trying and hopefully improving my layout.
Thanks Peter from downunder.
PS trees are also good for scratching cat’s chins.😊
It is always great to hear from fellow modelers around the world! Cheers, Peter. 😉
Mesmerizing! I never tire of watching your videos and learn something from every single one. This video was no exception. I have begun experimenting with florist wiring and now have a bottle of Golden Fiber Paste to cover the trunk portion. You inspire others to go beyond their comfort zone and for that I am very grateful!
Trees are a learning curve with this method. But when mastered, they will be with you for a long time, possibly longer than the layout. ;-)
Trees are fun and relaxing to make. So many techniques can be used and/or combined.
Every month or so, I build a small batch of trees. I usually have a batch on the go that I revisit between other tasks on the layout.
Great looking trees.
They are a joy to build. . . and they are fun to look at!
You are amazing. Love the cut scenes with Godzilla-kitty.
Thanks for the comment! Dusty makes a great appearance in a lot of my videos!
Wow! Thank you for sharing. Well Done.
Thanks for the comment! 😁
My trees have become so much better seance I have watched your tree videos.
I’m glad to hear that! Keep up the good work!
You really make the best trees I've ever seen, many thanks for showing us all of your tricks and techniques. :)))))))
Anyone can learn the skill if they aree willing to practice here and there. ;-)
Wow outstanding work.
They are a joy to build!
Bob Letterman and the Verlinden catalogs a small rags I still look at and they are tattered. I love Ray Andersons book also. Great video Boomer. Shep Paine is in a class all of his own. Malcom Furlow and John Olson are 2 more favorites.
Yes indeed they certainly were. I admired Furlow's approach to the layout concept as theater and the trains being the actors that would enter and exist the stage as they played out their roles.
The thing about Anderson and Paine is they let up on prototypical legalism and allowed their artistic expression to justify their view on historical reality. They didn't actually care to much about accuracy in the micro but more so in the macro. They were the true masters in the hobby that still inspire me to this day. ;-)
More great info Boomer. Thank you. I am now inspired to get back at it after a summer of playing outside.
Sounds great!
I was like "oh no, they don't have these huge trees on my prototype." But I watched. I learned. I loved it. Thanks man!
I take them for granted. My home is surrounded by 70 Douglas Firs over 180' high. They are everywhere in B.C. ;-)
Thanks!
Thank you kindly! Cheers from Boomer! ;-)
You are my idol. 👍👏👏👏👏
Cheers and happy modeling.
So much to learn.
. . . and so little time. ;-)
Love that moss job 🤘
Mossy branches. ;-)
Great work Boomer.
Very interesting
Cheers
Bob
👍
Great video, the trees look so real.
Thank you! Cheers! 😄
Absolutely amazing! I can't wait to try this.
I am so glad to hear that! Try it. Have fun! Cheers.
I used your method last winter for the wire armature trees to " bank" a batch for future use. The methods you use are easily modified into tree species that are specific to the areas I model specifically the trash trees that pop up along unkept ROWs.
Mimosa, sassafras, eastern red cedars and young deciduous trees .
I've yet to attempt the signature trees of my modeling area that being said , your video library is there for research.
Thanks Brother! Great work and video!
I always have a "bank" batch of trees at some stage on the go. When I I am in the mood or need a change of pace , I flock a few. Like you said, the wire method can be adapted and revised to attempt any type of tree as well. 😁
Gotta say, I do love your trees Boomer!! All your scenery techniques are superb and yield top quality results.
I only use PVA now if I'm gluing wood to wood, Matt Medium is King!!
Yes indeed!
Thanks again for the tutorial. I live and am planning a diorama to refresh my modeling skills, before attacking the layout.. The information will translate well for Ash, Hickory, Maples, Oaks, and the Sycamore trees that dominate my area.
Good plan. You are going about it in the right way. Building a small diorama first will teach you ten times' more than just diving into a larger layout. I never left the diorama (concept to modeling) philosophy once I started. Have fun! ;-) Cheers.
Boomer, great thoughts on trees. I think the take-away is to study the trees where you are modelling, and replicate them.
A big Western Redcedar would look out of place in the Australian bush, but not in B.C. Canada, but a River Gum fits in well, but not in Canada.
The other thing is the size, some trees are massive, other thin. Look at where you are modelling.
Cheers, and thank you for a wonderful video. Stay safe, and Happy Modelling, Michael
I agree. The one thing you cannot escape up here in B.C. is very large trees and plenty of them. I just installed a "Lightning" effects strobe at the top of the grove and it looks incredibly stunning (at night) when the shadow from the old growth trees flashes' across the tracks. This hobby never gets dull . . . lol. 😉
@@boomerdiorama Wow, that sounds so good, maybe a short video of the effect, if possiblke, would be great to see. Youre right, the hobby never gets dull.
Love, love , love!!!!!
Cheeers, cheers, Cheers!
Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. Did I miss a video on building the birch trees?
th-cam.com/video/v3W0l38SLJw/w-d-xo.html
I did. THANK YOU!
Thanks, Boomer. Good thing it's wood because you absolutely nailed it.
I hope to try some wire form deciduous trees this winter.
Not to be too critical, but that cat in the opening scene is way out of scale but is very lifelike. 😅
I know what you mean, that cat (Dusty), she is all over the place! 😁
Another great video with applications beyond the topic. I won't have many "hero" trees, since there's going to be an urban feel according to my current plan, but there should be several areas such as deep corners where I won't have any active elements like trackage, and a few could go there. But the same techniques can be used for a lot of smaller trees normally found in urban areas, or the couple loners that escape the axe when an industrial park pops up. These techniques will be good for those as well.
Thanks!
Trees are almost a must when it comes to blending buildings into backdrops. ;-)
I need to give the tree thing a go man... Great work as always B!
I revisit trees every few months.
Boomer, nice one. Those warehouses around the big bend are messy places have you noticed all the junk they've thrown out around there? The local council passed the "Keep River Road Clean Bill" the other night. So in the next year or two a private consultant ( $500 an hour) will be out to inspect and write a 60 page report on his/her plan of action to return this area back to nature to attract the native birds and wildlife. Help is on it's way. Cheers, Chris Perry.
That area is an ongoing project for me. I keep altering it when I revisits the scene until one day it clicks. ;-)
I like, that you're quoting John Allen. On my Layout there will be a Alan Wright Street and a John Allen Way. 🥰
Love that!
@@boomerdiorama There will be something in honor for you too. Boomer Alley or a shop "Boomer Diorama" or ...?!
I love watching cats on this youtube thang, as long as they are someone elses that's great... lol
Lol . . . Dusty is an exceptional cat around the layout. I think she understands the sensitivity of it as well.
I would love to see the fall leaves in a diorama.. the chance of colors red,yellow & orange.. would be vantastic.. 😊
If you look up Tom Johnson on the Second Section Podcast (TH-cam), he models the Fall season remarkably well.
I had the opportunity to visit Tom's layout when he lived in Indiana. It was truly a work of art.
Hi Boomer - such an outstanding vlog and one which I will be watching over and over again. Question: when sealing the flocked tree do you shoot the diluted Matt Medium through your airbrush? I think you may have responded to this question in the past but I wanted to double check. I guess the airbrush would be easy to clean with IPA?
No. I don't use my airbrush to shoot diluted matte medium. I just use a good quality pump spray bottle. Then I flush it out when done.
I dilute the matte medium with 80% water/ 20% matte medium (with a little flow agent), and just soak the trees down. They dry flat, flexible, and never shed debris on my track or layout. ;-)
@@boomerdiorama thx Boomer!
I see your cat enjoying herself,a short session of grooming you going to have to call that section cat fur trees 😂.
I have to admit she does love a good grooming session. Lol.
Hey Boomer, have you ever thought of a way to model air hose connections between freight cars? I was thinking of something with magnets on the tips to simulate "glad hands" and allow them to connect without using glue...
They do make those. Pacific Western Rail Systems used to sell them. Check them out.
Not bad also to pick up small branches and foliage of trees you model for exact colors. Even better than photos since it´s under layout lightning.
Yes, I always try to gather some actual branches and foliage as well. 😁
You'll never have to worry about mice in your layout room! LOL
Any bug is quickly dispatched as well. Dusty is an incredible hunter. ;-)
I’m lost for words Boomer as always Fred
Please don't be . . . lol. Thanks for sharing. Cheers. ;-)
Does Dusty bother the trees? Years ago we had "Wilber the Cat". He loved to get on the layout when I was at work and pull all the trees out. Never got on the layout when I was around. I finally did a desert theme.
She doesn't usually go up there and I keep the door closed when not around.
Hi Boomer - you make the application of Golden Fibre Paste look so easy :) I have been working with it for the past week and it ain’t easy to spread without it coming off the tree and sticking back onto the brush. Is the secret to keep wetting the brush because that seems to be the best way for me to apply the paste? But as you say, practice makes perfect. Cheers
Yes! Keep wetting the brush! It helps smooth it out as well.
Cheers Boomer!!
Another use for fine turf is ivy growing on structures.
Yes! Great tip there!
I have about a 25 foot, my boy. In my front yard, it's nice tree
Woah . . . sounds awesome!
Hi Boomer - can I ask what the dilution ratio is for the Matt Medium v water applied via spray bottle when sealing the tree? Cheers Peter
I start with 10% matte medium to 90% water. It all depends on the quality of the spray bottle temperature, etc. Start low and then work up to where you get enough matte medium coverage. You will know after the three dries as well. Soak the trees down good. When you get the right ratio, it's awesome how resilient and tough the trees become! Grab and squeeze one after they are dry) and see if it springs back or holds up . . . then make a note of the ratio. ;-)
@@boomerdioramaas always - thank you so much Boomer for your help and advice
How do you get the fibre paste to adhere to the wire on your trees?
I find that the paste is very hard to stick to my wire branches, and I see from the description for Golden Fibre Paste that painting it on metal will allow you to peel it off after it dries.
I must admit that I am using a different brand of fibre paste, recommended by an art store that also sells Golden products, but did not have any Golden Fibre Paste at the time.
I only use Golden Fiber Paste. Most of the branches are just thick matte medium sprinkled with fine sand or sawdust.
@@boomerdiorama Many thanks. I was trying the fiber paste as an alternative to matte medium and sawdust, so will go back to that.
It also helps to keep the brush wet when applying fiber paste.
Boomer, are those tree leaves you use by Noch still available to purchase? I have looked but can't seem to find those particular "desaturated" leaves.
You can get other types of different colors from Noch but I have not been able to find these particular ones. You can try two different shades of green with two applications.
Thank you
Also quickly, does the Western Red Cedar you have in this video have sisal added in to get that hanging down effect on the secondary branches?
Yes.
the you referred to actually still exists its been moved to the Cranbrook railroad museum
Only part of it has. Much of it was destroyed in the move which I had nothing to do with. ;-)
Boomer, what is the name of your book on the trees?
The Tree Book
Nice trees! 😍 You are featured in my latest video amongst a couple of other modelling masters btw, feel free to take a look. Thank you for your inspiration.
-1-
Sebas
Thanks! Will do!
You need some bonsai trees there..Boomer😂.
Bonsai will teach you patience for sure. ;-)
I thought boomer was your name, i'm sorry
That's what they say. ;-)