7. A Taste of Scenery
Scenery is my favoritest thing to do, so it was quite the thrill to be able to get into it. I decided to start with what I knew would be the best scene: the abandoned quarry. (I admit I'll sometimes have dessert before the main course!) I created it with layers of 1/2-inch thick extruded foam insulation sheet. The material comes in 4 x 8 foot sheets, one of which is probably enough for several layouts.
Before cutting up any foam insulation, I did a quick, rough pencil sketch of how I imagined the scene might look based on reference images.
I made a paper template of the area where the scene was going, so that I could plot out the size and shape of each layer. I just traced over the lines with a ball point pen, which left clear marks on the insulation; then I ran a packing knife along the lines.
With the highest point being roughly 3.5 inches, I needed a total of 7 layers of foam, with the second layer marking the water level. I laminate the foam layers together with Loctite Power Grab.
Posing the layers in position as I made each one showed me where I needed to make adjustments. I also omitted the topmost layer; it didn't have any rock faces, so I'll fill that area in with Sculptamold.
With the black glass in place, I could get a sense of how the finished scene would come together; the glass provides the requisite reflections and sense of depth.