Final Pictures - FOS Scale Canal Street and Third

[nextceo]

Hey Gang,

Here are the Final Photos for my FOS Scale Canal Street and Third - Limited Edition Kit Diorama.

Details:

Modeled as the Fall of 1939 - New England Coast Line - HO Scale (1/87).

Size: 32 X 30

Kit - Main 5 Buildings: FOS Scale - foslimited.com

Shanty: Scratch Built

Lighting: ngineering.com and microlumina.com

Stone Walls: nebrownstone.com and woodlandscenics.com

Trees/Bushes: scenicexpress.com and woodlandscenics.com

Vehicles: sylvanscalemodels.com

Backdrops: tracksidescenery.com

Roads/Concrete Parking Lots: rrscenery.com

Water: ModgePodge

Thanks for following along with my build and I appreciated all the comments and feedback along the way!
Alan

[nextceo]

Here is a picture of the Canal with a group of Hobos huddled around the camp fire...

Alan

[Mike Engler]

Alan- a really great  job in all aspects of this diorama- some outstanding modeling. My favorite is the detail on the flat roof of the Fisherman's Supplies building. The water coloring and waves also caught my eye. Well done.

[nextceo]

Thanks Mike!

Yeah, I mixed a little bit of white (needs to be acrylic paint) with some Modge Podge and applied it in small amounts to the top of the water to simulate waves/foam.

Thanks again for your comments...
Alan

[Zephyrus52246]

The structures, scenery, details, roads--everything is first rate, Alan.  And then you top it off with the lighting--spectacular!


Jeff

[EricQuebec]

A Really great DIo, awesome work.

Eric Québec city

[Raymo]

  Raymo

[GPdemayo]

Great job Alan.....thanks for sharing! 

[nextceo]

Jeff, Eric, Dan and Gregory...thanks for all the nice comments...

Alan

[ollevon]

Hey Alan,  Your work is pure perfection,  love how your water came out. I rank you up there with the big guys.  Great job

  Sam

[jrmueller]

I'll add my thumbs up. Great stuff particularly mother roof tops and water. Jim

[nextceo]

Thanks Jim!

I've had at least 10 different emails from folks asking about how I did the water. Here is my recipe:

Here is what I did to create the water.

I used a Gator Foam Base that is painted with black, and various blue and green acrylic paints from Amsetrdam (purchased thru Dick Blick). They all applied one right after another when they are still wet so the colors blend together. I let the paint dry for 3 days...I think it was George Selios that said 3 full days before paints cures. I then start applying coats of Gloss Modge Podge (red label) with a china bristle brush. A china bristle brush is really cheap to buy...I get them for dollar at Home Depot in the painting section. I wait 24 hours between coats. After about 6-8 coats, you will start seeing some depth in the water and some waves will start to develop. Ive seen this same process used by both Dave Frary and Doug Foscale.

The one thing I do after applying each layer of ModgePodge is that while its still wet, I go back with a small brush and basically "pop" most of the bubbles. Its going to be impossible to pop them all and when they dry, they appear gray which doesnt look very good. I tried Dave Frary's Mop Brush technique but it produced too many bubbles. I even reached out to Dave Frary about this bubble issue and he says he never gets them. Maybe I'm too rough with the brushes when applying the ModegPodge...not sure. To hide those bubbles, I have a good trick...once you're happy with the depth, I apply one final coat of Modge Podge that has Amsterdam Indigo Blue mixed in with it. You can mix any paints you want into Modge Podge before applying them to give it various colors of tint...the only catch is the paint HAS TO BE AN ACRYLIC PAINT. When you apply this coat, its going to look light blue...when it drys, it takes on the colors below it and hides all those gray bubbles. To finish things up, I mix a little white acrylic paint in with Gloss Modge Podge and dab it around in small amounts to give the look of foam or a top of a wave. Only VERY small amounts. If it looks like you put down too much white in a certain area, go back and mix up some ModgePodge with some blue paint in to cover those areas. I found that anything can be fixed by applying more layers of ModgePodge. If you look at my first picture that shows the water, you will see some of that white effect...especially to the left of the picture.

Hope this helps!
Alan

[postalkarl]

Hi Alan:

very nicely done. As I said its one of my favorite FOS Scale kits. Love tha Mermaid Bar.

Karl

[Timbob60]

WOW!!!! Just.................WOW!!!!

Geo2rge aka timbob60

[Zephyrus52246]

I'll second that WOW.


Jeff