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Tips and Tricks - Scenery
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Mountains and hills. Use polystyrene to make a basic shape of a hill or mountain. 

Use Polifilla ® (Spackle), or Rhinolite ® to plaster over the polystyrene base. 

If required, sand the dried product to remove any rough areas. 

Don't remove to much of vertical rough areas, with appropriate painting schemes the rough patches in form excellent cliffs of cuttings.

Vacuum well to remove all dust.   
Water Paint the base the area you want watered with a deep blue.

Using a deep green, "blotch" the blue area while the blue paint is still wet. This simulates deep water.

Using lighter blues and greens (mix each with some white paint), follow the same pattern towards the edges of the area, simulating shallower water. Use a bit more green, as water tends to be more greenish towards the edges. You can even use a little bit of brown at this time, it will look like a sandbank. 

When satisfied, apply a layer of clear varnish.

Repeat the above steps, alternating layers of paint and varnish. Never completely cover the previous layer of paint with a new layer of paint. This offset in the layers of paint is what creates the illusion of depth.
Sand Beach sand from the seashore is an excellent medium to use for sea shores and river banks. The added bonus is that the colour is realistic.
Buildings Don't attach buildings permanently to your layout. Few modelers build a layout and keep it exactly the same for years and years.

By not permanently attaching the building it is easier to remove the building an re-use it somewhere else, without damaging it. It is also easier to maintain the building, because you can remove the building to your work bench to re-attach something like a chimney or gutter that might have come off with time.

Place the building where you want it. Scenic the area as you normally would, right up to and even onto the edges off the building. Then remove the building, wipe off any glue, and wait for the scenery area to dry. You will then be left with the building outline. Replace the building on this spot.