Twisted Trees

I already threw this post up over in Tutorials, but I thought it deserved a place here too.

For this project you will need:

• wire cutters
  
• 20-gauge copper wire
  
• Sculpey
  
• black spray paint
  
• a few pots of brown paint / other colors
  
• baking paper
  
• a baking tray
  
• a stove
  
• an art-student girlfriend
  

Everything but the Sculpey and the wire should already be lying around the house, so your TOTAL COST IS $15 US.

First, cut the wire into 5 inch (13 cm) lengths. It will take about 18 of these lengths to make a decently sized tree. It was easier for me to work with the wire by twisting three strands together at a time, giving me six three-strand cables. I then twisted these into a tree shape. The wire should be pliable enough for manly-types to just use their hands:



When making your branches, remember to add lots of little kinks and twists. You get a much more realistic result.



Next you'll create your roots and trunk. This part requires a bit of skill - apply art-student girlfriend as necessary.



The main task is to get a good root structure. These trees will be free-standing if you do it right, so make sure to space them nice and broad, like a hand gripping the ground. To add extra roots, just make a small Sculpey-worm and blend it into the main trunk.

Next you should add knots, fungus, and stumps to your base. For knots, just make a small Sculpey-doughnut, stick it to the tree, and blend away. Fungus is easy to model. Whether you're making toadstools or buboes, it's a pretty straightforward process. Check the pics for ideas. For stumps, you'll make a cylinder coming out of the root structure. Easy.

For the last part of your sculpting process, take a short length of wire and "draw" your bark. Remember to make forking paths rather than long, straight lines. You'll achieve a more realistic look. If you modeled stumps, you'll use the wire to carve a spiral, creating a nice ring effect.













If you're happy with your sculpting, it's time to bake. Sculpey will do fine in any oven.Just grab your baking tray and baking paper and throw your trees in the oven for eight hours. Cook on low - about 200° F.

When your trees are hard as a rock, it's time to sand them down. I used fine-grain sandpaper, but a file should work just as well. You may also want to use a straight-pin to dig any stray Sculpey bits out of the cracks and crevices.







That done, base-coat your creations in black and get to painting. I wanted a nice sinister look, so I kept the smaller branches black. Add some bright highlights to your fungus, paint eyes on any bats, and you're good to go.

Funny story about that bat-tree. We just played our first game with this forest yesterday. The guys were fairly complimentary about most of my efforts, but that bat-tree was a lightning rod for comments.

"Why are there balls in your tree?"

"Are those scrotums? Nice scrotums. Very manly."

"I want to kick your tree in the nuts."

This went on for some time, but all the while the bat-tree was growing angry. It rolled to hit. It rolled to wound. And as my buddy Mike bent over the table for a line of sight check, it got the crit, stabbing him square in the eye.

The bat-tree had teabagged its first victim.

PRETTY COOL albeit SPOOKY trees! Making trees is also one of my favorite activities; I use a similar method with the substitution of a variety of floral wire instead of the copper, & plumber's epoxy in place of the Sculpey...&, sadly, no artistic girl in the mix here. NICE WORK!

They are fantastic!! Great tutorial.
Once painted the sculpty and wire blend in really well.
One question, did the bat tree get an advance after it's first game?

No advance for the bat-tree. But Mike did get "blinded in one eye."

Those trees and the tutorial are great . I have been trying to find some trees that look good and don't cost an arm and a leg and just can't find what I want. I am definatly going to try and make some like these.

Dozer wrote:

I have been trying to find some trees that look good and don't cost an arm and a leg and just can't find what I want. I am definatly going to try and make some like these.

That was my starting point too. These GW trees look great (http://tinyurl.com/3o2eqpk) but I didn't feel like paying $27.28 for three of them. I actually bought some of those railroad style pine trees from the local crafts store, but they're so ramrod straight and perfect looking - not at all what you'd want for Mordheim. These wire models end up costing a lot less and looking a lot more suited to everyone's favorite City of the Damned.