Creating natural-looking landscapes

(Or sci-fi alien weird-scapes!)

First of all – if you are creating an earth-like, M-class scene, the best thing to do is simply to observe nature! Go outside and look at the way trees grow in a forest, the way moss grows only on one side of the tree, the colour of lichen on rocks.

Of course – if you live in the city or if the scene you wish to recreate in inaccessible to you (A beautiful tropical island for instance!) then try browsing for a suitable picture to work on  from the internet.

(Note: If you are creating an alien weird-scape and want reference pictures – try looking for the NASA website, sci-fi film sets or unusual places on Earth, such as crystal-filled caves or the ocean floor).

And now we begin – if I had to sit through 2 long years of A level geology, then I can inflict some of that pain on you! Mwa ha ha ha haaaa! (Maniacal laughter) etc

Layer cake

There are several different layers building a landscape:

1. At the bottom, the bedrock, or foundations – upon which everything else rests, and surface rock – whether they be cliffs, or rocks at the banks of a river.

2. And above the foundation, the organic plant life (flora) of your chosen climate.

Above: Layered sedimentary rock (Primarily limestone). It is at an angle due to
geological upheaval, and at the base of the cliff we see evidence of erosion in the fallen debris.

1.    Rockscapes

·        Your first question, when creating a rockscape, or the bed-rock for something else (Such as a cliff face) should be – will the rocks in my scene be Igneous, Metamorphic or Sedimentary…?

In other words – have the rocks been created from the liquid minerals of the planets insides (Igneous), have they been changed from one kind of rock to something new by pressure and/or heat (Metamorphic) or are they composed of the remains of long-dead flora and fauna or the weathered particles of other rocks (Sedimentary).

Here are a few examples:

(Trying not to sound like a geology teacher here!!)

Igneous

Obsidian - A black, glassy rock with fracture edges so sharp it is used in surgery!

Pumice – Created during a volcanic eruption – Pumice is filled with thousands of holes, like sponge – caused by the creating of bubbles within the liquid rock as it ejected into the atmosphere. A realistic pumice effect can be achieved by partially melting polystyrene with a solvent – but just enough to create holes without collapsing the whole structure.

Metamorphic

Slate – Slate is the metamorphosed (Changed) form of shale, which has been compressed. It is similar in looks, but fractures and weathers differently.

Marble – Marble is the metamorphosed form of limestone – and looking at a good example will show the extreme heat and pressures exerted on the rock as various minerals within it became liquid and started to warp.

Sedimentary

Sandstone – Composed of millions of particles of sand (itself weathered quartz) which have been cemented under pressure, sandstone can be a variety of colours, from beach sand yellow to a rusty iron red – this is due to the “bleeding” of minerals above the sandstone. Sandstone is also easily weathered by both water AND wind – sometimes forming incredible structures.

Limestone – Limestone is created from the bodies of countless billions of dead sea creatures, shells, exoskeletons, and bones can all be held within. Most cave systems on Earth can be found in Limestone formations, which are weathered by water picking up acidity from the atmosphere and running through minerals in the soil.