How to model ice?

[victoria]

Hi all,
Does anyone know how to model convincing ice bases? I was looking at the amazing piece by Latorre and trying to work out how he did it. Any suggestions of references to other excellent ice examples appreciated.
Thanks
V
http://www.coolminiornot.com/104609

 

[Klute]

Hmmm.....to get the look that Raul has with the base on the link I reckon I would do a thin snow covering on the flat base base. Looks like its built up a touch more at the corners and lumped here and there.
Then I would use a glossy water effect (2 part clear epoxy glue for me) to cover the base to get the iced look.
Looking again I think the powdery look in the corner could be put on after the \"ice\".
I think the gloss finish is what completes the look. Very realistic.

 

[airhead]

gloss gel medium?

casting resin?

a touch of white or blue ink to give it some depth.

Snow effect on top.

 

[Antenociti]

The normal (scenery) way to make realistic ice is to use a liquid resin, envirotex light or similar.

However the \"sneaky\" way to get even plastic sheeting to like like ive is to add \"trapped air\" underneath the ice - which is done by dropping melted wax on to the underside of the sheet - let it dry then flip it over. Add snow effects around the edges and you\'re done.

 

[DaN]

That trapped air idea is excellent!

Is there anyway of using water effects or resin or whatever and having bubbles throughout...? (Bicarb or something?)

 

[Antenociti]

The trick with melted wax works inside as well as underneath - but its not as easy to do - but, yeah, you can use it to make big airpiokets in \'resins\' like the woodland scenics realistic water.

Thermosetting resins tend to just melt the wax though.. although you can get harder sculpting wax which is more heat tollerant.

Lots of little bubbles tend not to work - it just looks odd, even though technically its more scale-accurate than bigger blobs of wax. Its just one of thse terrain \"weirdnesses\" where the better scale stuff doesn\'t look as good as the whacky scale stuff.

 

[demonherald]

the vallejo water scenics stuff is good especially if clouded over..There i a foam additive for the range that is used to add rapids etc..Spreading this throughout the mix will give a cloudy effect that is great for ice.
It\'s generally the cloudiness that gives the effect of ice and makes it look more realistic,,

a cheap alternative is 2 part araldite clear glue that can be smoked up a bit with grey paint.