I wrote recently about my journey into the world of 6mm wargaming. I think playing at this scale offers tremendous potential to create the effect of huge, sweeping battlefields. I went and got myself a few little buildings recently from Total Battle Miniatures. Once I started painting them, I got thinking about 6mm-scale trees. How was I going to add some much needed greenery to an otherwise bloodsoaked battlefield?
In my adulthood I’m more of a “buy” than “make” person when it comes to miniature wargaming terrain. However, I decided to have a bash at creating my own 6mm scale trees for a few different reasons.
Firstly, I just didn’t see anything out there for sale that took my fancy, and at a reasonable price. That’s not to say there won’t be plenty great options out there, I just didn’t find them.
Secondly, as I write, we’re in the middle of a nationwide lockdown. This doesn’t mean I’ve suddenly got loads of free time, as fortunately I’m still able to work. But it does mean that I’ve been more mindful of ordering things, and a lot of companies have actually shut down their deliveries for now anyway.
Making 6mm Scale Trees
So I took to Google to see if there was a way to make some little trees. I found an excellent guide over at Elinderil’s Blog which gave me the idea to use cones found in the woods.
Cones look like miniature trees anyway, so they don’t need much work at all to get them table ready. And this was a great excuse to get out for a nice healthy walk in nature.
I collected a small bag of cones when I was out (I also collected a few strange looks from dog walkers, but hey ho). I then made some bases with Fimo Clay.
I’ve an old gun full of sealant under the stairs. I decided to pump a few dollops of that onto the bases, then trim the cone stems, and stick them on.
After the sealant dried, I did the old PVA glue/sand combo on the bases, then they were ready to take out into the garden for a blast with the spray can.
This was a simple and quick process, from collecting the cones, to having table-ready 6mm scale trees. I finished them off with a drybrush of darker green. Then, the bases got a coat of Ork Flesh, which is one of the Citadel Contrast paints.
I started small by only making 3 copse of 6mm scale trees. I figured I’d see how I got on before committing to building an entire forest. I definitely plan on making more. I’m just wondering about what type of base I could use to mount dozens of trees, rather than do them all in individual clusters. If you’ve any thoughts on that, dear reader, then I welcome your feedback in the comments section below!
And don’t forget to take a look at my post on the attraction of 6mm wargaming, and my steps in to playing that scale!
Now, I need to get back to painting those tiny buildings…