Oporto Table Build Day Seven

The temptation now is to rush the process to a close, but I am keen to take a bit of time with the build to consider the options. Just as when painting a figure, you get lots of ideas coming to mind about how to enhance various aspects and its worth it to just sleep on some ideas to get the right answer.

The colour selections of the flocks to go on the surfaces is going to be a learning process and whilst taking the ballast out to the river banks I decided I might as well paste up a bit of spare styrene to create a test bed for my colour options.

The test bed for the flocks

Ok so with a test bed set up for the flock and the river bank ballast in place, I went out for a quick six mile bike ride, a daily exercise designed to keep a man of my increasing age in some sort of shape. My bike riding is also where I tend to get my best thinking time as well.

Once I got back it was straight into finishing off  the river banks and testing the flock mix I picked up yesterday and I finally settled on a mix that was as good a match to the terrain mat that I could come up with.

The secret ingredient that came to me whilst out on the bike, chinchilla dust, a very fine sand that when added to the flock gives that slightly arid look to the pasture.

I only had enough flock to finish off one of the boards, but I'm quite pleased with the final effect. You will get a better idea when you see them all up on the table. In addition I intend to liberally apply various terrain pieces which will distract the eye and give an overall look, but bear naked I think this first board looks ok.

Let me know what you think.

Here is the other main board, just waiting for the flock treatment and with its river banks done.

As soon as the final work is done I'll post some shots of the boards up on the table so you can get a better impression. More anon.