How to make water effect in models? Learn to imitate a lake like a pro

All modelers at some point have had the same problem... How to make water effects for models?. Affronts have been seen such as rivers of silver paper nativity scenes, painted cardboard, blue garbage bags, etc; but that's not going to happen again after seeing this step by step.

In this new Feroca article we teach you how to make a professional and lasting lake. Although in this case we will recreate a small lake, it can be extrapolated to any shape and dimension.

Tutorial: How to make a model lake with artificial water

To make this lake, you will need to have the following materials:

Materials to make a model of lake

Epoxy putty Epofer Ex 610-A E610-B 1

This two-component Epoxy putty will be used to hint at the edge of the lake. But in addition, it will serve us in other projects as an adhesive, without neglecting its properties to fill and seal surfaces.

This two-component Epoxy putty is also perfect for work on wood, laminates, porex, concrete, among others.

Sprays de Vallejo

To prepare the base and achieve the desired effect, we will need to make use of sprays from the Vallejo Hobby Paint range, which will favor the adhesion of the paints.

In addition, this spray will facilitate the process thanks to its two diffusers, a valve for reduced output (ideal for fine lines and painting of details) and another of medium output (for larger surfaces and to paint thick lines), respecting and highlighting any detail of the model.

Acrylic paints

We recommend using Vallejo's Game color acrylic colors in blue, dark green and brown tones to provide a sense of volume and realism.

These acrylic colors can blend perfectly with each other, dry quickly, respect even the smallest present detail and their adhesion is magnificent.

Depending on the effect you want to achieve, it will also be convenient to use transparent acrylic inks or washes, ideal to provide the model with shadows or make applications of colors in layers.

Epofer Resin EX201+E202

This Top Coat Epoxy will help us achieve a bright and uniform finish to achieve that professional water effect.

We recommend you to pigment it with the colors Piñata by Jacquard. In this lake we have used leaf green and sapphire blue. They are alcohol-free inks, highly saturated and dry fast on any hard surface. In addition, they are indelible and waterproof.

Well, now that you know all the materials we suggest to make the lake model, it is time for you to learn to do it.

Step by step to create a perfect lake model

• First we cut a thin DM board with the shape of our lake.

You can do it with a segueta or a jigsaw.

• With the epoxy putty Epofer Ex 610-A E610-B we hint at the edge of the lake making an irregular frame less than 1 cm high.

We can smooth it using isopropyl alcohol and the finger. Then you will have to wash your finger well.

• Once it is dry, smear everything with white tail and sprinkle soil of different weights on the entire surface to give it a texture of sand.

• Once it is dry , print the surface with Vallejo sprays.

• To paint you have to separate two areas, the superficial and the deep.

To give it a sense of depth we paint the background with dark blue and green tones and, as the circle opens to the shore, browns or earths.

You can use Vallejo's Game color acrylic paint range, use the dry brush technique, inks, washes, etc; It will depend a little on what quality you want to give it.

• Once dry, you mix the Epofer EX201+E202 resin following the percentage 100A:60B.

In this case, we pigmented it a little with the leaf green and sapphire blue of the range of piñata pigments, so that the background was more concealed and blurred.

• Once dry, you can add vegetation, more scenery and other details.

And, with this simple process, you will already have the perfect lake for nativity scenes, wargames and dioramas.

If you want to add elements to your lake that complement it to make it more visual, with Cosclay flexible polymer clay it is possible. In the next post we tell you all the details: Make toys with Cosclay 

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