Redvers and Son Get Into Bushido

I’ve always wanted to try creating a watery terrain piece using resin and Japanese ponds give me the perfect excuse, especially as I found the below 3D printed option for sale. It also came with a bridge that for some reason didn’t make it into the picture.

After a quick prime, I thought long and hard about the water colour. Ponds near me all seem to be a muddy brown, which isn’t very appealing and doesn’t shout ‘Zen Japanese garden’. Using the air brush, I eventually went for a black in the middle, over sprayed with a dark sea blue. Toward the edges I’ve opted for t a lighter tone to try to create the image of depth. I’m aiming for a clear or very lightly coloured resin, so the base needs to do all of the work here.

I didn’t like the grass effect, so covered this with an acrylic wet mud affect and also spread this into the water area to try to mimic the bank disappearing into the water.

I painted up some of the decorations. The lily pads were goblin green, a green ink wash and then a quick dry brush. The bamboo/reeds were Iraqi sand given a brown wash and the fish were given a silver base and then a very thinned down orange was applied for the gold fish and orange and red splotches for the koi. These all got stuck down before the resin pour (apart for the lily pads).

Everything was now ready for the resin. I purchased a two part resin and mixed it with a couple of drops of blue ink and tried a test pour. This worked surprisingly well. I then measured some water into the pond to see how much resin would be needed and to check for gaps. With the correct measurements, I mixed up the resin/ink and poured away. Once set, I noticed that I didn’t quite manage to remove the surface tension along some of the bank and the resin ‘folds down’ but otherwise, I was quite pleased with everything.

I then got hold of some water effects to make the ripples and carefully applied a thin layer, including trying to make a wake effect for the fish. I didn’t want to apply too much as this is a pond and not the North Atlantic.

I then needed to paint the bridge (Flat Earth base, heavy brown wash and then an Iraqi Sand dry brush for the wood, a scarlet for the hand rails). Before this could be put in place, I marked out its position and flocked the ground before putting the bridge in place.

Overall, I’m quite pleased with the effect. (And yes, for those that hate stepping from 3D printing, you can see this on the rocks, but I’m ok with it)