Miniature terrain & miniature scenery - Resources

Miniature terrain & miniature scenery - Resources

Article updated: 2020.03.27

Miniature games are usually played on terrain. I've collected the sources and terrain tutorials I've found interesting.

Miniature terrain

Websites dedicated for miniature terrain

"der Müller" tabletop - wargaming - terrain - scratchbuilts (Facebook page)

The Terrain Tutor (Facebook page)

TheTerrainTutor's Terrainiacs (Facebook page)

Wargamers Terrain Tips and Talk (Facebook group)

Terrain inspirations

Hobby Shop's Frostgrave scenery: Artic urban fantasy terrain.

• Hobby Shop: ANIM - Nouvelle partie de Campagne pour FROSTGRAVE! (Facebook)
• Hobby Shop: HOBBY - La table de Frostgrave de la boutique est prete! (Facebook)
• Hobby Shop: ANIM - Scénario 2 de la Campagne FRSTGRAVE (Facebook)
• Hobby Shop: ANIM - 3e partie de la campagne FROSTGRAVE! (Facebook)

Pinterest boards:

• Kelemen Gábor (on Pinterest): Industrial terrain: Urban and sci-fi terrain ideas.
• Kelemen Gábor (on Pinterest): Gaming board

Genric articles

Roleplaying Tips - 22 Terrain Hacks For the Low Budget Game Master: Terrain on a budget.

Campaign Mastery - 3-D Battlemaps for the financially challenged – Updated & Enhanced: Great ideas to create 3D terrain for your games.

RichC (for Warlord Games): Dave's Antares terrain: A nice tutorial about creating various kinds of terrain (rocks, cacti, etc). Dave Lawrence uses troop trays as the base of these terrain pieces.

RichC (for Warlord Games): Modelling: Dioramic Basing, Part 1: An interesting article about designing and creating a diorama base.

Rich Dando (for Warlord Games): Feature: TheTerrainTutor’s D-Day Board Project: Tutorial video on creating D-Day terrain.

Designing terrain

Battleboards: How to design the ULTIMATE wargaming terrain: A good video about how to design your terrain boards.

Painting terrain

See our Games Nexus article: Painting miniatures - Terrain and vehicles - Resources

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Techniques

Flocking - Creating flock

Highlen Terrain: How to make Flock: Tutorial video about colouring sawdust. Create a watery mix of the chosen colour, then mix it with sawdust, and spread it out to dry. After it dries, filter it.

Flocking

TheTerrainTutor: An In-depth guide to realistic flocking: Tutorial video.

TheTerrainTutor: A complete guide to adding flock, static grass, clump foliage, lichen and tall grass to your scenery: Tutorial video.

Textures

David Neat: ‘Model-making Basics’ – creating surfaces: Tutorial article on creating different textures.

TheTerrainTutor: Texturing terrain with rolling pins: Tutorial video about using textured rods.

Herbert Erpaderp: Green Stuff Rollers and Base Making: Tutorial video.

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Materials

Balsa wood

TheTerrainTutor: A guide to using balsa wood when building wargames terrain: Tutorial video.

Cork bark

TheTerrainTutor: How to make cork bark rock faces for your wargaming scenery: A tutorial video on using cork barks as rock faces for your hills.

Fire retardant fibre

atbzimark (for Table Top Games UK): How to make Fire or Destroyed Vehicle Markers!: Tutorial article on making smoking fire using fire retardant fibre and flickering led lights.

• showcase video on Facebook

Foamboard

TheTerrainTutor: A comprehensive guide to using foamboard to make wargames terrain: Tutorial video.

epicfantasy: What is Foam Board "Tips and Tools": Tutorial video.

Lava rock

Jez (for Table Top Games UK): Terrain Corner – Asteroids: Tutorial article about making floating rocks from lava rocks.

Polystyrene foam

Greg (from Oridian Games): Cheap and Easy Foam Rock Formations (Wargaming and RPG Terrain): Tutorial video.

Famous Gaming Model & Scenic Supplies: Using polystyrene: Tutorial article about the basics of using polystyrene foam. (2017: The website is offline.)

the article on Archive.org

Manorhouse Workshop: How to work with high-density polystyrene: Part 1: Tutorial article about foam terrain. (2019: The website is offline)

• part 1 on Archive.org
• part 2 on Archive.org
• part 3 on Archive.org

David Neat: Shaping styrofoam: Tutorial article.

TheTerrainTutor: A guide to using bluefoam to make wargaming buildings & ruins: Tutorial video about working with high density polystyrene.

Polyurethane foam

Chris Reynolds (Wraith)(adgwraith on Beasts of War): Cheap and easy rock formations: Tutorial vide about using polyurethane foam to create rock formations. (2020.03.27: Article is offline.)

PVC Foamboard

TheTerrainTutor: PVC Foamboard - A new basing material?: Tutorial video.

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Scenery types

Smoking fire

atbzimark (for Table Top Games UK): How to make Fire or Destroyed Vehicle Markers!: Tutorial article on making smoking fire using fire retardant fibre and flickering led lights.

• showcase video on Facebook

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Terrain types

Terrain ground

Multiverse Gaming: Step-by-step: factory grounds table: A nice tutorial on using pair-dry paper clay for creating terrain.

Obstacles

Rob Phaneuf (for Ironwatch Magazine): How-To Terrain: Obstacles: Tutorial article in Ironwatch #45, p46-59.

Rob Phaneuf (from You Magnificent Bastards): Scrub pad hedges: Tutorial article.

Rocks

Chris Reynolds (Wraith)(adgwraith on Beasts of War): Cheap and easy rock formations: Tutorial vide about using polyurethane foam to create rock formations. (2020.03.27: Article is offline.)

Jez (for Table Top Games UK): Terrain Corner – Asteroids: Tutorial article about making floating rocks from lava rocks.

Hills

TheTerrainTutor: How to make cork bark rock faces for your wargaming scenery: A tutorial video on using cork barks as rock faces for your hills.

Avian (from Avian): Making Hills: Tutorial article.

Desert

Henry Durand (from Plastic Pirates): Desert terrain - palm trees and an oasis: Tutorial article.

Henry Durand (from Plastic Pirates): Desert terrain - more palms and a sand ridge: Tutorial article.

Crystals

TheTerrainTutor: How to make simple crystal rock clusters: Tutorial video.

Snow and frost

Roman from Massive Voodoo: Tutorial: Visualising Winter: An awesome visual tutorial on how to approach winter terrain.

Mike Howell (Hakomike): Snow Basing Materials Reference: Comparison pictures for different kinds of snow bases.

Precision Ice and Snow: Website dedicated to selling snow effect supplies. It has lots of tutorials.

Hamilkar Barkas's tutorials on snow effects:

• Hamilkar Barkas: How to make snow effects on dioramas (Tutorial)(in German): Tutorial video in German, includes English subtitles.
• Hamilkar Barkas: "Snow-How" Tutorial for diorama snow effects (in German): Tutorial video, an updated version of the previous one. It's in German, but it includes English subtitles.

Posts from the I <3 makettezés modelling Facebook group (in Hungarian, but Facebook translates them):

• www.facebook.com/groups/makettinfo/permalink/931481686917671/
• www.facebook.com/groups/makettinfo/permalink/918077104924796/
• www.facebook.com/groups/makettinfo/permalink/816920338373807/
• www.facebook.com/groups/makettinfo/permalink/932277596838080/
• www.facebook.com/groups/makettinfo/permalink/751171194948722/
• www.facebook.com/groups/makettinfo/permalink/744261808972994/
• www.facebook.com/groups/makettinfo/permalink/617376781661498/

Water

Luke Fellows (of Lukes APS): Cheap Water Effects for Terrain and Miniatures (Tips & Talk Ep 8): Tutorial video.

• Luke Fellows (on Kings of War Fanatics): Facebook gallery (Facebook): Showcase article about the water effects.
• Luke Fellows (on Wargamers Terrain Tips and Talk): Facebook gallery (Facebook): Showcase article about the water effects.

Gonzalo Dávila Ruiz (for Duel Painter's): Viking chieftain: Tutorial article about creating a spilling beer effect.

• Gonzalo Dávila Ruiz (for Duel Painter's): Viking chieftain - spilling beer (Facebook): Showcase article.
• Gonzalo Dávila Ruiz (for Duel Painter's): Viking chieftain - spilling beer 2 (Facebook): Showcase article.
• Gonzalo Dávila Ruiz (for Duel Painter's): Viking chieftain - tutorial (Facebook): Showcase and tutorial article.

Water - Ponds and pools

Oasis

• Henry Durand (from Plastic Pirates): Desert terrain - palm trees and an oasis: Tutorial article.

Pond

• Charlie Foxtrot Models: Tutorial: Step by step "Ponds": Tutorial article.

Swimming pool

• Charlie Foxtrot Models: New Release: "Swimming Pool": Article about the product but it's easy to copy the basics from the photos.
  
  • Charlie Foxtrot Models: 28mm 1:56 "Swinning Pool": You can see the components here to build your own pool.

Water - River sections

Jez (for Table Top Games UK): Terrain Corner – River Sections: Tutorial article about creating river sections.

Water - Waterfall

This is a combination of an elevated terrain and a river.

Star Builds: Star Wars Legion: Endor Project - Landscape: Tutorial video.

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Vegetation types

Vegetation

Luke Towan: DIY Static Grass Tufts - Model Railroad - How To: Tutorial video about making realistic grass tufts out of static grass. Very informative.

Wargamesterrain: How to: Convincing Vines and Climbers: Tutorial article about making vegetation that climbs on trees, rocks or buildings. It seems for me it is for more determined modellers.

Alan Martin (for Wargamesterrain): How to: Easy and Realistic Fern: Tutorial article about making miniature ferns out of plastic ferns.

Wargamesterrain: How to: Jungle Undergrowth Terrain: Tutorial article about making undergrowth.

James Collard (BrushStroke): Quick Tip: Flowers (Facebook): Tutorial article about changing grass tufts to flowers with gluing flock to their tops.

Flowers

Stephanie Kilgast // PetitPlat: How to Sculpt Miniature Pitcher plant Nepenthes // Polymer Clay Sculpture: Tutorial video about sculpting and painting pitcher plants from polymer clay.

Stephanie Kilgast // PetitPlat: How to Sculpt Plants, Polymer Clay // Arum Titan Sculpture, Amorphophallus titanum: Tutorial video about sculpting and painting amorphallus flowers from polymer clay.

Stephanie Kilgast // PetitPlat: How to Sculpt Hibiscus Flowers // Polymer Clay Tutorial: Tutorial video about sculpting and painting hibiscus flowers from polymer clay.

Stephanie Kilgast // PetitPlat: Miniature Orchids Sculpture // Easy Flower Polymer Clay Tutorial: Tutorial video about sculpting and painting flowers from polymer clay.

Stephanie Kilgast // PetitPlat: Polymer Clay Lotus Pods Sculpture: Tutorial video about sculpting and painting lotus pods from polymer clay.

Stephanie Kilgast // PetitPlat: How to Sculpt Tropical Flowers & Plants // Polymer Clay Tutorial for Earth Day: Tutorial video about sculpting and painting flowers from polymer clay.

Succulents

Creative Rachy: Easy Succulent Design│Polymer Clay Tutorial: Tutorial video about sculpting and painting succulent plants from polymer clay.

Minicharms: Succulent brooch tutorial - suculenta arcilla polimerica: Tutorial video about sculpting and painting succulent plants from polymer clay.

Stephanie Kilgast // PetitPlat: Ice Plant Carpobrotus edulis // Invasive Crafted Species: Tutorial video about sculpting and painting ice plants from polymer clay.

Stephanie Kilgast // PetitPlat: Miniature Succulents Plants, Polymer Clay and Acrylics Tutorial: Tutorial video about sculpting and painting succulent plants from polymer clay.

Stephanie Kilgast // PetitPlat: How to Sculpt Flowers and Plants // Polymer Clay Succulents: Tutorial video about sculpting and painting succulent plants from polymer clay.

Stephanie Kilgast // PetitPlat: Polymer Clay Succulent Necklace // Speed Sculpting: Tutorial video about sculpting and painting succulent plants from polymer clay.

Tiny Clay Charm: Miniature Succulents - Polymer Clay Tutorial: Tutorial video about sculpting and painting succulent plants from polymer clay.

Succulents - Cacti

Creative Rachy: Kawaii Cactus│3 in 1 Polymer Clay Tutorial: Tutorial video about sculpting and painting cacti from polymer clay.

Stephanie Kilgast // PetitPlat: How to Sculpt Cacti / Cactus Sculptures from Polymer Clay // Succulents Plants: Tutorial video about sculpting and painting cacti from polymer clay.

Stephanie Kilgast // PetitPlat: Polymer Clay Cactus Sculpture // How to Sculpt: Tutorial video about sculpting and painting cacti from polymer clay.

Pense & Decore: DIY - Cactos de biscuit | Aprenda a modelar cactos em biscuit #1: Tutorial video about sculpting cacti.

Pense & Decore: DIY - Cactus de biscuit Aprenda a modelar cactus em biscuit #2: Tutorial video about sculpting cacti.

Trees

Games Nexus: Making trees for miniature games - Resources

Mushroom

Mr. BUG-Man: Tutorial: Simple bases & Sculpting Mushi for Trollbloods: Tutorial article about making mushrooms from wire and putty. Seems easy enough to try.

C'tan: Miniature mushroom tutorial: Tutorial article about making mushrooms from pins and plastic putty.

Stephanie Kilgast // PetitPlat: Polymer Clay Mushroom Sculpture // How To Tutorial: Tutorial video about sculpting and painting mushrooms from polymer clay.

Stephanie Kilgast // PetitPlat: Polymer Clay Amanita Mushroom Sculpture // How to Sculpt Tutorial: Tutorial video about sculpting and painting mushrooms from polymer clay.

Bamboo, bamboo groves

Wargamesterrain: How to: Easy Bamboo Vegetation: Tutorial article about making bamboo from bamboo sticks. I'd add some putty (or blobs of glue) under and beneath the notches to make it more realistic.

sho3box: Bamboo groves: Tutorial article about creating bamboo groves using plastic miniature bamboo and cork sheets.

Yeti's Yell (from Sarcophagi): Bushido: Bamboo Trees Yeti’s Way: Tutorial article about creating bamboo groves using plastic miniature bamboo and gorilla glue.

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Buildings

Emmanuel Nouaillier: Miniature building construction in foamboard: An awesome tutorial about using foamboard and plastic card for creating buildings.

Errhile: Do-It-Yourself Terrain - Cardbuilding #1: Basics of making card buildings.

Errhile: Do-It-Yourself Terrain - Cardbuilding #2: A tutorial about making cardboard walls to create buildings.

Errhile: Do-It-Yourself Terrain - Cardbuilding #3: A tutorial about making cardboard buildings with accessories (stairs, walls) that you can fit into the buildings.

Errhile: Do-It-Yourself Terrain - Cardbuilding #3,5: Help about deciding how many buildings will you need for your table.

Errhile: Do-It-Yourself Terrain - Cardbuilding #4: More designs for buildings.

Errhile: Do-It-Yourself Terrain - Cardbuilding #5: A large building that can be used to store the smaller buildings.

Claudio De Lucchi: TUTORIAL: Construction of walls (in Italian): A step-by-step guide with illustrations to create very realistic stone walls. I think some steps could be skipped unless you are devoted to insane detail.

James Wappel Miniature Painting: Among the Monuments: Showcase article with South American style scenery for lizarmen.

Henry Durand (from Plastic Pirates): Spanish Town - Administration building: Tutorial article.

Henry Durand (from Plastic Pirates): Viking Hall

• Henry Durand (from Plastic Pirates): Saga - another building in progress: Tutorial article.
• Henry Durand (from Plastic Pirates): Saga - progress on my Viking hall!: Tutorial article.
• Henry Durand (from Plastic Pirates): Saga - Viking Hall - Thatched Roof and coat of primer!: Tutorial article.

Wooden and bamboo buildings

Mary Profitt: Making Bamboo Floor for Miniature Base (Facebook): Tutorial article about creating bamboo floor (or walls) using toothpicks, but the same method can be used with bamboo skewers or anything similar.

Wooden and bamboo buildings - Village on the treetops

Little Wars TV: How to Make a Cardboard Ewok Village: Tutorial video.

Newry Bakry: How To build Ewoks Village Diorama: Tutorial video and showcase.

Star Builds: Star Wars Legion: Endor Project - Sequoia Trees part II (Ewok Village): Tutorial video.

Modern & high-tech scenery

Bugbait: 40K unfinish terrain: Excellent ideas for making cheap scenery.

Marcel Ackle (on Facebook): Oil barrels: Making oil barrels out of metal sheets, like mustard tubes.

Curt C: Pin Markers and 28mm Early-War WWII Fallshirmjägers: Tutorial on making bullet impacts, intended to be used as suppression / pinned markers.

Maelstrom's Edge (on Facebook): Building Terrain - (Part 1): Bases: Tutorial article about creating high-tech buildings from food packaging. The article uses the Maelstrom's Edge terrain sprue, but it's not essential to the buildings.

Maelstrom's Edge (on Facebook): Building Terrain - (Part 2): Structures: Tutorial article, second part.

BlackJack Legacy: How to make a game board for The Walking Dead All Out War (YouTube): Terrain tutorial video.

TheBeastsOfWar: The Walking Dead Boot Camp - A closer look at the Tables (YouTube): Terrain showcase video.

MTGandMORE: THE WALKING DEAD : ALL OUT WAR Woodbury terrain set (YouTube): Terrain showcase video.

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Terrain with electronics

Junk to Fun Projects: DIY Miniature Tents and Camp Fire (with smoke) (YouTube): Terrain tutorial video.

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Terrain tiles

Cardboard tiles

Campaign Mastery - 8 Easy Ways to Organize Your Dungeon Tiles

Roleplaying Tips - Dungeon Tile Mastery: 9 Ways To Get The Most Out Of Your Tile Collection

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Gaming boards

Modular gaming boards

ThroneOfAngels: Episode 39 - Project: Modular Terrain - The Frame System: Video about ideas for a modular board.

ThroneOfAngels: Episode 47 - Project: Modular Terrain - Tray System Part 1: Video about creating the modular board. It's very slow, so the link skips to the interesting part.

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Miniature modelling

Massive Voodoo: Tutorial: Working with string - Conversion & Basing: Tutorial article with lots of pictures on using strings for miniature or terrain modelling.

Props - Banners and flags

Pin at War: How to make flags for miniatures - step by step: Tutorial article about printing and modelling flags.

Monty Luhmann (on Twin Cities): Painting Linen Banners: Tutorial article about making flags and banners from linen pieces.

Avian (from We Iz Orcs): Making Banners: Tutorial article.

Props - Posters

Kelemen Gábor: Decals, posters, vinyls and stickers (Pinterest board): Printable posters for modern and futuristic games.

Converting miniatures

Lanse Tryon's steampunk skyship construction

• Lanse Tryon: Sir Andrew builds an Aeronef: Construction tutorial article about creating the skyship from an aircraft carrier toy.
• Lanse Tryon (on Facebook): The Rim Greaper: Showcase article for the skyship.

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Do you have further ideas about miniature terrain? Do you know other good sources? Tell us in the comments!