Project Log: Handcrafted Coniferous Trees
PHASE: The Sketch, the Plan, and the Materials
This project is something I’ve been planning for a while for two reasons:
Trees seem like a difficult type of terrain to scratch-build, so I wanted to see if I could manage it. At the same time, I hope conifers will be a bit easier to make than leafy trees.
My first ever army in Middle-earth SBG (about 20 years ago!) was High Elves, and I think they’ve been waiting long enough for a forest to fight in.
So this will be a set of tall coniferous trees — designed to add verticality and bring a forest atmosphere to my terrain builds. But before jumping into glue and foliage, I wanted to pause and map things out properly.
Starting with a sketch
I always begin with a sketch to figure out proportions. In this case, the key factor was the height — I needed trees tall enough to be imposing, but still short enough to fit into the storage cabinet I use. That meant doing some measuring before drawing!
The sketch helps me stay consistent and test ideas without wasting materials.
Materials I’ll be using
You’ll find the full list in the image above — these are the supplies I’ve gathered for the base, structure, and foliage.
This is my first attempt at conifers, so it’s going to be a try & learn as you go kind of process — but I’m excited to see how these trees will grow on my craft table, and to finally give my Elves some proper surroundings!
Follow for updates – next phase: trunks and structure!