Making roads, forest floor, and fields from cloth/felt!

In this weeks video I show you how I make cloth/felt forest floor, fields, and roads.
#terrainmaking #wargamingterrain #dashofelan #clothterrain #modelterrain
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[@winter9703]

5 years after it was first posted, this video is still one of my favourite no-nonsense terrain videos for simple historical terrain effects. Not rocket science, but just a clear straightforward ideas for beginners (and experts). Cheers.

[@Anglerwave]

With so much 3d printing these days its refreshing to see this organic approach. I like the versatility you mention with shapes adopting neighboring surfaces instead of making a whole new part like the forest on a hill. I bet the results have a nice aroma. I'd probably throw in some raw incense. My mind is buzzing. Thank you!

[@dashofelanwargaming4359]

Fantasticals!!!

[@nerdfatha]

This was really great! I was looking for some felt terrain tutorials and this really did the trick. Thank you!

[@lachlankirk6615]

Great vid! I made some of these roads today, and they really do look great

[@marvelmaddad7786]

Great idea will definitely give this a go.

[@WendyDaCanuck]

They look great and I especially liked how the fields look.

[@Forge_n_Brush]

Thanks, Wendy. Me too. So easy to make. ~Fritz

[@mikesmith2905]

Nice, thanks for sharing

[@Maxyshadow]

Brilliant vid thanks!

[@unaccomplishedwargamer8716]

Great vid. Thanks for sharing.

[@Forge_n_Brush]

Welcome, Unaccomplished WG! I appreciate that. ~K

[@tinaprice4948]

Those fields look so good!

[@Forge_n_Brush]

Thanks, Tina. Amazing what you can do with something as simple as cloth and felt. Take care. ~Fritz

[@TheDiomedef16]

Excellent tutorial, lots of techniques very well explained.

[@Forge_n_Brush]

Thanks, Ian.

[@maryhinge6334]

Some nice ideas. Thanks for sharing. 🙂

[@Forge_n_Brush]

Thanks, buddy. Glad it was useful.

[@bruceschmidt3404]

Nice video, very helpful!! Thanks

[@Forge_n_Brush]

Thank you, Bruce. Glad it was useful.

[@kakapokid1796]

Definitely gonna try this! Recently started flames of war and this would allow me to easily transport my scenery to the local gaming club.

[@JBGarrison72]

Thanks for posting this great video! I didn't really know how I was going to approach making plowed fields until I saw this. :D

[@Forge_n_Brush]

Thanks, Jeff. I really appreciate that. Simple, yet effective. Glad I could help. ~K (Fritz)

[@BrushQuill]

Very nice.

[@philRminiatures]

Creative and very nicely done!

[@Forge_n_Brush]

Thanks, Phil. Glad you enjoyed. ~K

[@sirrathersplendid4825]

Some great food for thought. The roads are great, the ploughed fields exceptional. Only let down were the woods, which look scraggy at best. I use pretty thick felt as a base for my woods. It can take a lot of paint, flock and pva without warping. In real life, of course, woods are often over broken, hilly ground that is less useful for farming, so my technique doesn’t help. Must try some roads using your technique tomorrow!

[@johnhart7704]

Nice video.

[@Forge_n_Brush]

Thanks, John. I really appreciate your feedback... and support. Keeps me at this. Plenty more coming soon.

[@davidgeister]

Well done!

[@DE-rd1zl]

Awesome stuff. May have to try this :D

[@Forge_n_Brush]

Thank you, D E. Please do and let me know how you get along. ~K

[@johnwayneeverett6263]

HEY THANKS FOR THIS I LEARN A BIT AND MOST OF ALL .....THIS IS REALLY GOOD SO THANKS

[@Forge_n_Brush]

Welcome, John. Glad you enjoyed. Hope to post more goodness soon. ~K

[@HeresyProducktionz]

Great techniques Kurtis!

[@Forge_n_Brush]

Thanks, Palmer. Fits the bill for me.

[@weirdwwii8775]

Great stuff!

[@Forge_n_Brush]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@stephenmudiecastles.2938]

Wallpaper can make really good playing surfaces.

[@johnwayneeverett6263]

ELAN I AM RETIRED SCHOOLS.....LOV HISTORY....MISS THE KIDS BUT YA RETIREMENT IS NICE I LIVE PAST BAKERSFIELD UP IN KERNVILLE AND LAKE ISABELLA CA.....SOME DAY I WOULD LIKE TO VISIT YA IF I AM NEAR YOUR TOWN ....I WILL GIVE YA A CALL OK...LOVE YOUR STYLE..

[@evanmoore2141]

Nice!

[@Forge_n_Brush]

Thanks, Evan. Hope you found it somewhat useful. ~Fritz

[@kenc9236]

Nice

[@WARdROBEPlaysWWII]

Well done

[@Forge_n_Brush]

Thanks, Itinerant. Hope it was useful. ~K

[@LesDempseySoloLesta]

Nicely done!

[@Forge_n_Brush]

Thanks, Les. ~Fritz

[@LesDempseySoloLesta]

@GMsAlcove I've been using felt as something cheep and quick in place of foam terrain. I never thought of giving it the same treatment. And I love that it can be use over modular unpainted foam block hills. This is brilliant.

[@alistairbain6149]

Helpful vid. Thank you! Just one problem: the sound didn’t quite pick up your voice so I missed a lot of what you were saying 😞

[@Forge_n_Brush]

Thanks, Alistair. The video sound is fine, however. It would have to be on your end. Check you volume on the video, not just your computer/mobile volume. Take care. ~Fritz

[@hangarflying]

I know you’re on an RPG kick at the moment, but it would be pretty cool to see a short live stream of you building a road and field section in real time. Also, what do you recommend for base areas for towns, villages, and the like?

[@Forge_n_Brush]

All doable. Not a bad idea doing a live stream making terrain. I remember using some gray felt laid down to represent pavement for urban areas. I experimented with various textures and markings - like stone cobblestones - to better represent it, with buildings added on top. Going back further, I also made use of mdf boards painted gray, dark blue, dark green, etc. - for 40k and Necromunda battles. At the moment I am using shades of brown cloth or felt with some black paint rubbed in here and there. I just lay building and such on these cloth pieces.

[@hankscorpio8928]

Amazing video. I’m just getting to 15mm. Do you do any pre-measuring for your table size and plot the amount of terrain you can have on it?

[@Forge_n_Brush]

Not really. I put together sizes that look about right. Of course, for skirmish type games - like Bolt Action - you would have lots more terrain on the table - or bigger pieces. Thanks, Hank. ~Fritz

[@andyrmac7733]

Not sure how I missed this one. It's helpful for me as I want to do some ACW and I am having a real dilema deciding on which scale 15mm, 6mm or even 2mm I want to go big but my Naps have taught me regarding space you need to store and play and cost so may only do a small 15mm army so I can play fire and fury. But can't quite.decide how I'm going to do big battles. ??? I go with 2m. Initially to keep.cost down a d move to 6mm thereafter!! Hope things sre going g well. Aye

[@ianjackson8643]

for the roads you only need a centre flocking for late 20th century onwards. prior to the invention of the automobile horse transport would use the whole of the road so averaging the wear so no centre patch on roads before the automobile came into common use and horses fell out of use

[@sirrathersplendid4825]

Ian Jackson - Are you sure about that? Before automobiles you had horse carts which also had wheels, which also dug ruts. In Roman Ephesus on the main thoroughfares the cart ruts in solid stone are several inches deep, worn away over centuries.

[@ianjackson8643]

Yes because the horse walks in the middle of the cart so it clears the centre of the cart track

[@ianjackson8643]

And yes solid stone roads are different but then they don't get grass growing down the middle

[@squallgoku777]

How thick is the cloth you are using as a base material?

[@Forge_n_Brush]

Only a few mm. Thinner the better, unless you want to really flock it up. You don't want it too thick. it needs to be bendable to better conform to things like hills.

[@TheLordRossy]

Interesting. Can certainly do that. Although how you handle buildings? Is there quick, easy and cheap way to do those too?

[@Forge_n_Brush]

Thanks, Ross. Oh, and yes! I made a whole 15mm village in a weekend with just spackle and corrugated card. It was meant to be a weekend project, and so it was. I may do a video on that as well.

[@BearGrisham]

How does the felt hold up over time? Also what do you make your main battle mat out of?

[@Forge_n_Brush]

My pieces are still holding up with no damage at all - years later. If you store them well, you shouldn't have any probs. I have flocked tables and cloth tables. I use Cigar Box Battle Mats most of the time. www.cigarboxbattle.com/category/terrain-mats/ They are very convenient. I also have a FELT green flocked mat that I have from Geo-Hex. I dry-brushed this some lighter greens, yellow, and browns to add color texture. Hope that helps. Take care, Bear. ~Fritz

[@bhangrafan4480]

Testing

[@Forge_n_Brush]

It worked! :)

[@user-sk2ec1il5s]

Hi !! What is thé scale on video ?

[@Forge_n_Brush]

Most of the models are 15mm.

[@mattygee37]

What type of cloth do you use?

[@Forge_n_Brush]

Ideally a soft felt - not the rigid type. You can get the felt in rolls, or in small sheets. I also choose a color that is easy to integrate with what I am creating - mostly browns. You can use any type of cloth, really. As long as it is not rigid and a proper color.

[@sirrathersplendid4825]

The key seems to be a cloth that doesn’t fray at the edges, which mainly restricts you to felts.