08-14-2011, 02:16 PM
The water itself is Envirotex. The color beneath it is Permanent Hooker green. The ripples are made by waiting till the Envirotex is nearly set, anywhere between 4 and 6 hours. I spent 1 1/2 hours creating the ripples, because I started too soon. Better too soon than too late! All that happens when you start too soon is the water levels itself again. To create the ripples you simply use a palette knife (or a piece of styrene like I did, because I couldn't find the knife) to dip and dig into the Envirotex, then pull up. Many many times! The Envirotex pulls up when you pull up on the knife and slowly returns to level. At some point it sets up enough that the leveling takes longer. After you've done it a couple times, you'll know if you're way to early (yeah right, that's why I was downstairs for almost two hours!) You;ll get some beautiful ripples toward the end, but be vigilant, 15 minutes later they'll be much lower. Keep working it. After a while it will harden to the point you can no longer easily lift it, it's time to stop. Practice on a mock-up first. The falls: I had a one inch drop between levels, I used a piece of quarter round as the damn. I painted it concrete, then applied some Woodland Scenics water effect. I applied beads of it vertically. It takes 24 hours to turn clear, so with the many layers I wound up using, you must have patience. This is one thing I have in spades, which is why very little gets done! I painted some thinned Hooker Green on the water effect. Then more water effect. Then i dry brushed white on the water effect. Then more water effect. A cotton ball was patted onto the Envirotex after the ripples were done, the Envirotex was still tacky, it will be all night probably. The cotton ball leaves some material which can be controlled pretty easily.
Gary
Gary