I was on facebook yesterday and saw a nice looking grassy terrain mat and got into a bit of a conversation about it. I then decided to try my hand at making one. I had all the bits and pieces that I needed so I got started.
I used a 2 meter fleece blanket that I picked up from Target for $15. I set up a table in my garage and laid out the blanket and started painting it with various acrylics that I had in the garage. I started with patches of dark green and dark brown. I followed that with an overall covering of medium green and topped that with a lighter green and ocher. I then put on a top coat of a pale yellow (called "Mango" on the tub) to blend it all together.
It took a few hours to do. Each layer/coat took about an hour or so followed by drying time. I then left it hanging overnight to dry completely.
It may not be as good as a pro-gaming mat but to buy a decent mat in Australia will set you back about $120.00. So $25 and a bit of work is a good saving.
Looks good. I would be wary of doing a tea dye. As I understand it, a fleece is a polyester, so will not absorb a dye in the same way that cotton does. Instead both paint and dyes sit on top of the fibre. I am guessing that a tea dye will only serve to weaken the paint that you have worked so hard to apply.
ReplyDeleteI have a similar green fleece. I ruined the last one with rattle can sprays (it made the thing sticky to itself when folded), but from your post, I am tempted to have another go with acrylics, perhaps with a roller and sponge.
Thanks for the advice Norm. It looks pretty nice and it would be a shame to ruin it. I could just make another using a brown fabric. At $25 a pop, it's going to break the bank.
DeleteI used 3" brush and a fine comb. I'm not too sure about a roller as it's more of a dry brushing technique, although a large sponge sounds like an interesting idea.