Terrain mats

Hobby wise, these past two years were spent refurbishing old collections and for the most part these were ancient, medieval and fantasy collections. Terrain mats are now the final part of the project.

The work table is 160cm x 80cm and is used for games and this project would produce several mats representing the most common ground for the armies; Desert/arid, Mediterranean and Temperate. The material used for the terrain mats is identical to those used for roads, rivers, hills and area templates.

Below, is a list of materials and tools used for all terrain mats.

Brush

Plenty of newspaper

Paint roller and tray

Sponges (ball and feathered type)

Acrylic White household paint

Acrylic colour for assorted ground

Plant sprayer (for diluted white glue)

Glass jar with lid (for diluted white glue)

Electrostatic grass flocking

A sieve/strainer, the larger the better

The ground

First step, become familiar with the various stages and the amount of drying time required between steps. The test piece, used an old DBA terrain mat (60cm x 60cm), covered with green grass. This was brushed off as much as possible and given a coat of White acrylic household paint.

Two, thoroughly dried, I applied a coat of Warm Grey, despite the name, it does dry a nice earth tone.

Three, using thinned Burnt Sienna, I sponged 20 – 30% of the mat and followed next with a moistened feathered sponge to soften the edges. Test the mix on white paper first to determine the right amount of water.

Four, mixing Warm Grey with a bit of Black, sparingly apply this with a sponge to bring variation to your ground.

The grass

Use the glass jar to mix white glue with water (50/50). Before pouring the diluted glue into the sprayer, adjust the nozzle opening to produce a fine mist, test the effect with water. A good habit, after each use, pour the mix back into the glass jar and clean the sprayer with water. 

Five, spray about 30 - 50% of the test mat. Pour the electrostatic grass into a sieve and gently shake above the terrain mat. 

Six, tap the loose grass off. If needed, repeat step five, if not then spray diluted white glue to fix the grass in place.

With the test completed and steps noted, work can begin on the larger, 160cm x 80cm terrain mats. Follow the links to the terrain mat of interest; Desert/Arid, Mediterranean, Temperate and Sea mat.