Modeling California Scenery: Foliage of The Coastal Hills

The rolling hills of California are distinct with seasonal

color and marked by agricultural details, a common feature.

Color and texture in scenery materials for model railroad layouts, architectural models and dioramas play a significant role in achieving a realistic representation. When modeling the California coastal hill region or a scene from it, consider that the unique beauty of the area can be accurately depicted starting with the right material choices for your project. The overall look of the model or diorama will be determined by the earth and plant material on it, so the material selections of these two elements are very important and the focus of this article.

Marked by moderate seasonal changes and varied elevations, the geographic area along the California Coast provides numerous opportunities for modeling with dramatic results. Although the topographic diversity is an important consideration in the modeling process, this article focuses on the horticultural aspect, especially the color and texture of the ground materials used to replicate a natural scene. As mentioned, it is the foundation of a great looking model, regardless of scope or size. Photographs chosen for inclusion here are meant to represent characteristics that help define a natural scene in a California coastal hill area and give readers an survey of seasonal color.

Modeling other parts of the State will also benefit from the photographs and information since hilly terrain in many areas of California share similar appearances. This is because numerous climate zones within California have distinctive natural vegetation in each but may host native plants found else where. The result for modeling is similar plant families in different areas may share the same “look” of the California coastal hills described here. Oak trees (genus Quercus) are a good example.

State of California, Circa 1881

A marine influence and temperate climate often compared to the Mediterranean, influences the plant life along the California coastal hill landscape in distinct ways. Perhaps the most apparent is the seasonal color changes that occur to grass and leaf foliage, influenced by modest temperature changes and annual rainfall. Dominant colors shift from one season to the next so establishing an approximate time of year is a first-step in model planning to achieve the best visual result when depicting a scene in the California coastal hills. 

A geographic location for your modeled scene is helpful to establish the various native species which vary according to latitude and how far inland the scene exists. Typically, Counties within the State have similar vegetation, so using them as references in topic searches is helpful. If this specific detail is not required, consider using similar plant and tree shapes, formations, heights and densities.

Lay of the Land

The interface between land use and land appearance is a primary visual concern of the artist looking to simulate a California hill scene. Agriculture is an important industry to California and will likely factor in to your planning of a scene to model or represent. Ranch land is a historical part of California and irrigated farmland often borders natural terrain today. Agricultural activities offer various opportunities to use as focal points in a variety of scenes; some are included in the photographs showing the seasons.

The influence of agriculture along with other man-made changes like roads, fences, culverts, etc., to the natural landscape help to add validity to a modeled California scene. The addition of figures, model vehicles and equipment, structures and other details will assist in the visual demonstration and are a useful consideration as you plan your project.

March on a California coastal hill with wild Mustard in the
foreground.

A Crust of Dirt and Ground Cover

Assuming you have taken advantage of the diversity of the California terrain in construction of your layout or diorama, and you have “ground” such as plaster, plaster cloth, foam, papier-mache or wood ready for finishing, your next step is to simulate raw dirt where it and rocky areas will be visible and where grasses, weeds and foliage will be applied. Various paints, pigments and washes can be used to attain a realistic look over the base materials and color, depending on the surface and desired finish. A popular choice of our customers is Woodland Scenics Earth Undercoat for an easy-to-use base color before application of specific color details, rocks, gravels, turfs and ground covers. It is nontoxic, water-soluble, dries flat and closely resembles the soil color found in the California area.

After application of paints and/or texture materials, the scenic landscape materials you apply in the next step to simulate foliage and grass are really important if you are to create your masterpiece. The scenery materials we carry meet the criteria for quality and we have a wide assortment, but your choice of color and texture from our selection will make or break your effort, no matter how “real” the other visual elements appear.

Choosing colors in the huge selection of scenery modeling materials available in the market is a critical part of your material choice and will affect the visual realism of any scene. When shopping over the Internet, it can be confusing since browsers may display colors differently, photographic image quality can vary and sometimes there are poor choices for color names.

Bachmann® SceneScapes® represent good color matches 

for California hillside grasses and foliage. By season from

left to right are Earth (Winter); Spring Green (Spring);

Burnt Grass (Summer); Yellow Straw (Fall).

I grew up in California and I have lived here almost fifty years, so perhaps you could consider me a resident expert. To assist customers and readers in accurate color selection, I took the four best representations for the dominant color in each California season, from our Bachmann line of landscape materials for turf and ground cover. There are good selections available from Woodland Scenics, an accurate product line that we also carry. Since only cultivated plants would have uniformity, color selection should be blends, varied and appropriate to the setting. For example, plants near a waterway might appear greener than those in an arid location.

Establishing direction and how a layout or diorama faces the sun is an important aspect of design. An imaginary or actual compass direction assists in color selection for believability and will influence the types of plants and trees you choose for an authentic model. Sun exposure is not always a modeling factor but it affects plant material and needs to be considered in a prototypical rendering. A southern exposure typically is dry in the summer months and with more sunlight, greens and browns tend to be in lighter shades. Plant density is usually less than in a northern exposure that commonly includes darker shades of color. A northern exposure could also have damper conditions that might host plants like mosses, for example.

With little rainfall during the summer months, the hills of

California offer a visual contrast between trees and ground

cover.

Illustrating shady areas under trees and in your modeled landscape is a very effective way of creating a visual story. Just as our eye might see color on a sunny day, your color choices and placement of your materials will help to create an illusion of realism.

The numerous geologic variations found along the California hills affords all sorts of possibilities in the execution of your model and gives you creative license to make it right for your specific needs or subject matter. The numerous micro-climates and tremendous diversity of flora in this region also gives you great flexibility in a modeling project, so in other words, let nature be your guide in your final selections. Photographs are useful if you cannot visit an area in person to help give you examples for both planning and inspiration. Magazines are good resources and one in particular is Sunset Magazine, a western favorite that often features California outdoors.

Once you have an idea about season, direction and sun exposure and have determined the appropriate color palette, select the grade or texture of your modeling material. As a rule, smaller is better in modeling scenery regardless of scale, so consider fine to medium textures primarily for grasses and ground covers and use coarse materials for shrubbery and tree foliage.

Most of the annual rainfall occurs in the winter months when

hillsides begin to green following the dry summer and fall.

Foliation of Your Scene

After benchwork and construction of your terrain base, landscaping a model scene brings it all together. Unlike landscaping in the real world, it is best to “plant” your trees and shrubs after application of turfs and ground covers on your modeled scene, so the next step will set the stage for larger plants and trees.

Randomness should be your guide in the application of any scenic material. Nature’s perfection is in this variety (even in a cut lawn) so try to avoid any uniformity of placement.  Anything that appears contrived will be a scene-stealer, so consider a process that starts with a small amount of material. This ‘less is more’ practice with scenic materials will usually provide the most believable end-result and you can always add more material until it looks correct or even days later if your scene changes.

Two methods of application may be used for scenic turfs and ground covers. In the first, the base is moistened with Scenic Cement or matte medium and the foliage is applied while the base is wet. In the second way, the material is applied, adjusted and then sprayed with a solution of Scenic Cement or matte medium. The method is also used to apply additional material later. Both ways work; experiment to find the best method and result for you. (Static grasses require electronic applicators for best results. An electric charge from the device raise the fibers in wet adhesive to resemble growing grass.)

Woodland Scenics® offers a number of

colors in landscape materials including

our most popular, Light Green.

A Generic Solution

So let us say you have no seasonal requirement and couldn’t care less about direction and the like. You just want a realistic color that will serve as the primary representation of grass and foliage that might appear in a California landscape. The answer may be our top-selling color, Woodland Scenics’ Light Green. Available in various textures and in various products, this color is a practical choice for many applications and a safe-bet for a common, natural color.

For finished models or layouts, it is always possible to enhance the appearance with modifications that include the addition of scenery materials. A few hours of craftsmanship using realistic colors of economically priced materials can change a ho-hum layout to one that is captivating. Your use of color and texture when modeling any scene is crucial to a successful rendering, even if it is not from a particular geographic area. 


For best results, plan for success by choosing your color and texture palette carefully, apply materials lightly until it looks good to your eye and above all else, let your creativity replicate the awesome beauty of the California hills.

Happy modeling,

-Roger

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