Friday Quick Tip: Wrecked Vehicle Marker

Today is a quick tip that I've been trying to post for quite a while.  Ever since I saw the huge explosion markers in the Apocalypse book I wanted to duplicate that look on a smaller scale for wrecked vehicle markers.  Here's a quick run-down on how I built the markers.

Foam, paperclips, hot glue and clump foliage are what you need for this project.  The foam and paperclips give you a foundation for the foliage.

I prefer to use the "Fall" mixture for this so that you can get a nice red-yellow-orange explosion color  without having to paint anything.

Build a shape with the foam and wire and lay out a bunch of the foliage on a paper plate or other clean surface.  You might have to break up some of the foliage into smaller bits, but keep a mix of size to give the piece more texture.

Work with the hot glue gun over an area of about a square inch or so at a time and them quickly press the foam into the pile of foliage on the plate.  Be patient and make sure you get good coverage and then gently brush the excess off after the hot glue solidifies.

Once assembled, painting is easy.  Either with grey spray paint or your airbrush, spray from above and slightly to the side to create smoke.  Then from the top spray some black for dark smoke.  If you want a more smoky look, spray the whole thing grey or black and highlight it with grey and white spray.  

Since the foliage is spongy, spray in light coats so that you can get it soggy.  If you get too soggy the paint will disperse through the foliage and ruin the top-down painting effect.

This project also scales well; you can do it on a small 25mm base or something as large as the Apocalypse explosions on a 5" or 6" base and several inches tall.

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