Another Attempt at a Tree

Several Internet discussions for making trees -- for model railroads, dioramas, wargames, etc.-- suggest using wire for the tree trunk and branches. So, here's a try!

I started with stranded electrical cord and stripped the insulation from a foot or so.  Three "wires" were used and wrapped around a plastic straw with a small paintbrush handle inside to keep it from collapsing.  Then the brush was removed.

Then I began to separate the strands down to about three as the smallest number; and twisted them together.  The limbs seemed a bit long, so I cut the length down to what seemed reasonable.  The goal was an old oak tree that had grown alone and spread out pretty well.  A few strands were twisted at the bottom for roots, potentially.

I mixed the usual gray and maple brown artist's paints together and tried to slather onto the trunk to fill the depressions between the wires.  That took several iterations and it's still not totally satisfying.  I tried some of the same paint on the branches but gave up and sprayed with a flat black paint.

Most of the Internet instruction used poly fiber of some sort; I used Woodland Scenics green fiber and pulled out relatively thin pieces.  These were stuck to white glue applied to the branches with a stiff paint brush.

Thereafter, I applied liberal amounts of "hard to hold" hair spray followed by sprinklings of WS fine green turf, then coarse green turf, then a light sprinkling of fine burnt green turf.

For a spreading oak tree, it might have potential:

I think I might go back to the sisal rope and twisted floral wire for most of the rest of the trees -- pine trees!!