EXPERT MODELLERS SHOW YOU HOW
CREATE SNOW EFFECTS WITH A GRASS BOX
HOW TO
Peter Marriott finds a winter use for an electrostatic grass planting tool.
PHOTOGRAPHY: PETER MARRIOTT
Every autumn I start thinking about fresh ways of working with snow to produce a new winter diorama. We don’t get a lot of snow in this country, so it always seems to be a big event when we do. And, since it’s rare, it isn’t something often modelled.
This year, I have been experimenting with white static grass fibres in conjunction with a WW Scenics Pro Grass Box. This box is specifically designed for planting static grass to make tufts or grass strips, but it also has wider applications. The box measures 12 x 9.5 x 5cm and is powered by a 9V battery which needs to be inserted into the device. The tool works in the reverse of the more familiar electrostatic grass tools, with grass fibres flying upwards through the air rather than down when using electrostatic grass tools. It’s a useful tool for making grass fibres, grass strips and adding foliage to hedges and trees, but it also works on adding snow. A similar technique could also be used for a random array of reds, oranges and browns in autumn. It’s a very simple process and if you set up a production line, you could have a small forest ready to go in no time at all!