With the Hudson & Allen IVY Kit, you will be able to make what we believe is the most realistic Ivy vine available on the market. Hudson & Allen IVY is a combination of natural and synthetic materials which come in natural colors thus eliminating the need for painting. You may, of course, paint any of the materials in this kit to suit your own application. In the "real world", ivy and other vines are usually found climbing up trees or fence posts, and often climb up buildings where they can quickly cover entire walls. From a modeling standpoint, they can be useful in blending structures into the scenic background.

Although vines do creep across the ground, the most dramatic effect is achieved when modeled "climbing". The IVY may be assembled using any of the usually available hobby glues, although we find the "white glues" are easiest to use and generally give the best results. To use the ivy material, grasp the pad of brown vine and pull it apart to simulate a branching structure. You may wish to tease the fibers apart until you achieve the look of a finely branching vine. This part is now glued to the building wall, tree, post or other model structure on which you want to place the vine. After allowing the glue to dry, you are now ready to add the leaves. Dab small amounts of glue onto the vine structure where you wish to add leaves. You should dab the glue in patterns to simulate the growth patterns of real leaves; you may want to look at real vines or photos in reference books to establish the pattern you wish to model. While the glue is still wet, sprinkle the green leaves onto the glue and allow to dry thoroughly before sealing the material with a flat clear finish. The leaves in your Hudson & Allen IVY Kit actually look like miniature ivy leaves and can be used to model other vine-like plants. Try modeling a grape arbor, an HO scale pumpkin patch, or Virginia Creeper climbing up a tree trunk. A very nice effect can be had by using Hudson & Allen BARBED WIRE (9401) to model a barbed wire fence and then model vines climbing up the fence. Try using the material in different scales; Nature has a wonderful way of repeating herself in different sizes

Hudson & Allen FOREST LITTER is a mixture of natural and synthetic materials, which can be used to model the dead leaves and forest detritus found on forest floors and at the base of deciduous trees. Modeling a realistic ground cover for forest or other leaf-covered areas has always been a difficult prospect. The lack of small leaf shapes leaf a lot to be desired from most modeler’s efforts. This product evolved from experience as museum exhibit builders and has been refined over a period of years. It is now available to you to use anywhere you wish to simulate realistic ground cover in a wooded setting. FOREST LITTER comes ready to use and requires no painting. Simply apply a small amount of white glue to the area of your model where you wish to place the litter. While the glue is still wet, sprinkle the FOREST LITTER over the glue and allow to dry. It may be necessary to spray more diluted glue over the litter to anchor loose particles. You may wish to arrange the litter so the larger leaf-like particles are at the top. This can be done by putting the FOREST LITTER in a box and shaking out the smaller particles to place on top of your litter pile. When completely dry, you may wish to seal the litter with a flat, clear sealer.

FOREST LITTER looks great at the base of trees, in low laying areas and ditches, but use your imagination to find other uses. Use the material in this set with or Hudson & Allen IVY to create a dead vine or use the brown leaves in the set with the green leaves in our ivy to make a really nice looking camouflage net for your armored vehicle. The possibilities are endless.

MODELING TIP: Add a drop of dish detergent to your white glue mix for better wetting action. You may also wish to add a few drops of a disinfectant to prevent mold growth while drying.

Hudson & Allen MUD is specially formulated using organic material and a water based adhesive to give you the easiest to use and most realistic looking MUD on the market. MUD has plagued armies since the dawn of civilization. MUD sucked the sandals off of Roman Legionnaires and mired the artillery trains of Napoleon. MUD swallowed men in the hell of Verdun and crippled the German “blitzkrieg” on the Eastern front. MUD added to the misery of the soldier in Korea and Vietnam and it will continue to plague the soldiers and equipment of any future conflict. Hudson & Allen MUD is easily mixed with warm water and applied with a brush or spatula. It can be used to simulate MUD on tires, tracks and undercarriages. Special effects such as splattered or splashed MUD are easy to achieve by loading the mixture onto a stiff brush (an old toothbrush works great) and running a finger over the brush allowing the bristles to fling the mixture onto the model. On Windshields, the arch of the wiper blades can be masked off using tape prior to flicking the MUD onto the windshield. After the MUD has dried, remove the tape to expose the clean area of the windshield. Refer to photographs of operational vehicles to determine typical accumulation. Don’t forget to put MUD on the boots or shoes of the figures in your diorama. Streaked MUD can be added to the sides of the vehicle by using a more diluted mixture and simply dragging the material down the side of the model. Hudson & Allen MUD can be used right out of the package as a weathering agent to dust wheels, tracks, fenders or any other area where dust and grime accumulate. Use a paintbrush to apply the dry powder to the area you wish to weather. It is not necessary to seal the model with a clear coat, but handling of the model should be avoided.

MODELING TIP: For a “wet” look, try mixing in artists gloss gel medium instead of water when making your MUD. This will remain glossy when dry giving you the look of fresh MUD rather than dried, caked MUD. Use your imagination, use water based paints to tint the mix before application to simulate regional variations. Have fun; don’t be afraid to play with the MUD!

Asphalt, as a naturally occuring material, was known to the ancient Greeks and Romans and was used as a waterproofing material from the earliest times. Only native deposits were known until late in the 19th century when it was discovered that asphalt could be recovered by distilling. By l928, over 80% of the worlds supply of asphalt was produced by petroleum refineries. The most widely known natural deposits of asphalt are at Val de Travers in Switzerland, Syssel in France, Mons in Belgium, Cesi and San Valentino in Italy, and Ragusa in Sicily. The largest and best known deposit of relatively pure asphalt is found as an asphalt lake on the island of Trinidad and covers approsimately l00 acres.

Hudson & Allen Studio's ASPHALT is an inorganic material which contains no asbestos. It comes pre-colored so that no painting is required, although you may wish to use Hudson & Allen MUD, RED CLAY, or MUCK to weather your ASPHALT. To use Hudson & Allen Studio's ASPHALT, simply mix with water to the consistency of a thick paste-like peanut butter. Trowel he paste into place on your diorama, smooth to the desired finish, and allow io dry. A small roller like that used for wallpapering can he helplul in achieving a nice rolled surface. If you want an older looking roadway wtih cracks, first cut out a template for your road out of cardboard and apply ihe ASPHALT over the template. When the ASPHALT has hardened, bend the cardboard to create cracks where you want them. Glue the ASPHALT covered template to your dmoranma base and work your GROUNDWORK up to the edges.

Observe real roads, paying attention to the way roads are "crowned” so that water runs off. Notice how road shoulders are treated. How wide are the shoulders? Make sure that you add the observed details to your miniature road. If you wish to paint lines on your ASPHALT road, any commonly used hobby paint will work, but you will get the best "scale look" if you stick to FLAT paints. Clear gloss can be sprayed over the ASPHALT to give a "wet” look. If you are using armored vehicles in your diorama, make sure that you gouge the ASPHALT to simulate the significant damage that tracked vehicles do to asphalt road ways. Even light bulldozers and light tanks leave their tread prints in asphalt roads.

Thank you for purchasing Hudson & Allen’s RED CLAY. With this product, you can easily model the look of the RED CLAY found in many areas of the world. As with our other powdered products you can use RED CLAY wet or dry to model various aspects of the real world whether it be a diorama of troops in Northern Italy during World War Two, a Civil War Diorama complete with Georgia Clay, or the infamous red dust so common in parts of Viet Nam. When mixed with water to the consistency of peanut butter, wonderfully real looking red mud can be added to your diorama. You can mix a small amount of artist’s get medium into your mixture to achieve a wet look even after the mixture has dried. If you are modeling vehicles and/or figures, you will want to push the vehicles wheels or tracks into the still wet mixture for the best results, this holds true for your figures feet as well.

RED CLAY can be used dry as a weathering powder for creating rust stains or heat discoloration around engine exhausts. The red dust of Viet Nam is simple to model by brushing RED CLAY onto your scene. Model railroaders will find RED CLAY useful for modeling the dust around mines and mining cars or as ore dust on freighter models. Most models of worn or rusted machinery will benefit from a dusting of RED CLAY.

With this product, you can easily model the look of the black muck normally found in wet wooded areas and swamps the world over. As with our other powdered products, you can use MUCK wet or dry to model various aspects of the "real world.” MUCK can be used dry as a weathering powder for creating coal dust stains, exhaust stains around engine exhausts, or as powder stains around gun barrels, Of curse, it makes great “muck” too. Just mix with water to the desired consistency and apply onto your model and/or GROUNDWORK. You can mix a small amount of artists gel medium into your MUCK mixture to achieve a wet look even after the mixture has dried. If you are modeling vehicles and/or figures, you will want to push the wheels or tracks into the still wet MUCK for that “stuck in the muck” look. Make sure to press your figure’s feet into the MUCK to create tracks where the figures walked into the scene

MUCK can also be used to model volcanic sand as was encountered in the Pacific during World War Two on islands such as Iwo Jima. When modeling volcanic sand, you will want to achieve a dry look, except where the ocean waves have touched the beach. Use dry MUCK to model the sand, using a little clear gloss paint to “wet” the sand at the water’s edge. Don't forget that wet uniforms tend to look darker than dry ones. Use a slightly darker color of your base uniform paint to finish those areas of the figures’ uniforms which would have gotten wet from wading onto the beach.

NOTE: This product contains no asbestos.

Snow has always been a challenge to model because scale snow must be fine enough to look ”in scale,” yet have a little sparkle to it, and still look cold and fragile. Materials used in the past all had their drawbacks, Sugar attracts bugs, Baking soda yellows quickly, Flour does both Glitter usually looks way over scale and imparts a Christmas-like or tin-like look to the scene being modeled. Hudson & Allen Studio SNOW is a blend of inorganic materials which will not attract bugs (at least any we’ve ever been able to find). Will not yellow, and will give you realistic looking snow for your diorama. It is easy to use right out of the bag and requires no painting. Simply mix with water to a paste like consistency, and spread onto your dioraima to form flows and drifts. Allow to thoroughly dry. Stand back and graciously receive your well deserved praise. If you wish to model a dusting of snow, use this product dry. First, wet the area to receive the snow with diluted white glue or a dusting of clear laquer. While the model is still wet, sift a light coat of Hudson & Allen SNOW onto the model and allow it to dry. Blow off any unadhered SNOW and touch up any uncovered areas that may base been missed. As always, observe real snow or use reference photos to study how real snow accumulates. For those of you in Tahiti and other warm climates: don’t bother, you’re not missing that much. I Notice how it sits in the corners of window panes, how it drifts, how it mounds up. Study the imprints that feet, wheels, and tracks make. Use your observations to replicate the real world snow that you see. Don’t be afraid to experiment; playing in the snow can be lots of fun!

“Slush” is that hard to describe material you get when you mix ice or snow with water to form a semi-frozen mess. It is usually tinted by the soil or other dirt below it and from the wheels or tracks of vehicles moving through it. Although this description may not sound to glamorous, when modeled properly it can add a wonderful effect to any diorama. Imagine your model splashing through a puddle full of dirty SLUSH with chunks of ice floating and bobbing while frozen miniature infantry look longingly at the beautiful vehicle you’ve modeled. Simply add water, mix to the desired consistency, and add to your diorama. After your Hudson & Allen SLUSH has dried, you can do some final touch up and add a little clear gloss or artist’s gel medium to add a “wet” look. You can also sprinkle dry Hudson & Allen SNOW (9604) onto the still wet SLUSH or even mix it in with the SLUSH to get some really nice effects. Experiment; some of the most interesting effects are those the have been “discovered” by mixing a little of this with a little of that. SLUSH can be made even dirtier looking by adding some Hudson & Allen MUD (9504), MUCK (9603), or RED CLAY (9602) as coloring agents. It can also be used with our WINTER GROUNDWORK (9992).

SLUSH is also compatible with all of the commonly used clear casting resins used to model water, so try adding some SLUSH around the edges of your nearly frozen puddles and/or ditches.

Thank you for buying Hudson & Allen Studio’s FOLIAGE. In developing this product, we tried to offer the modeler an alternative to ground foam or photo etched products. Foliage is the term used to describe the leaves of growing plants or plant leaves collectively. This has always been difficult to model in the larger scales and as a result, some modelers avoid it completely. Our FOLIAGE is a natural product similar to that used in or IVY (9402) and FOREST LITTER (9403), but somewhat coarser in size. It has not only a leaf-like shape, but has dimensional surface detail. Although it is already dyed green, you may add color variations with almost any commonly available paints.

FOLIAGE may be affixed to branch structures with common “white glue” or spray adhesive. For branch structures, try using dried flowers such as Caspia or Sweet Annie. Plant roots can also be used and can be quite long lasting if treated with a water and glycerin mixture. Let the roots dry completely, then mix the glycerin with warm water and soak the root structure overnight. If you wish to have even more control over the shape and density of your branches, try twisting them out of fine fuse wire and paint over with artists’ tube acrylics to fill in the wire and shape the branch. Don’t forget to use our FOREST LITTER under your tree!

Thank you for purchasing Hudson & Allen’s GROUNDWORK. We have been using this material to create ground contours for almost 30 years now, and when used with other products in our range, it will easily create realistic environments for your dioramas. To use, add warm water and mix with a palette knife to a thick paste. The more water you add, the longer it will take to dry and the more it will shrink. (MODELER'S HINT: add a little Disinfectant to the water to prevent any mold growth while drying). The mix contains adhesive and is pre-colored in a range to match our MUD (9504). You may even apply wet washes of RED CLAY (9602) or MUCK (9603) to the surface for variations. One of the chief advantages of the longer drying time is the ability to place objects into the GROUNDWORK of dried winter grasses and weeds so they appear to grow out of the ground. Grass and small twigs can be “planted” by dipping the base to be “planted” into white glue and pushing into the wet GROUNDWORK. Don’t worry about excess white glue showing, as the wet groundwork material will carry away the excess so you never have glossy globs at the base of your plantings. Small stones, FOREST LITTER (9403) or WOODLAND DEBRIS (9993) can be sprinkled on then lightly pressed into place with a soft brush. Most, if not all will stay in place with the adhesive in the GROUNDWORK mix. Anything loose can be fixed with liquid matte medium or with a white glue and water mix. Although many people will advise a plaster base, we recommend the use of Styrofoam. We like the open celled type that is sold in craft stores for dried flower arrangements because it is easy to work with and you can easily push delicate objects into it. You can also use much less GROUNDWORK paste so it will go much further. We like to keep it from ¼” to ½” thick. Try special effects like adding MUD and gloss medium mix to a still wet road, or for winter also sprinkle SLUSH (9605) into the treatment as described above to create that “driven” look. Don’t forget to add wheel and tank tracks to the still wet road… don’t forget footprints either! Another nice feature is the ability to “plant” SUMMER TURF (9617) or SPRING TURF (9616) into the still wet mix… take a pinch of TURF and push into the GROUNDWORK, pull back and see the fibers “grow” out like individual blades of grass. If you wish to change the color of the soil after it is dry, you can use washes of acrylic paints and/or dry brush. Experiment and have fun!

HINT: Add a drop or two of liquid detergent to your white glue and water mix so to make it penetrate any dry materials and to act as a wetting agent.

Hudson & Allen WINTER GRASS is a natural hair product, which has been processed and colored to be used right out of the package. Modeling realistic winter grass has always been difficult with rope, brush bristles, and other less than ideal materials. It is now possible to achieve museum quality results using our WINTER GRASS. In most applications we clip small clumps of the grass fmm the backing and "plant” it into our GROUNDWORK (9714) with common white glue. The most effective results can be achieved by planting the clumps while your GROUNDWORK is still wet. This method allows you to vary the height and density of the grass achieving a most life like result. In some cases you may cut irregular patches of the backing material with the grass attached and glue it directly to a dry scenic base and then disguise the backing by working the GROUNDWORK material up to the edges. Although we feel our material has natural variation in it’s coloring right out of the package, further effects can be achieved by airbrushing and combining our WINTER GRASS with TALL GRASS (9503) and FALL GRASS (9519). Cutting thin strips and gluing in place can model the longer grass that typically grows along walls, fences, and in ditches. Look at photos and notice how grass is often allowed to grow around posts, trees and, other objects where trimming is difficult.

MODELING TIP: To model short GRASS, try trimming the hair to a height of about 1/8th of an inch and glue it to our diorama using contact cement. Then, sift fine sand over the entire area until the backing material incompletely covered. A soft Bristol brush can be used to arrange the hair and sand to the desired effect. Normal household white glue can be diluted with warm water and a few drops of dishwashing soap. Apply the thinned-down glue solution with an eyedropper or a spray bottle. When dry, you will have the looks of hundreds of individual blades of grass growing out of the soil.

In developing this product, we tried to offer the modeler an alternative to ground foam or laser-cut products. Autumn leaves have always been difficult to model and as a result, some modelers avoid it completely. Our AUTUMN LEAVES are a natural product similar to that used in our IVY (9402), FOLIAGE (9712) and FOREST LITTER (9403). It has not only a leaf like shape, but has dimensional surface detail. Although already dyed autumn colors, you may add color variations with almost any commonly available paints. The AUTUMN LEAVES may be affixed to branch structures with common “white glue” or spray adhesive. For branch structures, try using dried flowers such as Caspia or Sweet Annie. Plant roots can also be used and can be quite long lasting if treated with a water and glycerin mixture. Let the roots dry completely, then mix the glycerin with warm water and soak the root structure in it overnight. If you wish to have even more control over the shape and density of your branches, try twisting them out of fine fuse wire and paint over with artists’ tube acrylics to fill in the wire and shape the branch. Don’t forget to use our FOREST LITTER (9403) under your tree and them scatter loose AUTUMN LEAVES over it to create a classic fall look.

We have been using variants on this material to create ground contours for almost 30 years now, and when used with other products in our range, it will easily create realistic environments for your dioramas. To use, add warm water and mix with a palette knife to a thick paste. The more water you add, the longer it will take to dry and the more it will shrink. (MODELER'S HINT: add a little Disinfectant to the water to prevent any mold growth while drying). The mix contains adhesive and is pre-colored white to match our SNOW (9604). You may even apply SLUSH (9605) to the surface for variations. One of the chief advantages of the longer drying time is the ability to place objects into the GROUNDWORK of dried winter grasses and weeds so they appear to grow out of the ground and are surrounded by snow. Grass and small twigs can be “planted” by dipping the base to by “planted” into white glue and pushing into the wet WINTER GROUNDWORK. Don’t worry about excess white glue showing, as the wet GROUNDWORK material will carry away the excess so you never have glossy globs at the base of your plantings. Small stones, debris, slush or snow can be sprinkled on then lightly pressed into place with a soft brush. Most, if not all will stay in place with the adhesive in the GROUNDWORK mix. Anything loose can be fixed with liquid matte medium or with a white glue and water mix. Although many people will advise a plaster base, we recommend the use of Styrofoam. We like the open celled type that is sold in craft stores for dried flower arrangements because it is easy to work with and you can easily push delicate objects into it. You can also use much less GROUNDWORK paste so it will go much further. We like to keep it from ¼” to ½” thick. Try special effects like adding SNOW to cover the groundwork to create a sparkling cold effect. Or add SLUSH and gloss medium mix to a still wet road to create that “driven” look. Don’t forget to add wheel and tank tracks to the still wet road… don’t forget footprints either!

HINT: Add a drop or two of liquid detergent to your white glue and water mix so to make it penetrate any dry materials and to act as a wetting agent.

Hudson & Allen Studio’s WOODLAND DEBRIS is a mixture of various natural and synthetic materials, which can be used to model the dead leaves and forest detritus found on forest floors. Modeling realistic ground cover for woodlands or other leaf-covered areas has always been a difficult prospect. This product evolved from experience as museum exhibit builders has been refined over a period of years. It is now available to you to use anywhere you wish to simulate realistic ground cover in a woodland setting. WOODLAND DEBRIS comes ready to use and requires no painting or dying. WOODLAND DEBRIS can be used loose to cover bases of figures or it can be permanently affixed to your scenic base. To permanently fix in place simply apply a small amount of white glue to the area of your model where you wish to place the debris. While the glue is still wet, sprinkle the WOODLAND DEBRIS over the glue and allow to dry. It may be necessary to spray more diluted glue over the debris to anchor loose particles. You may wish to arrange the debris so the larger leaf-like particles are at the top. When completely dry, you may wish to seal the WOODLAND DEBRIS with a flat, clear sealer.

WOODLAND DEBRIS looks great at the base of trees and other wooded areas, but ue your imagination to find other uses.

MODELING TIP: Add a drop of dish detergent to your white glue mix for better wetting action. You may also wish to add a few drops of a disinfectant to prevent mold growth.

When it absolutely, positively has to look real!