What's the fastest way to make trees?

Well, after our StillMeadow Crossing work session, we are still not sure . . .  but we finished some nice Woodland Scenics deciduous trees and we got a nice start on some conifers.  Steve, Jeff and I were assisted by Scott Mingus in tree-making.  Scott has a lot of landscape modeling experience from his many years of Civil War Wargaming.  Thanks again, Scott.

Making Conifers:

1.  Cut cedar shake into strips

2.  Carve into round trunk and add "bark" with a wood rasp

3.  Separate furnace filter material into thin layers and cut into circles, stars, and triangles

4.  White glue filter pieces to trunk

5.  Spray paint with Rustolem Flat Brown Camo

6.  Spray with thinned white glue and sprinkle ground foam

Woodland Scenics Large Tree Kit

Movin' Tracks

You will notice that I said Movin' Tracks, not Movin' Trains.  Last night I imposed upon friends to move my layout to the new train room.  Thanks Kevin, Jeff, Steve, and Scott!

Looks like a tight squeeze!

The StillMeadow Guys moving mountains

Green thumb

I think that I am finally developing a green thumb.  Not just because I got white glue and foam on it, either.  My trees are starting to look like, well, trees.
I trimmed up and re-shaped my first bottle brush tree.   Here is the final result:

OK for a start, but I wanted to try for a lighter, "wispier" look.  I found a nice tutorial HERE.

First start with a lot less sisal rope.

Spray with hairspray and sprinkle on 1/8 to 1/4" snips of sisal rope.
This builds up the branch structure.
(repeat 2 more times)

Spray with brown spray paint

Spray with hairspray and sprinkle on foam foliage and coarse foam
(repeat 2 more times)

The "wispier" look
(Uh, more like "we're having a major drought")