How to Make a Plain Landform Model
Plain is the name of a relatively flat type of landform characterized by small changes in elevation. The flat terrain of plains is pivotal for farming, and the flat terrain also makes roads and railways easier to build because mountains and hills are not blocking the way. The structure of a plain model is quite uncomplicated, making the craft approachable, even for modeling novices. A plain landform model is useful for geography projects or as a means for teachers to help students understand the basic features of this type of landform.
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Things You'll Need
- 15-by-15-inch cardboard
- Oil-based clay
- Instant polyurethane glue
- Green, brown or cream felt
- White polymer clay
- Acrylic paint
- Modeling trees
- High-gloss blue paper sheet
- Sand
- Wire brush
Instructions
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1
Form two or three disks with oil-based clay, measuring 3 inches in diameter and 1/6 inch in height. Glue the disks on random spots of your 15-by-15-inch cardboard base. These disks represent low hills -- the highest parts of a plain landform. Also, draw the stream of a river or the location of a lake, if you are making the model of a fertile valley.
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2
Apply glue on the cardboard base and the hills, and cover them with green, brown or cream felt. The felt color depends on your plain's flora; for example, use cream felt for deserts and green felt for fertile valleys.
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3
Apply a drop of instant polyurethane glue on the base of small modeling trees -- available at modeling stores -- and stick them on the felt. If you are making a dry desert plain, apply glue on the cream felt, and sprinkle sand over your model. Do not cover the space designated for a river or lake.
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4
Mold white polymer clay with your hands to create small rocks. Put the rocks in a regular oven, bake them for 30 minutes per 1/4 inch of thickness and allow them to cool down. Place the solid clay rocks on a flat surface, and paint their high parts gray; before the paint dries, wash the rocks with water to allow the paint to "run" through the object and create a realistic rock model.
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5
Glue the rocks on random parts around the plain. Sprinkle sand over them if you are making a desert plain model.
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6
Cover the space designated for the river or lake with high-gloss blue paper. To depict areas covered in dirt, but featuring scarce vegetation, sprinkle sand over green felt. Use a wire brush to scatter the sand and complete the model.
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Tips & Warnings
Pebbles are an alternative to using polymer clay stones to depict large rocks in a plain landform.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Thinkstock/Comstock/Getty Images
