The use of colours in terrain models

Coloured reliefs are more realistic than uncoloured ones, but there are some important rules to consider when choosing colours. First there is the choice of the type of colour. Not suitable for a realistic effect is oil paint, as it makes the surface glossy and flattens the tiny surface roughness of craggy parts of the relief. For plaster terrains, a water-soluble paint, synthetic resin, dispersion or acrylic paint is most convenient [1].

For the choice of tints, it is most important that colours are not too colourful [2]; in fact, the colours of the model should not be the same as in the nature. Colours of a terrain model should rather depict the landscape as it appears to the viewer from a distance of a few kilometres. Indeed, looking at a the model from a distance of several decimetres or metres corresponds to a distance of a few kilometres in nature. But in reality, the atmosphere changes the colours of a landscape when the distance exceeds some hundred meters. The longer the distance between the observer and the landscape, the more the atmosphere influences colours. This effect renders colours lighter, bluer and more assimilated. Therefore, the artist should mix pure colour with a large amount of white, and eventually a touch of blue. Grassland should not be painted with strong green - particularly alpine meadows must be coloured in a light yellow-ochre (-green). Also, alpine streams should not be blue but white.

The painting should not compete with the forms of the relief. It has only to support the effect of the shaped miniature landscape; particularly it must not anticipate a certain direction of illumination. It is best to assume a summer day with equal light over the whole sky [3].

The colour of a model depends always on the illumination. So it is possible to change the colour of the light to simulate different day times, as demonstrated on Imfelds relief of the Jungfrau group at the World exhibition in Paris 1900 simulating the alpenglow [4].

It is essential, that the painter is familiar with the peculiarity of that type of landscape he deals with and understands the geological processes forming a landscape. Thus, painted reliefs often are able to articulate the geological structure of a landscape. For special tasks, as a matter of course, reliefs also can be painted in special colours as for geologically painted models. But even in this case, the colours may not be too much variegated. Better is a pastel-coloured touch.