- I cut out a rough shape from cork matting (IKEA used to sell this as placemats, but have stopped carrying them, although I'm sure other shops still do)
- I smeared out beige caulking all over the cork, also built up the rim where the water would be, I let it sit for a couple of minutes, then spread sand all over it and pushed it in (a messy job)
- I then let that dry for several days before painting it dark brown
- I wetbrushed with sandcoloured acrylics, then drybrushed with the same with added white. A final drybrush with almost pure white (just a touch of sand in it).
- I let that dry a couple of days again, then washed with Army Painter Soft or Strong Tone (I can't remember...).
- I then poured in Vallejo Still Water, and added more after 24 hours. It then sat a couple of days in our spare room and all looked well.
- As we were having guests (my dad) over for a week, I took it out to the garage (heated and dry), where it then sat for a week, When I was going to take it in again, most of the Still Water had become cloudy/white. Luckily after a couple of days in the house, and pricking a few tiny holes in the top layer, it all became clear again. My guess is that the bottom layer wasn't fully dry when I added the second layer and that that condensed when I put it in the garage. It then dried out completely when taken into the house again and the couple of small holes helped with that process
This is what it looked like at GothCon, with palm trees and some bushes added
I feel it turned out well in the end, but I would do some things differently now...
