Wire Tree Tutorial – Model Railroad

Building fantastic looking and very realistic trees from scratch doesn’t have to be hard and I’ll show you just how easy it really is.

This tree will look fantastic on any model railroad, war gaming terrain or a display diorama and it will add life to any layout.

Follow along as I step you through the process I use to create this great looking apple tree. The great part is you can still manipulate the tree to change its shape even after you’ve completed it. It’s a time consuming process but the results are well worth the time and effort.

This particular tree is in HO scale, the wire I used scales down well to N scale and it’s simple to use thicker gauge wire to model in the larger scales.

Music:

[maskedmustachio]

I remember watching this 5 years ago and it inspired me to do this then. I was just telling my now wife what I did wrong since I gave up on the project until I learned something about spray adhesive a few years later. Spray adhesives (or at least many of them) will NEVER lose their tackiness without sealing them. I waited for my finished tree to stop being tacky so I could use it and it never did. Even after ~a year of dust collection on my shelf waiting it never stopped being tacky. So seal your tree when you are done with some sort of spray lacquer or whatever. Just wish I had realized this 5 years ago :)

[sharknadostinks]

There is no reason to send hate to this guy, even if your not interested in what he does you have to admit that's he's great at what he does

[CaptFuzzy]

I used to love making dioramas for school projects, but moved on to model kits later in life.
Now that I'm older, I've kinda renewed my interest in making dioramas and your series has one of the best that I've seen.

Keep it up, I can't wait to see more and thanks for reviving an old man's love for dioramas.

[scalestuff]

Mr. Luke... Thanks so much for sharing. I have a number of trees to produce, and they really need to look great. Purchasing them outright was going to be cost prohibitive. I was never really "pro" on wire aperture trees before. Watching this video (which I have now committed to memory) gave me hope that I could produce decent looking trees. I have just finished my first twisting of the wire, and I am so excited by the results. You are a master hobby artisan, and a phenomenal teacher. Can't wait to watch more of your videos!

[jorgenlannock]

this is why i love youtube! artists everywhere, and everything you need to know you can find here. great tutorial!

[FtheDo]

I've gotten back into building scenery after years away from the hobby. Your videos have been a great help and inspiration. Thanks mate!

[imreadydoctor]

This is incredibly relaxing to watch! It's like the Bob Ross of miniatures.

[reaghanmartin]

i’m a landscape architect major and this saved my life for this thank you so much

[malusgrey]

Great work.
My Grandfather had a model railway table.
He spended alot of Time and money into it, but ive never seen such a great Tree before.
Makes me wanne go back in time and help him -.-"

[RahmatSiswanto]

this is HQ video (sounds, voice, tone colours, camera angel, averything). Very nice. You got new subscriber

[Killerdog]

I am so happy I found this artforum! I can picture myself creating magnificent landscapes

[grantv]

So far I’ve bought alot of trees for my layout and while they look pretty good they don’t look this good! This is the best tree I’ve seen done. I was wanting an apple tree for a cow pasture and lo and behold without even searching your video is here . I didn’t know woodland scenics made a bag of fruit. Awesome tips here. Thanks!

[embee]

I have an exam tomorrow and I am learning how to make a tree :D

[WigWagWorkshop]

Mind Blown! One important thing I have learned from your tutorials, its all about the minor details, the details that you, has the creator will only notice. However, without those “hidden” details, it’s a night and day difference in the final creation.

[sissy]

Have a project due tomorrow and my logo is a tree under a fishbowl. Little did I remember, It has to be 3D. So here I am, 3 hours later, hands raw from untangling the wire from pipecleaners, and I have myself a tree. Thank you so much for having an amazing tutorial!! I would've been doomed had I not found this.

[bluemtnsman]

By far one of the better explanations of the entire process.  Cheers indeed.  ~ Charlie

[carolinepereira]

Que legal! Estava procurando "como fazer um bonsai" e ao invés disso encontrei esta bela obra de arte! Que lindo!

[abdulkareemh]

I am glad YouTube brought your videos in my feed! I spent hours staring at the models in the museum as a kid and wondered how these were made... am now am addicted to your videos. Many thanks mate!

[jamesthomas]

Luke. I have been viewing your videos for some time and I must say I am in awe of your artistry and craftsmanship. You set a standard of excellence which inspires me to approach each new modeling task with a goal of always bettering my prior efforts. Thank you

[NizzamX]

I love this guide! Tried making a couple of small trees, well, bushes really, and it was SO easy following your step by step. I already had some foilage left over from making a couple of cherry trees so I used those instead of either turf, fruit or leaves but I'm gonna try my hand on a few more next week!