How does Woodland Scenics Realistic Water work?

Realistic Water is a product that is manufactured by Woodland Scenics. It has been specifically designed to allow modellers to create realistic-looking water effects on a layout or diorama. It is usually supplied in a 16 fl oz bottle and is a non-toxic, viscous and colourless liquid.

The first order of business is to create a suitable depression on the layout that will be the base for the water feature. This could be a river, lake, pond, marsh, or other relevant water feature. Once the depression has been created it is important to ensure that it is waterproof before poring in the Realistic Water. It is a good idea at this stage to colour or paint the base to represent a suitable substrate, this will in effect be the bed of the water feature and is likely to be visible through the subsequent water surface, especially where modelling shallow water features.

Once the base has been water-proofed and coloured as required it is time to add the Realistic Water. This should be poured directly from the bottle onto the feature in shallow layers, no more than 1/8 inch at a time. When first applied the liquid is somewhat opaque but will clear completely within 24 hours. When creating depth it is important to build up thin layers at a time leaving 24 hours to dry between each layer. If there is a requirement for murky water then a suitable paint or tint can be added and mixed in with the Realistic Water before it is poured onto the base. Likewise, there may be a requirement to add debris or flotsam to the feature, such as rocks or wooden logs. These can be placed at suitable locations then add the Realistic water which will contour and self-level around these items. Once poured onto the layout a brush or toothpick can be used to provide any fine-tuning of water edges to create a natural feathered effect. 

It is important to note that Realistic Water is ideally used to create still water effects. For moving or churning water then it can be used in combination with another Woodland Scenics product called 'Water Effects' which is ideally formulated for creating turbulent or dynamic features such as rapids or waterfalls. That said, Realistic Water can still be used to create some simple effects such as ripples. Ripples can be created separately by pouring Realistic Water onto a non-stick surface in a circular fashion and adding ripples. Allow 24 hours to dry and then these ripples can be added to the water feature. Simply apply a little Realistic Water to the surface and place the ripples on top.

Although when completely dry and cured Realistic Water is non-brittle, it is also recommended that the layout or diorama is always stored horizontally and ideally do not place other items on the surface unintentionally as they may adhere to the surface of the water feature.