How can I make micro-scale water?

Question

This is totally boring:

A blue baseplate.

How can I add some variance to it that helps to distinguish a rippling lake from a raging ocean from a fast-moving river, while keeping a look that's appropriate for micro-scale landscapes?

It's boring, but when you need to cover a few tables with ocean, you get used to it very fast. — Joubarc, Nov 11 '11 at 10:44

Zhaph - Ben Duguid · Accepted Answer · 2011-11-11T22:49:11.087

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The 1x1x2/3 slopes would be ideal for making waves, etc.:

54200 1x1x2/3 - Blue and 54200 1x1x2/3 - White or the 1x2 options.

Along with some blue tiles you could make some great waves:

Microscale Waves

Obviously, if you don't want them breaking, keep the white fronts blue.

Also, if you have some Navy blue tiles you can create currents of colder water - if you've ever watched large bodies of water you'll notice they have strips of different shades running through them.

Stick to tiles on the plate rather than the 2/3s height for lakes, or for some good ripples use the Round Dish 2x2 Inverted:

Round Dish 2x2 Inverted - Blue

edited Nov 11 '11 at 22:49

answered Nov 11 '11 at 00:18

Zhaph - Ben Duguid

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Transparent parts (slopes, tiles) work very well too – Joubarc Nov 11 '11 at 10:45
Good call @joubarc – Zhaph - Ben Duguid Nov 11 '11 at 11:14
Put the transparent on top of the blue baseplate and use different colors of transparent... you can get some very interesting effects that way – Larry Pieniazek Nov 26 '11 at 23:48

score 3 · Answer 2 · answered Feb 05 '12 at 01:32

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Try using combos of Trans-clear and Trans-blue studs to make a nice, clear foaming water affect. Studs can be bought in extreme masses on Bricklink for like, 1¢. So there's no trouble.

answered Feb 05 '12 at 01:32

beakr

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score 2 · Answer 3 · answered Jan 24 '12 at 17:23

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Here is David Lee using transparent bricks to create nice waves
Here is Mark of Falworth using another technique involving loose bricks of different colors.

answered Jan 24 '12 at 17:23

jfyelle

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The second one is particularly impressive, but both of those are minifig scale, not microscale. – Jan 24 '12 at 21:29
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oops. I somehow skipped "microscale". I'd use the same techniques regardless. – jfyelle Jan 25 '12 at 13:44

score 1 · Answer 4 · answered Apr 04 '12 at 19:10

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Use a blue stud and put a flat round Lego brick on top of it to make the beautiful ripples.

answered Apr 04 '12 at 19:10

How can I make micro-scale water?

4 Answers4