I wanted to make a whirlpool for Uncharted Seas and so I set my mind to thinking how best to do that. I have some blank CD's that I've used for terrain and so decided that one of those would work well in forming the base.
I used PVA glue to create an uneven water base and the swirling effect of water being drawn down into the Whirlpool.
Once the first layer was dry I repeated the process by adding PVA glue to raised areas in the swirls of water. This I did three or four times, each time waiting until the glue had dried before doing the next level. I was careful to create an uneven feel so as to reflect individual waves being tossed in the maelstrom.
After this dried I base sprayed the whole think in Black Spray. As an afterthought I realised that I could use sand to reflect the foaming of the waves. So, again using PVA glue, I glued sand to the top of the waves. Once dry, I then base coated the sand in Black.
Above you can see the paints I used, in order from left to right. I painted the first two layers by wet brushing one after another and leaving some of the base coat black showing through. The final two paint colours were dry brushed on afterwards. Each application of paint was applied in a swirl so as to suggest the whirlpool's churning waters. The final images below show this process.
As a final act, I very lightly dry brushed the wave crests with White paint. So there you have it. Cheap and easy. All you need is a spare CD, PVA glue, the desired paints and a lot of patience as you watch glue and paint dry.
One maelstrom whirlpool ready for Uncharted Seas and naval wargaming.
