Sunday 4 October 2015

Kinetic Sand!

I first heard about Kinetic Sand a while ago, and after seeing other hobbyists use it to great effect at shows and in photographs, I decided to take the plunge and try it out for myself. Until now, I've used buff coloured felt glued to a piece of cardstock for an arena floor, but the seam between the two sections really bothered me - not to mention the fact that it only vaguely resembles sand.

Byron

I've experimented with sand and other footings before but I don't have a phenomenal amount of storage space in my room, and finding room for a tray or something that could contain a lot of loose material has been difficult, but thankfully I no longer need to worry about that!



I bought a box of cheapish 'Motion Sand' off ebay, as I didn't want to fork out for something I might not use.

Kinetic Sand


After loling muchly at the wonky translations of the safety instructions...

Kinetic Sand


...I had a look inside.

Kinetic Sand


If you squish the bag, it feels rather like marzipan, which I know is a really bizarre thing to be reminded of, but it just does, ok? XD

It feels like it's constantly trying to escape your fingers and it's really very tactile - you constantly want to keep touching it, it's so weird!

Kinetic Sand


I took my time sprinkling it over the piece of card I laid out as a base, though it's been patted down flatter in this pic.

Kinetic Sand

Indoor Arena



To make it look like a proper arena with a track of hoofprints round the edges, I resorted to drastic measures for accuracy...

Kinetic Sand



I tried it with flattened sand and rough, looser sand, and I much prefer the latter. Flattening it down does make hoofprints more obvious, but it just doesn't look as much in scale and looks a bit concretey.


Getting on

Danny and Tully

Tully
Call that a working trot? Get that leg on!



Rory and Digby

Once I was finished with it, it was easily scooped together into a heap, and only left behind a couple of stray grains here and there - certainly nothing that couldn't be brushed off with a hand.

Tracy had a go at making some sandcastles and they held their shape incredibly well, though the bucket handle made decanting them somewhat troublesome.

Kinetic Sand
It even picked up the Julip logo on the bottom of the bucket!


It'll be perfect if I ever fancy doing a scene on a desert island...

Kinetic Sand


...but I'll definitely avoid putting it anywhere near water, as I experimented with a tiny pinch of the stuff and it dissolves whatever polymer it is that makes it all magic and special, leaving it as boring old sand.

Sooo, my verdict?

8/10 - would most definitely recommend for setups!






6 comments:

  1. To avoid slippery? Best.Translation.Ever.

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  2. I don't need it, but I want it :D Love your workspace, been toying with the idea of getting some of those useful boxes, they seem to work, your desk is 100 times tidier than mine :D

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  3. Goodness me, that sand sounds so dangerous! Avoid slippery! Haha. It makes for fantastic photos, though! :)

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  4. Hi Christine! As usual your photos are Fantastic! Love the boy jumping into the saddle, not to mention that your new kinetic sanded area looks Great and was the perfect solution!

    elizabeth

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  5. Hi Christine, thanks for sharing your experience with this type of sand, I've heard of it and it sounds great! I agree with you, the loose version looks só realistic for your arena floor, I think it's perfect. Haha, the package does make you wonder who translates them ;). It looks very fine, finer than regular sand, is that correct? Because it indeed looks like it would be suitable for a realistic beach too :D. Bye! Monique

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  6. Hello! You've been nominated for the Liebster Award! For full details check out my blog!
    www.ridgefarmsmodelhorses.weebly.com (look under Blog) The whole thing was new to me so new I'm not sure how to exactly throw in a link!
    Have a great day!

    ReplyDelete