I am looking to try and do a Dagobah playset. I have attempted this and it is not bad(I molded Yoda's hut from clay) but it sort of looks more like a forest than a swamp. Any ideas about how I can make it more "swampy looking" keeping in mind that I do not want to keep adding water to this. Any ideas that will give the scene a wet illusion without actually wetting it every other day?
There are several good ways to give the illusion of boggy terain. First begin with a layer of clay (about 3-4mm thick), using a spoon to make natural depressions. Find various sized pebbles and press into the clay (it will give the appearance of stones plunged into mud. Cover in various areas with thin combinations of brown and green moss (readily available in hobby stores; think carefully about scale). Paint will also be an important part of the illusion (shading and gloss for "wetter" areas). Cotton batting can be pulled in strands to create "mist."
Most important is too look at good reference material (the Dagobah set or swampland images, etc.). Trial and error will always give you the best results for texture and layering.
Good luck,
Stephen Hayford