Thanks guys
For the bushes I did the following:
- pulled apart some steel wool to gather some strands
- twist the center of the bunch together to create a trunk for the bush
- superglue and let dry
- cut the bundle in half at the glue point to create 2 bush armatures
- arrange the steel fibers to create arough bush and clip away wild strands
- airbrushed the wire armatures brown, then washed with Babab Black for the bark
- use spray adhesive on the top and sides
- quickly dip the armature into some flock
Once that was done I airbrushed some green in successively lighter shades to create the look I wanted for the foliage. I also suggest wrapping the trunk of the bush with masking tape so you have a larger handle to hold onto and to protect it from the green paint when you do the leaves.