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Miniatures Adventure => Fantasy Adventures => Topic started by: dijit on 14 May 2014, 05:55:59 PM

Title: Looking for inspiration - fantasy buildings
Post by: dijit on 14 May 2014, 05:55:59 PM
Ok, I'm wanting to build some new fantasy buildings, but don't wan to go down the traditional tudor half-timbered houses route as it's been a bit over done. I've looked a dark-age styled buildings, but found them a little too low-tech, considered roman, but the thought of all those tiles gives me nightmares. So, the big question is an ideas for inspiration?
Title: Re: Looking for inspiration - fantasy buildings
Post by: northtroll on 14 May 2014, 06:24:29 PM
Well I have long had this awful desire to build a mountaintop castle like those in Germany. The problem being of course is that it has no practical application for wargaming. But it sure would look nice. I have also tinkered around with building some Northern buildings similar to the Gokkstad church.  Maybe some medieval Russian buildings as well.
Title: Re: Looking for inspiration - fantasy buildings
Post by: Elbows on 14 May 2014, 08:58:57 PM
I'd get on google and look up fantasy art...as much as you can find.  That'll do the trick.
Title: Re: Looking for inspiration - fantasy buildings
Post by: dijit on 14 May 2014, 09:17:27 PM
I've done fantasy art searches, it didn't come up with as much useful as you might think.

However, Stave Churches like Gokstad are a great idea.
Title: Re: Looking for inspiration - fantasy buildings
Post by: Skrapwelder on 14 May 2014, 09:23:22 PM
I look in online games a lot. Try googling concept art for various games. The Conan MMO is a good place to look. I'm in the middle of doing a small town for fantasy gaming. I'll try and post some WIP pictures tonight.
Title: Re: Looking for inspiration - fantasy buildings
Post by: The Gray Ghost on 14 May 2014, 09:25:44 PM
goodle video games, fairy tales, harry potter buildings and stuff from anime
Title: Re: Looking for inspiration - fantasy buildings
Post by: OSHIROmodels on 14 May 2014, 09:37:48 PM
Deviantart is my go to place now although I can end up literally spending hours on there saving hundreds of inspiration pictures o_o

cheers

James
Title: Re: Looking for inspiration - fantasy buildings
Post by: Steve F on 14 May 2014, 09:45:53 PM
Cities carved out of solid rock, like Petra?

Circular stone-built complexes, like Skara Brae?

Old Baghdad-style - domes, minarets, romanesque arches?

Villages in the treetops, a la Robin Hood Prince of Thieves?

Angkor Wat?

Or just go to Google Images, type in "old [country name] buildings" and see what comes up.
Title: Re: Looking for inspiration - fantasy buildings
Post by: fastolfrus on 14 May 2014, 10:12:00 PM
Choose a style of countryside and see what buildings fit visually?

Hills & mountains, Northern European farmland, tropical jungle, desert.

Find a film that has that backdrop.

Snow White & the Huntsman or Game of Thrones, Star Wars (Naboo architecture looks good as an alternative to Rome).
There are plenty to choose from.
Title: Re: Looking for inspiration - fantasy buildings
Post by: dampfpanzerwagon on 14 May 2014, 10:15:46 PM
Try these;

http://performingarts.about.com/od/Costumes/ig/The-Designs-of-Guy-Hendrix-Dyas/

http://www.warrenjasonstreet.com/2011_02_01_archive.html
(Scroll down the page to The Brothers Grimm)

http://www.smart.co.uk/dreams/grimguyd.htm

http://dampfpanzerwagon.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/miniature-wargames-360.html

or http://www.pinterest.com/maxxev/mordheim-terrain/

I hope that these help. I will point out that I am featuring a simpler thatch-Wattle and daub building in my Building Wargame Terrain book Two (More Wargame Terrain).
http://dampfpanzerwagon.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/building-wargame-terrain-by-tony-harwood.html

Tony
Title: Re: Looking for inspiration - fantasy buildings
Post by: Cubs on 14 May 2014, 10:15:52 PM
Ancient Briton style round huts, made from the card inners from used sticky tape rolls, with thatched roofs made from towelling.

Title: Re: Looking for inspiration - fantasy buildings
Post by: Dolmot on 14 May 2014, 10:40:23 PM
Fantasy covers a lot of things, doesn't it? Do you have any particular setting in mind?

While it's always possible to play the "it's fantasy" card to justify anything, I appreciate things making sense somehow, even though they're different from our world. What kind of materials are available there? Do they need heating and insulation? Flat or sloped roofs? Protection against marauders and dragons? Shacks or lavish palaces? Free entrance or heavy doors and barred windows? Small huts? Large meeting halls? Back yards, gardens, fences? Inns, shops, markets, bazaars? Stables, barns, warehouses? Rivers, canals, docks? Workshops, factories, mills? Watchtowers or minarets?

Try thinking about the culture and then figure out what they'd need and do. That's one way to narrow it down.
Title: Re: Looking for inspiration - fantasy buildings
Post by: Skrapwelder on 16 May 2014, 05:04:47 AM
(http://rotanddrivel.com/YK/dharijor.jpg)

This is what I'm working up for a Crom game for a convention later this month
Title: Re: Looking for inspiration - fantasy buildings
Post by: phreedh on 16 May 2014, 11:10:49 AM
This is what I'm working up for a Crom game for a convention later this month
Those are right nice looking, Skrappy! Good job!
Title: Re: Looking for inspiration - fantasy buildings
Post by: dijit on 16 May 2014, 11:57:14 PM
Those are right nice looking, Skrappy! Good job!
Now, they do look pretty nice.
Title: Re: Looking for inspiration - fantasy buildings
Post by: mweaver on 17 May 2014, 01:49:43 AM
Those buildings look very nice, Skrapwelder.  Please let us see more pictures when they are done.

Dijit, maybe an Eastern European look?

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c6/Bucharest_-_Village_Museum_8.JPG/320px-Bucharest_-_Village_Museum_8.JPG)

Title: Re: Looking for inspiration - fantasy buildings
Post by: FramFramson on 17 May 2014, 04:58:07 AM
There's also the high medieval African motif as an option, as you'd see in cities like Timbuctoo and other locations in the Empire of Ghana or the Mandinka Empire.
Title: Re: Looking for inspiration - fantasy buildings
Post by: Chuck1372 on 18 May 2014, 02:12:10 AM
I like this one:

(http://www.terragenesis.co.uk/gallery/pix/2006/11/25215924.jpg)

You can see more here:

http://www.terragenesis.co.uk/infopages/page414.html
Title: Re: Looking for inspiration - fantasy buildings
Post by: mweaver on 18 May 2014, 09:01:06 PM
That house is very nice!