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Other Stuff => Workbench => Topic started by: Pappa Midnight on July 19, 2010, 04:58:57 PM
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I've been side-tracked a bit from my card building project by a pile of foamboard I found loafing in my work room.
I bought it ages ago with the intention of building some WW2 stuff. Having seen Thunderchicken's ( and others) excellent work I thought I'd give some Victorian shops a go.
The basic build is high density foam with some plastic windows:
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c334/pappa_midnight/buildup1.jpg)
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c334/pappa_midnight/buildup2.jpg)
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c334/pappa_midnight/buildup5.jpg)
I was a little stuck as to whether I should have the interiors playable..... I decided to try to give the impression that the buildings have a proper interior by making small boxes to sit inside the doors and windows, hopefully giving the impression of depth.
Here's the first two rooms I scratchbuilt using photoshoppe ( they took longer than the building!!!!)
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c334/pappa_midnight/buildup3.jpg)
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c334/pappa_midnight/buildup4.jpg)
Here's a a shot of the effect:
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c334/pappa_midnight/buildup6.jpg)
I intend to use the same idea for my card buildings.
Starting on a staircase and a small shop interior shortly.
Regards
PM
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:o
I'm speechless - hence the emoticon, since I rarely use them.
Bloody brilliant - not just the build, which is fantastic, by the way, but the genius idea for the interiors. It looks amazing. The plastic windows, and the shop fronts - are they the ones from Antenociti's? I've been meaning to pick some up for a while now, but the Europe to US postage things has been putting me off. Looking at these, though, I think I'll just go ahead and order them.
I can't wait to see this painted up, with a group of your zombies and zombie hunters arranged out front - it's going to look stunning!
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Simply amazing! The faux interiors work beautifully!
:-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-*
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Daddy Daytime, bloody marvellous stuff. Pure genius :-*
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That is rather special! 8)
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I am getting a bit excited...this is to good to be true! You´re a genius.
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Excellent work. The bar just keeps going up and up.
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Looking at the build again, a question occurs to me - judging by the lone sash window at the top, those windows are going to be dormers, right? Very, very nice design. Difficult as it is to believe, it's going to look even better when it's all complete!
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WOW :-* :-* :-*
Out standing work.
Love the interior box idea.
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Oooooooooooooooooooooh yes! :-* :-*
Bloody outstanding PM! The interiors are a special touch. I've got a couple of those shop frontages but havent got round to using them yet, you've shown me the light.
Hawkeye, I think the shop frontages are from Grandt Line so you should be able to source them your side of the pond.
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Somehow, "well done" etc doesn't do this justice; not even for starters!
Rudi
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that is outstanding :o
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Thanks, Thunderchicken. I have an idea about how they look in a structure now, which is great.
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Excellent work. The interiors blow my mind.
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Wow, those interiors are very very nice.
Well done
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Lovely and a great idea,steampunk and VSF here I come.......... 8)
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simply (not so simple!!) a marvel -just one thing if the interiors are slot in boxes can a number be made for the changing years perhaps WWII to 1960/1970 ""Geezers"
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Thank you all for the comments.
The store fronts are indeed Grandt Line. I've used "S" Scale ( 1:64) as the O scale stuff is massive IMHO compared to 28mm minis. I bought an O scale door and window set from Grandt line and they made even my based minis look like little children.
I originally thought the S scale looked a little small but because my minis all have large bases they tend to stand a lot taller than in "life".
The front upper windows are O scale by RATIO,the small windows to the rear are from antenocitis' workshop and are a bit of a bargain coming in packs of 20!!!
The intend using the internal boxes for my "print and build" buildings aswell and they gave me good practice for using lighting effects in photoshoppe.
I like the idea of changing the boxes to fit an era ( a long with removable shop signs) and might well "borrow" that idea.
Regards
PM
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I've used "S" Scale ( 1:64) as the O scale stuff is massive IMHO compared to 28mm minis. I bought an O scale door and window set from Grandt line and they made even my based minis look like little children.
Same here. If anyone gets a bee in their bonnet about it (and they have) I just hide behind the excuse its 'representative' of the real thing. Then I beat them with a blunt spoon.
I might have to get a tutorial from you on yor shop interiors, they are smashing. :-* I keep coming back for another look.
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"I might have to get a tutorial from you on yor shop interiors, they are smashing. Love I keep coming back for another look."
Same here! Truly outstanding stuff as always!
Please,please,please help us mere mortals enjoy some of your modelling genius and give us a sermon on how to do those funky interiors! PLEASE!!!
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Lovely work - quite marvelous.
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Stunning :-* :-* :-* :-* :D :D :D :D :D
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Just finished the roof ( cutting out the shingles was a real pain!!!!!) and dormer windows.
I will post some pics when I can handle the roof ( still wet).
Thanks for the comment about the interiors. Hmmm... a tutorial... Really hard to do without quite a few pages.
Most of the stuff I know is purely self taught and not the "Proper Way" of doing things.
I basic terms If I want a particular item, say a bookcase for instance, I trawl the net looking for a suitable image ( making sure their are no copyright issues!). I cut away any background features using photoshop and use the colour settings to get the desired tone.
The difficult part is if I want to have items inside others. This means I have to create several "layers" using the same image, cutting out portions of the front layers so items behind remain visible ( keeping bookcase doors solid but cutting out windows). To maintain the effect of the items being behind glass I had another layer but increased the image's transparency.
One the item is all together it's then down to lighting. Photoshop allows you to create "Global lighting" so the items conform to a set light source wihin one image. You can also create spotlights to highlight certain areas ( like the glow of a lamp.) Finally you can create shadows if a layer is placed on top of another to create a 3d quality.
Not much help I know, I findit easier to show someone rather than explain it.
Here's an example of the bookcase in the Magick Shoppe.
The first image is raw straight off the net:
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c334/pappa_midnight/Gothic-Bookcase_Small.jpg)
The next image consists of about 20 layers, including books a crystal skull and a "hand of glory":
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c334/pappa_midnight/Gothic-Bookcase1_small.jpg)
A real boon to me was a simple tutorial book and some pointers from my brother ( his skills are astonishing and well beyond me).
Regards
PM
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amazing! :-*. Honestly, I feel humbled. The work you have already put into that is amazing.
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This photo manipulation thing in combination with the real building is taking "virtual model building" one step further. I am speechless...
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Quite simply amazing...
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Just finished the roof ( cutting out the shingles was a real pain!!!!!)
I might be able to help there...
http://brandlin.blogspot.com/p/store.html#ecwid:category=329271&mode=category&offset=0&sort=normal (http://brandlin.blogspot.com/p/store.html#ecwid:category=329271&mode=category&offset=0&sort=normal)
Am happy to entertain suggestions/requests for different styles and sizes.
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Thanks Brandlin, I'll keep you in mind before i blunt any more knife blades!!!
Just a quick pick of the roof on and the dormers in ( the dormers still need shingles though) and chimneys in place.
That's most of the "real world" stuff done, now back to the interior.......
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c334/pappa_midnight/buildup7.jpg)
Regards
PM
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Looks fantastic, Pappa Midnight! Now "all" you need to do is finish the tiles on the dormer windows, paint the whole thing, and take some pictures of your Victorian zombies/zombie hunters out front. It's going to look amazing! This project - zombie hunting with style - just gets better and better with every update and development. Excellent, inspiring, and just oozing cool. Keep it up!
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Wow! :-*
Mind if I copy your dormer windows?
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Thanks for the encouragement Hawkeye!
Hopefully I'll start base coating it later today.
Thunderchicken.....don't think i can actually patent dormer windows... :D
Sure mate, I think I may have borrowed more than one of your ideas!!!!
PM
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That is great stuff.
May need to try some of those windows myself.
Looking forward to the painting
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This is one of those threads that really inspires - thanks for sharing. Some great techniques there that I'm sure to use in the future.
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Thanks again for the comments.
I've got the "BASIC" paint down on most of the building but it will need weathering, signs and posters added.
It looks a lot brighter in the piture than in life. I will also be adding a small base to hold the battery pack........
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c334/pappa_midnight/buildup9.jpg)
A pic of the inside of the entrance to the corner shop:
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c334/pappa_midnight/buildup11.jpg)
Two upstairs rooms matching the decor of the shops below:
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c334/pappa_midnight/buildup10.jpg)
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c334/pappa_midnight/buildup12.jpg)
I knocked together a display to go into the Occult Shoppe window:
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c334/pappa_midnight/buildup13.jpg)
A pic of the Occult Shoppe through a window:
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c334/pappa_midnight/buildup8.jpg)
I've decided that the internal boxes are a little too dark when the roof is on so I'm off to the electrical shop to grab some small bulbs and some wires. My intention is to place the bulbs directly behind the gaslights on the walls in the rooms. The light that filters through the card should give them a nice glow.
The power souce will sit inside the building so I'll need to make a removable base to get to it. Either that or I grab a DC power socket and use a transformer but I hate leads on the table.
More pics to follow.
Regards
PM
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PM, that is absolutely stunning! :-* :-*
Bringing light into the building takes it to a new level.
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Totally awesome :-* :-*
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Wot Svennn said. :-* :-* :-*
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Like, yeah :-* :-* :-* :-*
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Stunning - and the lights are a brilliant idea! I don't quite know why, but I always imagine that it's twilight in the world in which your zombie hunters live....
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Well I started the lighting set-up and realised two things........
1) Decide whether or not you want to light something at an earlier stage.
I've just been "Light-proofing" the inside of the building and spent two hours working out how I'm going to fit a powerpack, switch and wires inside an already cramped structure. Still, it's just about done now.....
2) If you are going to solder electrical stuff make sure you know what you are doing. I melted the switch ( which I managed to get working again) and managed to make the battery pack sizzle by crossing a few wires....
Anyhow, I'll post some pics tomorrow.
Regards
PM
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I am in silent awe and kiss your feet, master of builders!
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WOW :-* :-* :-*
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Some people just aren't capable of doing "not bad" ;D :-*
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Just completed some more bits to my building: Some shop signs and I finally finished the lighting!!!!
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c334/pappa_midnight/Buildup14.jpg)
Size comparison with some Westwind minis
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c334/pappa_midnight/buildup15.jpg)
Like the rest of the building, the back needs weathering. The upper windows are lit.
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c334/pappa_midnight/buildup16.jpg)
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c334/pappa_midnight/buildip17.jpg)
Shop fronts un-lit
and
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c334/pappa_midnight/buildup18.jpg)
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c334/pappa_midnight/buildup19.jpg)
The shops with the lights on.
I have left an access hole through the base so that the building can be "wired" to the table ( using a small connector).The idea is that the table will be foamboard with leads running through it. There will be plug-in points to power the buildings and streetlamps. The power source is a 6v adapter.
Because the electrics use the same connections I can set up buildings in a variety of positions.
Once I've weathered this one I start soon a board section to give you an idea what I'm on about!!!
Regards
PM
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.................
too good for words
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Oh, I've missed this up 'till now. Bloody awesome, it's amazing what a good interior can do to change a building. Perhaps I should give it a shot...
(http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc183/answeris42/Random%20stuff/interior.jpg)
...this is easy!
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\ :o
I don't know what to say.... Stunning. Everything about it is fantastic - the concept, the build, the design decisions (the "fake" interiors are pure genius, and on the finished thing, look absolutely amazing), the execution. Simply amazing. I've been a fan of the Victorian Zombie Hunter project since the very beginning (or at least since I discovered it), but this building (the first of many, I hope!) takes it to a level that you usually don't find in miniature wargaming.
It's the details that really make it work as well - the signage, for example, is brilliant. I love the fonts you've chosen, and the rich background is given some limelight in your choice of shops - Galvanic specialists, indeed! Superb! The building - in part because of the signs, in part because of the suggestion of the rich interiors within, brought wonderfully to life by the lighting - has such a rich Dickensian feel to it that I can't wait to see what else is in store.
The painting is excellent too - great rich colours, nicely weathered, give the building a wonderful depth. Are you going to have cobbled sidewalks? They would really make the minis look right at home, from bases to paint-jobs to overall style.
All that, and I'm still speechless!
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Thank you for the kind comments.
Answer_is_42: I may use your room on my next project as long as the image isn't copyrighted!!!
Hawkeye: Your comments have made my day. Sometimes I need a boost to get motivated as I lack confidence in myself at times ( especially when dealing with subjects I haven't tackled before). I do this strange hobby mostly to keep my mind active and for my own entertainment. It's nice to think that sometimes I also entertain and hopefully inspire others.
With reference to sidewalks etc, I have bought some rather nice textured paper which I will be using for cobbled streets. Along with the gaslamps I've bought it should fit in pretty well with existing stuff.
Regards
PM
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What a wonderful piece! A real beauty!
And it's great to see a painted "Handsome Cab" there too!
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Oooooooh yes! :-* :-* :-* That is brilliant work PM! You've caught the period so well, if you dont mind me saying the piece has a Dickensian feel to it and is perfect for the zombie hunting project.
For my build I've been using embossed wallpaper mounted on cork strips for cobbled streets, the problem is the cork has the potential to warp for the longer stretches of road so it's going to have to be MDF or hardwood. Either way it has a great look for something so cheap and I'm looking forwad to seeing yours.
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I have not got the words for how good this building is. :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-*
It looks so real and lived in.
The interiors and shop windows are amazing, and the lighting is just the icing on the cake.
How did you do the signs? Are they hand painted?
My printer won’t do white on black
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Yes, the signage and lighting are special. I'd love to see a close-up of your cab also. The base looks great!
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PM, this is no wargames building, this is a piece of art! So many innovative ideas and such a "professional" execution - just marvelous.
:-* :o :-*
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*Clunk*
My jaw just hit the floor...amazing
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:o :o :o :o
:-* :-* :-*
give me a break!
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I'll be in my bunk.
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Thank you for the support gents!
Hopefully I'll get the weathering finished tonight and start on the board.
I'm looking forward to se if my "expensive" ( my wife's opinion) does the job.
Regards
PM
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Just added a few pics of the last bit of detailing for this building. I had a little break from it due to REAL LIFE work ( bummer).
Just a little mud added and a few posters.
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c334/pappa_midnight/buildup22.jpg)
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c334/pappa_midnight/buildup20-1.jpg)
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c334/pappa_midnight/buildup21-1.jpg)
Just waiting for some more windows and shopfronts to arrive and then I'll crack on with the corner pub.
I'm leaving the "table" for a while until I've got some idea of exactly how the lay-out will look.
My "Tiny Tim" mech has been glaring at me from my workbench some I think I might finish the steam stacks and start filling in screw holes and joints tonight..........
Regards
PM
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Oh my, I'm lost for words, I knew it was going to be good seeingt he photos at the start of the build. But wow, how you have raised the bar with this one. Magnificent work.
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I don't know what I'm more impressed by - the shop front, the excellent use of Galvanic Energy (it really is the future) or that fact that you managed to construct the Westwind Hansom Cab :)
Seriously - cracking stuff!
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Love the Revenants poster.
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I don't know what I'm more impressed by - the shop front, the excellent use of Galvanic Energy (it really is the future) or that fact that you managed to construct the Westwind Hansom Cab :)
ROFL!