Author Topic: Dunwich stone walls (Read 4998 times)

Dolmot · « **on:** July 06, 2011, 10:37:56 PM »

Hello

In the "What I painted in June 2011" topic I presented some hand-made stone walls and hinted about a how-to guide so here it is. Note that because time is scarce, I nowadays prefer 'really doing' to 'talking about doing'. Therefore I rarely post WIP topics or even take photos, but here are a few I happened to shoot while waiting glue dry.

Let's start. The original inspiration came from this passage:

"The soil is generally thin, not too productive, and filled with rocks. Indeed, most farmers enclose their fields not with wooden fences but with low stone walls built of the rocks turned up year after year by their plows. These stone walls can be seen running along most roads in the valley, or separating crops from pasture land, or even in dense woods where once open fields have gone back to the wilds."

-Keith Herber et al., "H. P. Lovecrafts's Dunwich", Chaosium 2002

OK. Quite often stone wall construction begins by taking rectangular blocks of blue foam and a pencil. However, that didn't sound exactly right for this kind of scenery. Let's consider the other options.

Real rocks? Looks great but weighs a ton and shatters from impacts. Ground plaster? Nice too, but even more brittle. Foam didn't sound good either, but what about...

To save you from squinting, it's washed pine bark for reptiles. Of course, you can harvest, grind and wash your own to save 50c per two yards of walls. I didn't bother. (That bag is huge for miniature purposes.)

The next step is fairly simple. Build stony things layer by layer. Make several pieces at once so that the previous layers dry properly before you return to them. This will take a while. Listen to an audio book, follow a marathon / political debate from TV, call a verbose relative or something.

That's nice. Now, the brown colour could work as a starting point for painting. Unfortunately the gaps and crevises should be very dark, so I repainted the whole thing good old black and then stone grey. Some brown washes were applied too.

Looks OK but a bit too clean, doesn't it?

Something is certainly missing. Let's check the references.

A-ha. We need grass and moss and everything. To the big box of random scatters!

Tip: Mix PVA, water and paint (green/brown) to make some ugly sludge. It will make a good base layer for vegetation and soften the colours of bright scatters. If you spot any ugly gaps from assembly now, just fill them with the moss mix.

A bit of brown wash will finish the dirty, overgrown look.

That's all, folks. Enjoy your 5+ save.

Do they match the original description? Two people told me that the look is distinctly Hawaiian.

Ah well, close enough.

BattlePenguin · « **Reply #1 on:** July 06, 2011, 11:02:41 PM »

I love your tutorials, the way you write them is hilarious and most entertaining.

In fact, the addition of references and materials images is great.

Give yourself a slap on the back.

Mason · « **Reply #2 on:** July 07, 2011, 01:59:47 AM »

Top notch idea and great tutorial. Excellent finish.
Liking the humour, too.
Thanks.

magokiron · « **Reply #3 on:** July 07, 2011, 06:41:27 AM »

Preeeeeety, neat, easy, cheap and EFFECTIVE!

I'll have to start searching for that material at my local pet stores (or evilbay).

Thanks for sharing such an entertaining and useful Tut.

Best wishes.

Wirelizard · « **Reply #4 on:** July 07, 2011, 06:59:29 AM »

Hmm, there's a well-stocked reptile-and-fish pet store just north of downtown, I think I'll wander up there after on my next day off and see what sort of reptile underlay they have in stock!

Those look great!

Captain Blood · « **Reply #5 on:** July 07, 2011, 07:42:22 AM »

Very nice, very clever, and beautifully presented

z1pp132002 · « **Reply #6 on:** July 07, 2011, 11:20:13 AM »

Brilliant A+

Drachenklinge · « **Reply #7 on:** July 07, 2011, 03:56:55 PM »

well ... I like this ideas much-many!! Looks like lots of tons of walls for nothing due to material-costs!

Grey colour, maybe inking/washing, a bit moss ... got that ... great stuff!

thanks for show and tell!

best wishes
Drachenklinge

Grimm · « **Reply #8 on:** July 08, 2011, 06:37:47 AM »

very very nice Idea !! must copy that

BattlePenguin · « **Reply #9 on:** July 09, 2011, 07:42:49 PM »

On further investigation and thunkage, I have realised that I can fulfull one of my dreams......To build a model Broch that will not weigh a tonne!

I had planned to use slate waste as used by fashionable gardeners but this is very heavy and as with many stone types, can be deceptivly eager to come unstuck.

I built some terrain for a Rhodesia game back a while and despite dribling PVA over the rocky scree, it still occasionally sheds a piece or two.

Anyhow, to start planning my Celtic Cooling tower:O)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broch

Mason · « **Reply #10 on:** July 10, 2011, 08:33:41 AM »

This stuff would be great for piles of rubble, too.

Thanks for the nudge!

The Breaker · « **Reply #11 on:** July 11, 2011, 09:56:07 AM »

They have walls very much like that in rural Victoria, Australia.

chantyam · « **Reply #12 on:** July 11, 2011, 12:21:01 PM »

Paint the right colour and its rual England, Scotland and Wales in facr it would do for raids on the Irish coast by the Vikings stone walls small dwellings.

Drachenklinge · « **Reply #13 on:** July 11, 2011, 02:10:27 PM »

Quote from: The Breaker on July 11, 2011, 09:56:07 AM

They have walls very much like that in rural Victoria, Australia.

the first island I thought of, was ireland ... maybe there they are a bit more precise, but ... is there any irish tableop, anyway? ^^

Beer, Butter & dice ... maybe ^^

best wishes
drachenklinge

Ninja · « **Reply #14 on:** July 14, 2011, 06:50:43 AM »

Adding moss was an excellent touch!

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Author Topic: Dunwich stone walls (Read 4998 times)

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