A voyage to Bruegelburg - Would you like some port, Sir? (09-Oct-2013)

[Hammers]

Cracking job on those dock sides, Chris. They are just so! Engraving into pink foam, eh? I was contemplating building them up out of HirstArt blocks for myself but maybe it's not worth the effort...

[gamer Mac]

Great work Chris
Love the colours used, very realistic

[Eric the Shed]

Look fabulous - wish Id seen this before I built my harbour

[Westfalia Chris]

Thanks for all the kind words.

Cracking job on those dock sides, Chris. They are just so! Engraving into pink foam, eh? I was contemplating building them up out of HirstArt blocks for myself but maybe it's not worth the effort...

I must say that unless you cast the Hirst Arts bricks in some light resin, I would be hard-pressed to find a definitive advantage over foam. The latter is much lighter, easy to work once you got the knack, relatively robust (as compared to plaster). Additionally, although I don't know if it is a pro or a con, it would probably be easier to get an irregular appearance from foam (or it would be easier to get a regular effect from the cast bricks). The main benefit of the Hirst Arts I could think of would possibly be the fact that you get two wall faces at the same time if making single-brick walls.

[Admiral Benbow]

Splendid work, Chris!
 

[OSHIROmodels]

Great stuff Chris 

Looking forward to seeing it expand and expand and expand 

cheers

James

[Franz_Josef]

Love the Bruegleburg docks!  Must be loaded with "sailors' hells" selling cheap liquor and the company of "cheap" floozies! 

[Westfalia Chris]

Love the Bruegleburg docks!  Must be loaded with "sailors' hells" selling cheap liquor and the company of "cheap" floozies! 

How dare you, sir! That may be the case in the filthy ports of the Habsburg domains, but here, the Honourable Guild of River Merchants and Fisherwives run a tight ship!

The Brothelgate is three hundred yards down the second alley on the left.

[fastolfrus]

I want to do a dockside treadwheel crane, but cannot decide on a design. The Great Crane of Bruges looks tempting, but would possibly dwarf anything due to its volume, so I'll probably settle for a robust frame construction.

Have you looked at the cranes in Trier? Not far from the Porta Negra if I recall correctly.

Looks good so far, what's the boat you have on the pics?

[Captain Blood]

Excellent Christian. Looking forward to seeing how this develops.

Did you model any of it on that fine old seaport of Hull? 

[Westfalia Chris]

Have you looked at the cranes in Trier? Not far from the Porta Negra if I recall correctly.

The "Alter Kranen" is actually a rather nice thing, but very distinct in its construction style and much more "German" than "Flemish". Obviously, since my idea of Bruegelburg is merely a fantasy/fictionalised dirty version of the Flemish Renaissance, it wouldn't be that hard to justify, but I would prefer a wooden construction, possibly slightly rickety, but not outrageously so.

Looks good so far, what's the boat you have on the pics?

The boat is a piece I must have built some decade ago. I did some storage cleaning in the last few days and I just happened across it, didn't even remember I had it. Not exactly the style I originally intended to use for Bruegelburg, but a close enough match! Here's a bigger pic (from my old account over on Displaced Miniatures):



I'm thinking of doing some more distinctly low-countries boats and barges, though, for a more consistent style. That said, my references don't go into specifics on that topic apart from W.A.'s Northern Carracks, so it might turn out just a bunch of "generic medieval inland waterway barges".

Did you model any of it on that fine old seaport of Hull?

I'm afraid my skills couldn't do the... ahem, extraordinary levels of weathering and debris justice. Also, I'd prefer not to have overpriced dockside apartment developments and too many shopping centres if I can have some pretty brick gothic goods stores instead. More Flemish than blemish, pardon my French.

So if you like, it's those miserable fat Flemish bastards making life hard for the honest Northern fisherman!

[fastolfrus]

extraordinary levels of weathering and debris justice. Also, I'd prefer not to have overpriced dockside apartment developments and too many shopping centres

Always used to be plenty of debris around the Old Black Boy and the White Hart...

[Westfalia Chris]

Always used to be plenty of debris around the Old Black Boy and the White Hart...

Hear hear. And don't get me started on Cottingham Road after a Friday night, or Saturday night, or Sunday night, or... well, you'll get the picture. That's today's students for you.

[Cubs]

The "Alter Kranen" is actually a rather nice thing, but very distinct in its construction style and much more "German" than "Flemish". Obviously, since my idea of Bruegelburg is merely a fantasy/fictionalised dirty version of the Flemish Renaissance, it wouldn't be that hard to justify, but I would prefer a wooden construction, possibly slightly rickety, but not outrageously so.

What about a treadmill crane? Popular in medieval times and, outrageous coincidence though it is, Pieter Bruegel the Elder actually put one in his 'Tower of Babel' painting!

[Westfalia Chris]

What about a treadmill crane? Popular in medieval times and, outrageous coincidence though it is, Pieter Bruegel the Elder actually put one in his 'Tower of Babel' painting!

To quote myself from page one:

As time permits, I'll do some more quay pieces, and I want to do a dockside treadwheel crane, but cannot decide on a design. The Great Crane of Bruges looks tempting, but would possibly dwarf anything due to its volume, so I'll probably settle for a robust frame construction.

You are obviously perfectly right in suggesting it, and I agree that it is very recognizable and looks "instantly medieval". Still, it would possibly a rather voluminous structure. I am worried that the sheer size of its covered surfaces will block too much space or create a visual impression of the area being much more crammed than it actually is, therefore my pondering the open girder construction.