Starting some pulp terrain... WIP

[deflater mouse]

Got them on the table tonight...  Lately I've been thinking that I need to supplement my gaming budget...  Would anyone be interested in a commission set of market stalls?

[Big Martin Back]

They look brilliant, but I'm afraid I've already got a set of stalls I did for our Sudan games.

[deflater mouse]

Actually, if anyone is interested, please send me a PM...  I don't want to clutter up this thread, and I can post on a sales board...

[deflater mouse]

Found some wooden "pickle barrels" at the craft store...  Scored 'em with an etching tool and ink'd em...  Ended up making a few plot points...  Ammo cache, digging site, box of dynamite...

[FramFramson]

That's exactly how I do my barrels too! Tedious, but I love the results! 

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

More inspirational work, thanks.

[deflater mouse]

Seeing all those awesome ships people are making...  Had to start working on my own...



Ready to prime!


Painted.

[deflater mouse]

Ok, starting a longer term project, building on that test piece from a few weeks back...  I think I'm going to build a set of about 5 warehouses...  I think this could also suit a dockyard setting, so I can bring my boat in play...  The interiors are going to encourage changing levels, and all the buildings will have 2nd floor entrances that can be connected by a walkway or elevated plaza...

I'm really liking these craft foam sheets...  Pencil lines and xacto cuts make great wooden planks.  A line and a series of holes looks like rivetted sheet metal.  Bricks and corner stones are easy too...

[fred]

Do you have some tips for working with the craft foam? I've only used it as base areas for area terrain. It never seems the easiest thing to cut precisely?

I'd certainly never thought of embossing it to get texture.

[deflater mouse]

Do you have some tips for working with the craft foam? I've only used it as base areas for area terrain. It never seems the easiest thing to cut precisely?

Well, I usually stick it to some cardboard before I start cutting it.  The craft foam isn't very firm, and can also tear if you don't use a sharp blade.  I make cuts on the foam side and cut through to the underlying cardboard.  I find if I cut the cardboard side up, then it tends to tear.

This can make it awkward if you need to draw guidelines for features and don't want to mark up and score the foam...  To avoid that, you can cut out your forms first, then attach the foam sheet and cut off all the excess (like tracing an outline).

For texture, a dull pencil point makes for a great etching tool and I use the end of a bent paperclip to make rivets or nail holes...  For the wooden grain effect, I just freehand cut a series of messy slices in each plank with an xacto.  Looks great if you ink it with some brown...

I prime all my terrain using black gesso--and I think that adds a bit of firmness to the craft foam and protects the texture...

Like most things, I think it's just trial and error--but I've found it very useful and much easier to carve than insulating foam, foam core, wood etching or plasticard...

[Eric the Shed]

Just read through this thread and I take my hat off...I love all the bits you have done

[fred]

Thanks for taking the time to write that up, it's very helpful.

The way the boat has come out really shows how well it works.

[deflater mouse]

No worries--it's great stuff to work with...

Here's two of the warehouses, and a bunch of windows...  I decided that cutting windows out of granny grating still left these little nubs--so I went back to chicken wire...  I like this external shell concept, where I can wall off openings or add windows/doors as need be...  Gives the facades some depth...


I've got some family coming into town, so this project might slow down some...

[Malebolgia]

Awesome once again. Also, that boat is superb!!

[deflater mouse]

Making progress...

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