How best to model wattle?

[Rhoderic]

A thread I started at TMP (link) has me wanting to make some decaying wattle and daub buildings for my fantasy slums / shanty town. This'll need exposed wattle showing through under the daub, and I'm at a loss for how to model that. I suppose I could weave "actual" wattle out of wire and string, but it feels a bit over-the-top, especially as I only need one side showing. I've experimented a bit with other techniques using string, as well as carving a wattle-like pattern into modelling clay, and the results so far have been downright bad. Maybe I'm just doing it wrong.

So, any suggestions for how to model something like this?

http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/889/10019597.JPG

http://www.cdnarchitect.com/asf/principles_of_enclosure/enclosure_typologies/images/wattle_daub.gif

http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/arch/belgium/bokrijk/bokrijk07.jpg

[Westfalia Chris]

You could visit a crafts store to look for some coarse weave fabric - last december, I bought some "gift bags" out of natural fibre which had a visible pattern - I intend to build some 20mm South East Asian huts from it, but it could also work for your purpose. It could be simply glued to the wall between the wooden supports, then partially covered with putty/filler/whatever.

The picture linked below is actually a jute rug, but the stuff looks like that, only considerably finer. The image, by the way, gives a good impression of the "actual size" of the weave.

>>>http://www.therugs.com/images/CLHO/Jute-Berber-Beige.jpg<<<

[Rhoderic]

I'll keep that in mind when I make the rounds at all the local crafts & arts stores tomorrow (need to restock anyway). By the way, I don't really think I need to model the wooden beams and all that - I just need a good "texture" to put on top of whatever sheet material I choose to build the houses out of (which'll then mostly be covered in wall filler, possibly mixed with some static grass to make the daub more realistic).

I'm also going to have some buildings with canvas walls and roofs, so I want the two materials looking different.

Searching the forums for "wattle" does yield one good example of how it's been represented in a model house (look at the seventh picture down):

http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=6372.0

I presume it's simply been carefully sculpted into the walls in that structure. Forgeworld can afford doing time-consuming stuff like that.

[bandit86]

http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=6884.0
You can always use this and just cut what you want and plaster(daub)over it

[Dewbakuk]

I presume it's simply been carefully sculpted into the walls in that structure. Forgeworld can afford doing time-consuming stuff like that.

Well, yeah. But actually they didn't 

I remember seeing it being made. The wattle areas are made from thin wire which was actually woven in that pattern. Doesn't take long as you don't need long areas, and faster than sculpting.

[Rhoderic]

Heh, I just commented on those GW fences a few days ago and forgot already that they were in fact wattle! I guess that might be another reason for me to go out and buy one or two of those sets.

That said, I've now tested weaving it the "real" way using string over a framework of toothpicks. It's actually quite fun! Somewhat time-consuming, but not frustrating. It's the kind of thing you can do in front of the TV. I'm now considering making wattle walls from the ground up, for the entire houses. Most of it won't show under the daub when I'm done, but it might still give the houses a more realistic look, overall.

[Geudens]

For smaller sections, you might use this wicker fencing from Daemonscape.  I haven't bought it yet, but have a number of their SF gun turrets and those are absolutely tops, so I assume their other products are of a similar quality.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Wicker-Fencing-and-Gabions-Fantasy-Scenery-28mm-scale_W0QQitemZ350017326983QQihZ022QQcategoryZ2557QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262

Rudi

[Rhoderic]

Thanks for the tip! They're certainly cheap enough. They look quite similar to the section I just made.

[The_Wisecrack]

rhoderic. a tutorial maybe. as sad as i am this sounds more fun than drawing spider man wen i watch tv. 

[Rhoderic]

I don't know if it's quite so advanced as to need a tutorial. Basically, look at the diagram at http://www.tonygraham.co.uk/house_repair/wattle_daub/WD-2.html and copy it, using something stiff (such as toothpicks or florist's wire) for the stakes and string or "bendy" wire for the withies. It's easiest to use one continuous length of string or wire. Just loop one end of it around the base of the first stake, fix it in place with superglue, and start weaving. When you're done, fix the other end in place too, and coat the whole structure in watered down PVA glue.

For modelling purposes, I think that base/frame in the diagram is reduntant. Just stick the stakes right into whatever you're using as a base for the whole scenery piece, or if you're doing something small like fences or small bits of wattle to embed in your house facades, glue the stakes to some makeshift base that you can cut off when you're done. I haven't tried doing corners yet, but I don't think it'll be any more difficult.

[Aaron]

I could be mistaken, but something about the texture on the GW fences makes me think they used plastic lawn trimmer line. I've seen it in varying diameters and it would be easy to work with.

[Rhoderic]

OK, I've got a couple of more questions about wattle and daub, more to do with historical accuracy than modelling techniques this time. First, would wattle huts without daub be totally unheard of? If such structures did/do exist, then in what cultures and climates? Second, what about huts that only have daub on the outside, with the naked wattle showing on the inside? Is that also a preposterous idea? Third, aside from thatch, what kind of materials could the roofs be made out of? Could roofs be daub also, over a layer of branches or something such?

The huts I'm making are for my swords & sorcery project, so I'm going for a sort of dilapidated shanty town / caravan district look. Somewhat middle eastern or biblical in style. It's fantasy so that gives me some leeway, but I feel I'm already abusing my artistic license as it is (for instance, I'm using a lot of planking, which I know isn't very realistic in a pre-industrial society) so it's time to rein myself in before my scenery starts to get atrociously unrealistic.

[Rhoderic]

Just thought of one more question: Barring half-timbered houses (which don't really qualify as proper wattle buildings, as it's the timber framing that stands for most/all of the structural integrity), could wattle buildings ever rise above one story? I'm presuming not.

[joroas]

Wattle houses would be very draughty.........

[Hammers]

If you want to keep close to realism you may want to keep close to realism you should probably think in terms of what climate and environment your city is in. The shanty town would take it's look from whatever the cheapest building material around would be. Wattle would work in a fairly temperate environment a lot of bamboo or hazel available, straw huts by a river delta, mud brick where there's a lot of mud and cattle, coral blocks where ... well you get it.

Open or sealed wattle is probably a question of climate. If you otherwise want to show off your wattle use it for fencing (in cattle).