Tavern Expansion

Remember the tavern, that very brief update with a single photo? Well I've been working on that, it's expanding and has somehow acquired a hugely complicated roof.

First picture above is the front view, with the main gable showing. The arch shaped hole will have a recessed window I borrowed from some random terrain I've seen somewhere. The roof will go over the main body and stop in a small dormer at the back.

Second pic is the rear view, the block on the right is the new kitchen wing. On the other side will be steps up to the first floor, they're not in yet.

The grey stuff is depron, shown in the third photo. This is my first play with this stuff and it's great. The first floor will be half timbered for a traditional look. Still no board to mount this on yet, but that won't stop it growing.

Stadtheim Lives!

I'm back. It's been a while since I've had time/inclination to work on the town but currently on holiday from work and finding time to get stuck back in.

Bought some depron, which I'm using for the ground floor of the tavern, that's going quite well. Also learned how to mould/cast stuff, so trying to sort out my own windows later.

Couple of new purchases arrived today. From Renedra I bought a couple of sets of barrels. Big ones are about 15mm high, little ones about 10mm. Seem very well scaled for 28mm models so I'll be scattering these around.

Then from TerraScenic I bought a set of Modelling Mates moulds. Basically a cheaper version of Hirst Arts moulds. Made from EVA foam (the stuff you get on fishing rod and exercise bike handles), they lack the detail and quality of the HA stuff. However for 2/3 the price of a single HA mould you get THREE of these. Plus they're a lot larger, the basic block one has 28 individual blocks.

I'm casting up my second batch now, once I have enough to build something I'll show it. They're a little larger than HA bricks but should work well to give variety to my town.

Finally I'm working on the canal section. The warehouse is almost up to roof line and I'm building a small cargo barge to go under the crane.

Photos coming.

Canal Mouth

Hallo. Quick update with what I'm currently working on. After the slight change to the layout I mentioned the other day, I've been looking at the part where the canal meets the sea or river or whatever it is off board.

This piece extends the existing canal system with one side higher than the other. Similar style all the way along. The tall edge finishes with a cliff face, which will hopefully look better when textured and detailed. The other side has a small pier thingamy which will be set up as a small canon emplacement. The idea is it should stop intruders sailing straight up the canal.

Still to do is the footbridge over the canal, got some plans but need to get hold of some pink foam.

Here are the two canal boards together, also entitled "why we build with set squares". D'oh. Yes, I need to move the bricks on the new board and file down the edge to get a smooth join. However I like how it's coming along, the view down the canal is pretty cool.

Still plenty to do but work is a bit insane at the moment so I've lost my weekends. Once I get them back things should start progressing again.

The town in SketchUp

Combined with my slow workrate, my inability to photograph models in an explanatory way I thought might make this a worthwhile venture. I wanted to try and give people a better overview of where the town is going, as well as explain it to myself!

So last night I downloaded SketchUp. Not used it before, but figured how hard could it be? Turns out it's the easiest packaging for visualisations I've ever used. It genuinely IS like sketching in 3d. A few things are clunky but perhaps when you get to that point you should be using a bigger package (Maya is my preference). Anyway, I digress.

This is Stadtheim! Not sparta, nor indeed frothers. The town has changed a bit from the map on the right. Whilst ostensibly this is modular terrain, since it won't be played on much if at all I'm desigining it to be put together in a certain way.

The new blocks on the front left edge are the coast. Too tempted by the awesome pirate models out there to not do this. I may even extend one block further out so I can put in a harbour wall, but for now it'll stop there. The far edge will become a cliff, the near a small dock with jetties.

Of all the blocks shown I now have 5 on the go, the latest being the mouth of the river. The far corner is a plan I have based on the rather spectacular town of Rothenburg. There will be three bridges in total. The one shown, and another wide one the other side of the watch house. Finally a small footbridge will go over the river mouth.

Too many ideas. This could easily end up being a city..

Verena Statue.. sort of

I made this plinth ages ago and have been looking for a statue to go on it. The plint is just to top from a cylinder of tooth paste and a plaster cast from the lid of a cold coffee drink. The texture is just plaster dust and chunks from hacking up hirst arts blocks.

The owl I found in an old box of stuff. I'd love the say I painted the patina like that, but actually it's just because it's spent many years in a slightly damp loft.

Anyway, I think it'll work nicely as a subtle statue to Verena, although if I find a 54mm roman goddess miniature I may change my mind.

Oh and apologies for the random thumbnail, my photo script crops in strange ways sometimes to create the thumbs.

Church and Stained Glass

The church! My favourite piece, I really love this. I think when it's detailed properly it'll be the sort of thing I'll keep coming back to just to look at.

So current state of play. The grounds are painted, the main cobbles need another drybrush to a lighter grey, looks very black at the moment. I'm really happy with the brown cobbles though, love the effect (paint brown, black wash, drybrush same brown).

Need to sort out the roof of the lean to at the back. Need railings for the graveyard as well as detailing and painting and so on for the headstones.

And then the stained glass windows! I'm so happy with these, to the point I'm almost proud. The finished effect is great and I really need to get the rest in. The one in the pic above isn't fastened, just propped up for show. I'm going to use a white back drop to help the colours stand out, as shown. Bit dusty, need to keep an eye on that somehow.

But yeah, thrilled with how this is coming together. If the rest of my town works out half as well I think I'll be happy with the overall project. At the moment just desperate to get the four in progress boards done.

Watchhouse Painting

The watch house has progressed slightly since last post. The watch house itself is now painted. The wood needs another drybrush and the windows need something, just undercoated at the moment. Looks better in person that it does in my dodgy photos. Lessons to be learned I'm sure.

The tower is one of my favourite pieces, I thought it deserved a couple of photos. The joists under the walkway need adjusting then painting, and there's still no door on the middle access arch, but it's getting there. Oh and I need to paint under the eaves.