.... just kidding offcourse!) be carefull!
Work in Progress
Musketeers WIP
that sounds horribly painfull steve. Al the best and i hope you recover soon ( because i want to see more progress .... just kidding offcourse!) be carefull!
.... just kidding offcourse!) be carefull!-
dykio
- Posts: 1503
- Member since:
31 Jan 2008, 19:56
Sorry to hear of your in jury, Steve; an old war wound? Wishing you a good and reasonably speedy recovery.
Until then, a 'take-over' of the dining room table sounds like an eminently good idea. the church frontage seems to be coming on very nicely....
Until then, a 'take-over' of the dining room table sounds like an eminently good idea. the church frontage seems to be coming on very nicely....
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Minuteman
- Posts: 1141
- Member since:
06 Mar 2020, 21:38
Happy Friday!
Good afternoon from the sunny shores of the Mighty Mersey river even if the sky to the northwest looks threatening. Still in pain from the knee, but more bearable now, I'm hobbling round like something old and very hobble-y-ish, but at least I can get up and downstairs without assistance now.
On with the build.
By now you will probably have realised that what you are NOT going to see is the elegance and accuracy of Egbert's beautiful Texas Church build, but that's who I am. This week has been about details, adding them and correcting existing aspects and THEN adding details.
So first up, the frontage as it exists - about 40 minuties ago.
The doorways are done, the doors detailed, the top windows squared up and the surrounds LARGELY done, I may add more to them but at the moment, all I need to do is add some blocks underneath the sills. The plinth at the top of the facade has been completed and temporarily glued in place, I used the white styrene, because I didn't have enough of the blue to do it. The white doesn't take details as well as the blue, but it will do for bulk work.
I also added some details at the tops of the columns and the top edges of the walls.
The door ways, (that strip is just a loose strip, it's not fixed in place). The doors on the original church are panelled so I used a press to add details.
The gaps at the top of the portico will be filled, I just didn't want to bring filler down onto the dining room table.
The window surround is one piece, with various shapes pressed into it, and then with bits cut away. I'm rather pleased with it. It gives the sense of intricate detail but was actually quite simple.
The top of the facade
Glue and filler required here, and around the niche for the saint, to bring it all together.
Overall, not a bad week's work. Just a reminder of the original
I'm quite happy with what I have acheived with this, even though I will probably tinker with it a little while I do the filling and clean-up. Then it's on to painting?
Hope you found this useful, have a great week end.
Good afternoon from the sunny shores of the Mighty Mersey river even if the sky to the northwest looks threatening. Still in pain from the knee, but more bearable now, I'm hobbling round like something old and very hobble-y-ish, but at least I can get up and downstairs without assistance now.
On with the build.
By now you will probably have realised that what you are NOT going to see is the elegance and accuracy of Egbert's beautiful Texas Church build, but that's who I am. This week has been about details, adding them and correcting existing aspects and THEN adding details.
So first up, the frontage as it exists - about 40 minuties ago.
The doorways are done, the doors detailed, the top windows squared up and the surrounds LARGELY done, I may add more to them but at the moment, all I need to do is add some blocks underneath the sills. The plinth at the top of the facade has been completed and temporarily glued in place, I used the white styrene, because I didn't have enough of the blue to do it. The white doesn't take details as well as the blue, but it will do for bulk work.
I also added some details at the tops of the columns and the top edges of the walls.
The door ways, (that strip is just a loose strip, it's not fixed in place). The doors on the original church are panelled so I used a press to add details.
The gaps at the top of the portico will be filled, I just didn't want to bring filler down onto the dining room table.
The window surround is one piece, with various shapes pressed into it, and then with bits cut away. I'm rather pleased with it. It gives the sense of intricate detail but was actually quite simple.
The top of the facade
Glue and filler required here, and around the niche for the saint, to bring it all together.
Overall, not a bad week's work. Just a reminder of the original
I'm quite happy with what I have acheived with this, even though I will probably tinker with it a little while I do the filling and clean-up. Then it's on to painting?
Hope you found this useful, have a great week end.
-
steve_pickstock
- Posts: 1311
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20 Jun 2010, 19:56
steve_pickstock wrote:...I'm quite happy with what I have acheived with this, even though I will probably tinker with it a little while I do the filling and clean-up. Then it's on to painting?
Hope you found this useful, have a great week end.
Hi Steve,
you can be more than satisfied with what you have achieved so far.
I'm thrilled ... that looks really great!
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Egbert
- Posts: 597
- Member since:
16 Oct 2008, 06:47
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MABO
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12 May 2008, 18:01
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Happy Monday - yeah me neither.
At least one thing is to be celebrated - PAINT!
As per my last posting on this, SWMBO (She-Wo-Must-Be-Obeyed) was desirous of having her dining room table back, with visions of us being civilised and eating our Easter Day roast at said table. This meant that the church and all the gubbins went back upstairs. My knee is better than it was so I spent some time over the week-end and this morning up there, filling, painting, tweaking and just getting the colours arrayed for finishing this off.
Doors
They came off the model, they had only been held in place with masking tape,
First off, an all-over coat of Vallejo Air Black.
This thinner paint gets into all the recesses and marks.
Then, a dry-brush of black mixed with a mid brown, followed by a second dry-brush of mid-brown on it's own.
And that was followed, while still wet by a third dry-brush of yellow ochre to highlight the edges and details.
They will get another lighter dry-brush of ochre to finish them off.
Over the week-end I applied a coat of white to a lot of the model, just to see how it looked. After that I mixed acrylic based wall filler with Mod Podge to make a brushable filler, and did the top of the main door, edges, the top of the facade, All the places where there were gaps, I applied filler and brushed it out to blend it with the rest of the model Then over all of that, a second and often third coat of Vallejo White.
That brought it to here:
Some of you will look at that and think - as I often do, myself, some of those lines are off. They aren't. I have checked them time and time again with set squares, rules and one of my favourite small tools when checking square - Lego bricks. If it is off vertical it is only a milimetre or fraction thereof.
I know some of the slopes are off, or mismatched, but the one thing that really srews it up, is the niche for the saint.
Time to sort that out.
It wasn't big enough anyway so I extended it upwards and used that as an opportunity to centre and re-shape the arch. I added a liner for the arch, and a plinth for the saint - and wallop! I also added what I think are clled corbels in English, supports for the bottom sills of the windows.
I think it looks so much better.
A last look at the image of the original and I decided that a couple more tweaks were needed.
I cut some small blocks and a pair of sills, and added them at the tops of the windows.
So, I think that is the construction part of the build done. In the next couple of days I will undercoat all the remaining areas, and begin painting. I see this as mainly colours like stone, buff, iraqui sand, and a tiny touch of ochre (that will tie it in to the bases and the street surface). I'm torn between airbrushing it and using a sponge.
I hope you enjoyed this and found something useful in it.
At least one thing is to be celebrated - PAINT!
As per my last posting on this, SWMBO (She-Wo-Must-Be-Obeyed) was desirous of having her dining room table back, with visions of us being civilised and eating our Easter Day roast at said table. This meant that the church and all the gubbins went back upstairs. My knee is better than it was so I spent some time over the week-end and this morning up there, filling, painting, tweaking and just getting the colours arrayed for finishing this off.
Doors
They came off the model, they had only been held in place with masking tape,
First off, an all-over coat of Vallejo Air Black.
This thinner paint gets into all the recesses and marks.
Then, a dry-brush of black mixed with a mid brown, followed by a second dry-brush of mid-brown on it's own.
And that was followed, while still wet by a third dry-brush of yellow ochre to highlight the edges and details.
They will get another lighter dry-brush of ochre to finish them off.
Over the week-end I applied a coat of white to a lot of the model, just to see how it looked. After that I mixed acrylic based wall filler with Mod Podge to make a brushable filler, and did the top of the main door, edges, the top of the facade, All the places where there were gaps, I applied filler and brushed it out to blend it with the rest of the model Then over all of that, a second and often third coat of Vallejo White.
That brought it to here:
Some of you will look at that and think - as I often do, myself, some of those lines are off. They aren't. I have checked them time and time again with set squares, rules and one of my favourite small tools when checking square - Lego bricks. If it is off vertical it is only a milimetre or fraction thereof.
I know some of the slopes are off, or mismatched, but the one thing that really srews it up, is the niche for the saint.
Time to sort that out.
It wasn't big enough anyway so I extended it upwards and used that as an opportunity to centre and re-shape the arch. I added a liner for the arch, and a plinth for the saint - and wallop! I also added what I think are clled corbels in English, supports for the bottom sills of the windows.
I think it looks so much better.
A last look at the image of the original and I decided that a couple more tweaks were needed.
I cut some small blocks and a pair of sills, and added them at the tops of the windows.
So, I think that is the construction part of the build done. In the next couple of days I will undercoat all the remaining areas, and begin painting. I see this as mainly colours like stone, buff, iraqui sand, and a tiny touch of ochre (that will tie it in to the bases and the street surface). I'm torn between airbrushing it and using a sponge.
I hope you enjoyed this and found something useful in it.
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steve_pickstock
- Posts: 1311
- Member since:
20 Jun 2010, 19:56
bothree69 wrote:I understand that it is an example of an Italian church (and we are not so tidy) but what a mess behind the facade of the church ....
That is my space - what can I say, I am not a tidy person.
You should have seen it before I tidied it up last summer. 
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steve_pickstock
- Posts: 1311
- Member since:
20 Jun 2010, 19:56
You only need the place fora bottle.
Great progress. Looks like the stage of a theater play.
Great progress. Looks like the stage of a theater play.
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MABO
- Supporting Member (Gold)
- Posts: 9146
- Member since:
12 May 2008, 18:01
I am very much looking forward to the paintjob and also wandering what you wil use for the windows.dykio wrote: I am ... also wandering what you wil use for the windows.
If you will permit ...?
A short course on how I do windows.
This is the basis of my windows.
It is known in the UK as scrim or plasterer's tape, and in the US as dry wall tape. The idea is that you place this fibre glass mesh, which is tacky on one side, over the gap between two sheets of plaster board. Then you place a plaster compound over that to hide the joint. This tape strengthens that joint. I bought this roll for about 8GBP from a builder's supply merchant. And to be honest I don't think I will need to buy any more ever again. Ever.
I did think about other ways to make windows before I came back to this, and I don't know why I just didn't do this in the first place. To use it to make windows is really easy.
Cut out your apertures, stick the mesh over the back and there you go.
Because it is woven and a very open weave, you will find it needs to be coaxed into place. I find it is better to line one edge up, and then tease the rest so that lines are parallel and straight in relation to each other.
If the spaces in that mesh are too big, simply lay a second mesh over the first - again be careful to line the meshes up so that the spacing is even and suare and parallel, but that is it!
For the church, I placed the mesh on a backing sheet first and doubled it up to get a fine lattice, painted it black and then dry-brushed it with ochre and I will finish it off with a gold pen.
Glazing is up to you, but for myself, if the mesh is on a backer sheet, I would either just flood the area with gloss varnish, or do the same using that resin that cures by Ultra-Violet light. The mesh can be applied onto clear plastic, or you can apply it to the aperture and then apply te glazing behind it. There are lots of possibilities.
Hope this was useful.
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steve_pickstock
- Posts: 1311
- Member since:
20 Jun 2010, 19:56
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MABO
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12 May 2008, 18:01
Real nice way to create windows! Thank you for showing to us!
PS: placing plaster board: joint filler - tape - finisher - sanding - primer - three layers of paint (how do they call it in English: professional deformity? We had to place a lot of these in our old military buildings. )
But I like the way you use that tape more Steve!
PS: placing plaster board: joint filler - tape - finisher - sanding - primer - three layers of paint (how do they call it in English: professional deformity? We had to place a lot of these in our old military buildings.
)But I like the way you use that tape more Steve!
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Peter
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25 Mar 2008, 18:51
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Wonderful looking building facade, I really like it. The original is a bit fussy for my taste but yours is just elegant.
Great tip for mullioned windows!
Re the vertical lines, that optical illusion is the reason the ancients built columns that tapered towards the top.
Great tip for mullioned windows!
Re the vertical lines, that optical illusion is the reason the ancients built columns that tapered towards the top.
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Graeme
- Posts: 1565
- Member since:
27 Nov 2015, 02:39
Graeme wrote:Wonderful looking building facade, I really like it. The original is a bit fussy for my taste but yours is just elegant.
Thank you, 'elegant' is what I was aiming for, though to be honest I knew I didn't stand a chance in H*ll of ever doing all that Roccoco work, so simplified and elegant was always the aim.
Graeme wrote:Re the vertical lines, that optical illusion is the reason the ancients built columns that tapered towards the top.
I'm glad you said that, I had mentioned this to my wife the other day. I'm not sure it's true, because of the scale, but those Greek archictects knew their stuff, so who knows.
Anyway on with the show on this bright breezy and slightly cold Wednesday afternoon, this afternoon's sound track was Medieval music by Vox Vulgaris
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tme4c-p6IM0&t=13s
Looking at the facade so far, I decided it was time for some colour.
I mixed a very wet, runny ochre craft paint, officially Antique Gold in colour, and that was applied all over, with a big flat brush.
Because it was very thin, I was able to push it around with the brush and get it into details. When I was done I quite liked the effect. It is more golden that the original, but that works for me for various reasons.*
At the same time I picked out the courses of smaller bricks in a buff colour.
Next, the whole facade was lightly drybrushed in Buff and Iraqui Stone by Vallejo, to add some depth to the colour, the columns by the doors were picked out in Vallejo White Grey.
More dry-brushing with White. Ths time to even out the colours over all, and pick up details like edges and mouldings and also to lighten some areas like mouldings etc.
I also re-fixed the doors and the upper window gratings (which have had a going over with a gold pen to highlight the lattice work}.
Apart from some detail work, like washes around some details and staining from where rain might have coloured the stones, I think that this is pretty much done,
In this image you can see the old steps (they're going to be replaced) and the unpainted statue of St Martin in place, while Alatriste and de Bergerac get ready to go at it hammer and tong belows.
*I use ochre colours as the base for all of my terrain. I read many years ago that brightly coloured bses set the painted models off better, and I have found this to be true. Also when a figure is standing on dry ground, the earth is likely to have dried out to quite a pale colour, so I chose the Antique Gold colour which was reasonably priced. It dry brushes nicely so it doesn't look so golden.
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steve_pickstock
- Posts: 1311
- Member since:
20 Jun 2010, 19:56
Wonderful result, Steve,
and really good to see the steps.
The building has a strong Italian character to me, not French and not Spanish neither such as the picture you show. So what are the King's musketeers doing there? Looking forward to next steps and very curious about the story
Greetings
Michael
and really good to see the steps.
The building has a strong Italian character to me, not French and not Spanish neither such as the picture you show. So what are the King's musketeers doing there? Looking forward to next steps and very curious about the story
Greetings
Michael
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Michael Robert
Supporting Member (Bronze)- Posts: 825
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14 Oct 2009, 19:22