new kid on the block!

some softer fotos, i need to sort out the treatment where it joins the green area and the bridge but hey....!

thanks again folks , i'm not too worried about the plaster, if it cracks it should follow one of the cuts any way, and the whole lot was quite well sealed with the black gloss, plus, it really was well fixed to the virgin mdf

regarding the cabling, yes i've been wondering how to do it, it will be wired up underneath, and i;ll sort the village as a seperate entitiy, to be connected under the bridge and near the grass, so it can be taken on and off, the crossing, i'll copy the sclextric one i've got here, should be fun!

bridge bits should arrive next week....whoooosh!

hi kids!

OK at last i managed to download the precursor to the laying of the plaster in the plaza to make everything clear, showing the carved up mdf and the pole for the tree to rest on

also on a walk around here at the weekend we saw some cool (and easy)countryside accesories, which i've tried to emulate

the 'fuente' (drinking fountain)

this need painting still but is a bit of old rusty steel tube, with plaster inside (shaped with finger to make a bowl shape) and a carved up bit of wood (done with small grinder ) and some palster paste to give the stone texture, the tap is a steel hook (nail type )shortened and with a blob of weld on the top (and a bit of welding wire that got stuck on there which i quite like!) obviously needs integrating into the landscape as yet

then we found a memorial cross, which is dead easy, a carved up bit of mdf left over and a nail drilled into the bottom, the cross i made from stainless, but could easily be from a saint christopher or something....(i'm gonna nick one that we've got in the house for sticking on the front of the church

also been applying plaster board paste to other bits of the track, the texture you get is so good that it makes even the painted and aged pieces of track look crude!, trying to decide on the other building too, a bar for sure (probably our bar!) and some balcony detail would be nice, we'll see!

thats all for now, seeee ya!

QUOTE (sig @ 28 Sep 2009, 10:40) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
That slot is going to break a lot of guides!

ok, time for another update, been painting the roads, in preparation for the bridge (hopefully thursday), and generally mudding down all the tracks,apart from the tunnel to the main road, which still needs to be sorted (not sure what to do with the overhanging road!)
also started on more buildings ( an abstracted version of our bar and a beaten up old house) has anyone ever put fotos of real windows behind the perspex, it should look more realistic than just paionting them black, i'll give it a try later, as the bar windows are very big and it should give more of a sense of depth.


the thing is now i've got a problem with the plaza that 'leaks' out the back.....between the church and the bar leads a path into the rest of the village, but at the moment its just a gap, i need to give the impression of the rest of the village but on flat boards? fotos , fake perspectives, blurred looking buildings??? what do i do??

this next one is for rene!, to prove i fixed the slot, and showing the nice place for a picnic, i'm gonna have to do a crash scene on that left turn after the straight to fill in the gap on the main road after the turn

we're getting there..hope the bridge bits get done for thursday, could be exciting

cheers sig, (any ideas about my plaza corner welcome)

Looking great. Should be fun when things are all up and running. I like your idea of filling the bar windows with a photo of the inside of the bar. Should work a treat.

As far as how to take care of the outskirts and suggesting the rest of the village beyond the square...
Photos would work. I can't see any reason why not. Its a trick I've used when doing 3D computer animated scenes. Surround the set with a cylindrical wall with panaramic photos projected on the inside.
Perspective matt painting would also work, a trick from old school film set dressing. Depends on how handy you feel with a paint brush.
Another possible approach related to matt painting, allows for building more and painting less, but might depend a bit more on the available room. Build the rest of your village essentially flat, several layers of card. Make use of forced and diminishing perspective, less detail and depth the further away. These can then be arranged into the background area, sort of pop-up book style if you will. This method would let you 'construct' the village if you don't feel comfortable with drawing or painting it.
Not sure if I've made a whole lot of sense there. Oh well.

Can't say I've tried any of the above ideas on a diarama, but I have done them all at one time or another. The pop-up style version I used on puppet theatre sets that I helped a friend build when I was still hopefull of being able to survive as an art glassblower.

No doubt there is one way that will strike as being more suited to your situation (and personality) than others.

Whatever you do, I know it'll look great.

Embs

Terrific progress sig! It's amazing to me just how quickly you are moving along with such fantastic results.

QUOTE has anyone ever put fotos of real windows behind the perspex Yes, I think Graham Lane did this on some of the buildings on this layout. You will find photos somewhere in his Castello Slot Racing thread. His track build is a great source of information. Also, I think he faced some of the same concerns you have regarding the gap between the church and the bar. The only thing that I've modelled that is similar to the gap is the Paddock tunnel under the track at Prairie Ridge. I made a fake perspective on a flat board in an attempt to make the tunnel look as if it continues on under the track when in reality it is only about 5cm deep. Your situation is certainly more difficult, but I have faith in your abilities - I'm sure that you'll pull it off brilliantly

Thanks for the update.
Brad

been out with the camera, tking fotos of the bar windows, and doors, and accesories (ice cream, black board etc), then resize with a bit of photoshop jiggery pockery and bob's your uncle, instant bar!!, just need the sun shade and aluminium chairs!!??

brad and ember, thanks very much for your help, ember i reckon i'm gonna try and do the bas relief thing, the layers of card etc and try and get a false sense of perspective, i reckon the half and half method you suggested will help me define rthe street easier and make it easier to create, gonna be tricky all the same, but great idea thanks....sounds like you've had every job under the sun!

QUOTE (sig @ 7 Oct 2009, 01:09) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>sounds like you've had every job under the sun!
Not really. And unfortunately most non-paying. Trained in Ceramic Design with major in glass blowing. Hung out with a bit of an artist community for a few years before deciding poverty line wasn't to my liking and got a proper job. Now, many years later, I'm back to poverty line again for less fun reasons. Oh well.

The bar is looking great. Love the fellow with the early ' brick' mobile phone (or is it a walkie talkie).

Would love to see the real building, inside and out!

Cheers
Embs

in case you're wondering where i've been ("no not really" i hear you all say) i've got copper.....YESSSSSSS!, its mostly down and i've been laying rubber in my village square!!!!. OH THE JOYS!!!!!, the copper lays down the power really well and is weirdly responsive, the ninco cars just have tooooo much power for those tight curves, its GREAT!!!. I'VE NEVER RACED ON WOOD BEFORE, it sounds different which is odd, but the stone edging and all the scenery is great to race around, (and be aware of!, the cliff face is about 8 mm from the lambos, wing mirror!)
i found a couple of rock faces that needed attention with the neumatic drill, to shave back, and the grip os ok, good for drifts and controled slides, still need the bit inder the tunnel, but just bought my extra mdf for routing tomorrow.

the only thing is a couple of fills to do with fake wood (bad routing)and i think with the last bit i'll paint it once the copper is down as in no time at all the plastic guide rips some of the edge of the copper tape, but that is easy to fix,

the crossover works ok but was a bit scary drilling holes into those precious cobbles!!!

once its all done i'll just have to go round tweaking and fine painting again

really great though!

by the way the bridge bits weren't ready so had to console myself buying a ninco gulf porsche for 25 euros! its a hard life

will try and do a vid or summat, if i get a chance between races!!!

Would I be correct in the assumption that you are a little excited?

We want evidence!!

Congratulations in getting things powered. The progress rate is just about to take a dive.

Cheers
Embs