Red Harvest's Relocated Terrain Blog

[Section9]

As usual, mind. blown.

The planter, how believable is it as granite? I ask because I was thinking of facing the half-building in it, and the objective room too.

Based on the local buildings, I'd only do small trim pieces in granite, the rest could be another stone in a contrasting color or simple paint. Not the whole building in granite.

[Icchan]

Or chrome trims in the granite.

[bugbait_nz]

The latest building has a mausoleum look to it, how about a sarcophagus? Tomb of a local hero, white marble and bronze?

Dropping the feet from the corner sections would make it more playable but they do look good on it.

[LaughingJack]

We love the contour building, thats so great.

[red harvest]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I appreciate them a lot. I think a partial granite facing sounds best.

So, I had the idea that for an urban board, instead of the ubiquitous shipping containers, I would go with, well, shipping containers on wheels, that is to say public transportation buses. I did some calculations and estimated that for a 1/55 scale bus, I would end up with a block 47mm wide, 199mm long and 61 mm high. But good luck finding anything in that scale. I did find some interesting papercraft buses, and re-scaled one from 1/64 to 1/55. It turned out 48.5mm wide ( so close) 64mm high (Not bad) and 249mm long. ( a bit too long) But still, I think the dimensions work:



Shown with a papercraft car scaled to 1/55

and shown with the Icestorm shipping containers


I think the idea of 'shipping containers with wheels' will work just fine. Now I just need to come up with a bus design that looks sufficiently futuristic-- there are a few out there. And make a bus stop of the future.

I'll get back to the buildings now.

Thanks for stopping by.

[el_presidente]

that's a good idea. You could even make double decker turist buses with open surfaces so you can climb on top.

[Neatpete]

American Eagle FTW!

[red harvest]

Yes, FTW. It started out as a Warhawk from the old Games Workshop Wood Elves, but I figured I'd give it a more interesting paint job.

El Presidente, I have some interesting designs for future double decker buses, so I was thinking of giving them a try.

Meanwhile, I realized that I needed wanted a photo backdrop for the minis, for when I eventually finish painting some of them. SO, here is the start

Of course it will have lights


View from the back. Like on a movie set, eh?

And an overall view

Much more detailing to do.

Thanks for stopping by.

[Icchan]

Where'd you get that floor texture? Got a link?

[Claudius Sol]

Oh yeah! I've been meaning to make a photo backdrop for some time, as well! Yours looks like a great start!

[red harvest]

Thanks Claudius. I'm using it to motivate myself to try and paint more.

Where'd you get that floor texture? Got a link?

PM sent

More progress, but more to go too.


The coils are from a deodorant applicator-- the clear plastic screw inside the container.


And with some lights and minis-- no the minis are not finished.

As you can see those coils light nicely.

Need to add another layer to create the illusion of access panels. And some signage, and a few greebles around the door. Those niches along the bottom of the wall need something too. Still thinking about that. Also, touch up the painting. It's just prelimary, ATM.

Thanks for stopping by.

Yes, I see the warping on the pilaster on the back wall. It will be fixed in the next step.

[Wirelizard]

The coils are from a deodorant applicator-- the clear plastic screw inside the container.

Now that's inspired recycling. I'm pretty sure there's an empty pit stick applicator in the bedroom garbage bin right now, I think I'll fish it out when I get home...

[red harvest]

The nifty thing is they look really nice when backlit too. I'm going to want to experiment with different colored lights at some point.

[red harvest]

'Tis done. Except maybe some touch up on the paint.

Added grates, and...

A few more screens. It was suggested that I hold off on over-greebling ( is that a legit verb, to greeble?) greebleizing? So that the backdrop did not distract from the mini. Anyway, a few test shots, with the models that are closest to being finished. Anyat is actually finished.

Kirpal has been so close to being done. I would have finished him in time for the contest deadline if it were not for my back troubles. Grrrr.


Now I have to figure out lighting. These photos are a bit over-lit. But at least I have a sci fi backdrop for my soon ( well "soon") to be painted minis. Although I may have to build another wall, with a large door. I think the tiny door would look silly with a TAG or other Remote on a 55 base. Nonetheless, I am calling this project finished.

Thanks for stopping by

[Claudius Sol]

Looks great! The gratings sell it, for me.

As for the lighting, are you using a diffuser? Some thin paper (like gift paper... no idea the actual name... tissue paper?) works well over your light sources to soften the light.

[red harvest]

Parchment paper makes a great diffuser. No, I didn't set that up, since these were quick test shots before going to sleep. Also, for a good all around diffuser one of those plastic sterilite containers or drawers works well as an ad hoc lightbox. Not the really clear ones, but the cloudy plastic ones. Something like the drawers from this

[MARC C]

Excellent idea! I have one. I'll use that for my next pictures !!!

[red harvest]

I jumped into a terrain contest, again. This time I intend to finish the project. And the painting contest here. Then it is back to the other projects like the Objective Room. No more new projects until all the extant ones stand completed.

The theme is "got wood" ( ahem.) So, I am building a watchtower from craft sticks. Said watchtower is inspired by the one that is a part of the wooden castle in Baturin (Baturyn) Ukraine. Some WIP photos


yes, it looks Medieval, so what does it have to do with Infinity? Well, perhaps the Ariadnans build things from wood. And then there is the shape


Ah-Ha!

Thanks for stopping by.

[Claudius Sol]

I didn't catch on to the Hexagon until you had already fooled me!

While I think it looks a bit tacky, I suspect that is entirely the point. Of course, the technique of "log cabin" style stacking is well executed.

[Mob of Blondes]

The "thunder" joints are also interesting. Any special reason?

[red harvest]

They are scarf joints. This style is also known as a lightning bolt joint. It's the sort of joint one uses to make a longer piece out of two shorter pieces.

[Mob of Blondes]

Yeah, I figured it was for length... I was asking the reason to do this in such small thing that is just cosmetic, not structural. Well, unless you want to use the miniature houses as small stools.

Looking at pictures of the real fortress, the planks are "lower". Also it's full of silly faces (yeah, humans seeing faces everywhere).


Faces... and a hat.

[Mob of Blondes]

You posted this somewhere else...

Imagine if model paints came with that kind of info. Easy to find color progressions, no more "you say it is cold grey, maybe my lights are playing tricks and I have no way to know", etc.

[red harvest]

Model paints do... at least many of the ones I use do But then I've never fallen for the "special miniatures paint" idea either. Of course some of these paints include things like cadmium, so no brush licking or airbrushing, but for such a beautiful yellow, worth it.

That's not the tower I'm using as an exemplar. The one I'm using is not wearing a cornuthaum.

[Mob of Blondes]

Which model paints do provide hue/value/saturation info? That's what I wanted. I know some that provide some kind of color match (FS or RAL numbers for example) but not much more (pigments, if, and only if, they are legally toxic, and because laws got strict... Vallejo didn't care about cadmium until recent times). Some art ones probably do (these... only in the bottle, the color chart in their site doesn't), others don't (just pigments, llightfastness, transparency, etc).

[red harvest]

Liquitex soft body acrylics and Golden fluid acrylics are the ones I use. The color chart here, http://www.liquitex.com/basicscolorchart/ is a pdf with all the information for Liquitex including hue/value/chroma. For Golden it is here, http://www.goldenpaints.com/products/co ... ldcht1.php although you'll have to click through to get the individual colors. I suppose that Grumbacher also has this info, but I've only ever used their oil paints, and that was a while ago.

I realize some might QQ about the "difference" between artist's acrylics and modeller's acrylics. Paint is paint. It's pigment plus additives in an acrylic medium.

[Mob of Blondes]

Oh, thanks, I was looking at http://www.liquitex.com/softbodycolorchart/ because

label says so.

brands

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Vallejo got into models because people were using their acrylics already. Then they created ranges of color with militar matches, other brand matches, etc. They also say the formula changed (for VMC, the original range based in their art ones), no idea how much they differ, the couple of pots I got from their old art ranges are pretty similar. Other miniature brands can be traced to art or even industrial suppliers, so maybe some extra pigment milling and some additive changes, but yes, paint is paint.

I just go with VMC/VMA/Tamiya/Coat/etc because it's easier to replicate colors if you have the same reference decade after decade (that discards one big brand of miniature paint ) which already matches a militar thing and also because many are avaliable locally; while art ones seem to be rarer, even go in fads (same with brushes, BTW... distributors ), plus being priced pretty much the same (this is art! here, empty your pockets!), specially if you take into acount some colors will never run out ever.

For "bigger" tasks (scenery), craft acrylics are great. DIY shops around here go bananas sometimes (maybe it's not just art thing), so one must check first to avoid silly prices, but otherwise, fine.

I just wish all brands had the color info number.

[Mob of Blondes]

Still a face like + .

Different kind of material for the roof? Or just "not grey" card?

[red harvest]

Uhm, yeah. Next time, let me be the one to post images of my work in my thread.

The Watchtower is finished. You may need to right click and view image to see it all without scrolling.

405mm tall, 200mm wide at the base, 260mm wide at the catwalk. It is a big piece. Not what I started out to do. Ah well. The contest theme was "got Wood" as noted. So I used wood. And some paper. Which is wood pulp, really.

Big Pictures

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I call them draw-stairs. I need to think about adding a mechanism too. For grins. Later

I figure it would work on Dawn, as a watchtower for Antipodes incursions. Maybe? Snipers will love it-- or so they will think. Eventually, I will finish the interior somehow. But for now, Done. Now to paint some minis.

Thanks for stopping by. Feliz Navidad.

[Mob of Blondes]

Sorry, it looked like you had forgotten about Infinity land. Also trying to so it had face and hat.