Little Muddle

[Winslow Boy]

2 minutes ago, Alister_G said:

I found this problem of reality versus the model colours particularly with the walling, of all things. I took loads of photos of real Derbyshire drystone walls, but when I came to replicate the colours I saw, they looked completely wrong on the model, and I had to settle for a much more washed out and homogenised grey with occasional highlights - as Don says, as though you are viewing it from a distance of a few hundred feet.

 

Al

 

I think part of the problem is that the eye doesn't actually relay what it sees. What in fact occurs is a bit like one of those computer enhancement programmes. The eye sends signals to the brain, which then interprets those signals, filling in any bits it doesn't understand from memory and extrapolation. It is this combined image that we then see. So you could say that when you view a photograph or a painting you are seeing something that isnt there as it has been enhanced twice, once electronically (or biologically in the case of the painting) and then a second time biologically by your own brain.

[Tim Dubya]

A guy name of Aiden Campbell discusses colour scaling on his web site and on the attached.  

 

http://www.aidan-campbell.co.uk/

 

guide to scale colour.pdf

 

I found his site whilst searching for figure painting tips  👍

 

 

Edited June 14, 2022 by Tim Dubya

[Alister_G]

That's a fascinating article, thanks Tim.

 

Al.

[KNP]

I have a few rules I have stuck to over the years that have particularly paid off on LM

 

•Never use gloss unless it’s to make something look wet

•Black and white not used on their own, only in a paint mix

•try and base model colour on examples

•nothing pristine

•nothing a uniform colour

•washes used to dull and merge tones

•be prepared to apply many colours, washes, etc to obtain, easier to build up slowly than to remove!!

•don’t get stuck with stereotypes ie grass and trees not always green, roofs not one colour, road surfaces many shades etc etc

 

and my all time favourite line is..

Model what you see not what you think you see

[Alister_G]

19 minutes ago, KNP said:

and my all time favourite line is..

Model what you see not what you think you see

21 hours ago, Alister_G said:

I have learned that to get the right "feel" it is sometimes best not to model what your eye sees, but what you think it should look like

 

Hmm, interesting contradiction, but it works for both of us...

 

Al.

[Winslow Boy]

7 hours ago, KNP said:

I have a few rules I have stuck to over the years that have particularly paid off on LM

 

•Never use gloss unless it’s to make something look wet

•Black and white not used on their own, only in a paint mix

•try and base model colour on examples

•nothing pristine

•nothing a uniform colour

•washes used to dull and merge tones

•be prepared to apply many colours, washes, etc to obtain, easier to build up slowly than to remove!!

•don’t get stuck with stereotypes ie grass and trees not always green, roofs not one colour, road surfaces many shades etc etc

 

and my all time favourite line is..

Model what you see not what you think you see

 

As per my comment above you can only see what your brain is able to process, so you are in fact doing both whether you like it or not.

 

So in effect Kevin your brain is obviously providing you with an extremely realistic interpretation as we all think your modelling is very good. Don't ask me to repeat that as I had enough trouble getting it right first time. 

[Donw]

11 hours ago, KNP said:

I have a few rules I have stuck to over the years that have particularly paid off on LM

 

•Never use gloss unless it’s to make something look wet

•Black and white not used on their own, only in a paint mix

•try and base model colour on examples

•nothing pristine

•nothing a uniform colour

•washes used to dull and merge tones

•be prepared to apply many colours, washes, etc to obtain, easier to build up slowly than to remove!!

•don’t get stuck with stereotypes ie grass and trees not always green, roofs not one colour, road surfaces many shades etc etc

 

and my all time favourite line is..

Model what you see not what you think you see

 

 think many modellers follow similar policies the question is how good are their results. The number of people joining in on this thread is a testament to your skills.

 

One thing I would suggest is when taking photos of buildings etc dont just take close ups try to take some far enough away that it looks the size of a model,  If I hold my thumb and middle finger open as though I was holding somethingthe gap is about 20-25ft in 4mm held out  about 2ft that gives an idea of the height of a 4mm model if the building will fit between them  that is about right for a cottage .

 

Don

[St Enodoc]

15 hours ago, Tim Dubya said:

A guy name of Aiden Campbell discusses colour scaling on his web site and on the attached.  

 

http://www.aidan-campbell.co.uk/

 

guide to scale colour.pdf 804.96 kB · 22 downloads

 

I found his site whilst searching for figure painting tips  👍

 

 

There was also an article on scale colour by Ian Huntley in MRJ Compendium no 2.

[KNP]

I agree with Donw  about regarding taking close-ups, however one technique I use all the time is to crop the picture so it gives you that close up picture you are after. 

The only draw back is that you will a camera that can give you a large number of pixels, 20mp on my Panasonic, so when you zoom in the chances of graininess are reduced.

 

You can also play with the picture composition to give you a false feeling of depth.

The next picture was able to be taken as I had removed the trees from around the barn so I could get the end of the lens to about 30mm from the ridge, camera set on macro and most definitely a tripod needed, in this case a mini one standing on the slope.

 

 

This to me, gives you the impression you are looking into the picture to the back.

 

[KNP]

19 hours ago, Alister_G said:

 

Hmm, interesting contradiction, but it works for both of us...

 

Al.

 

I would say I use both, if I am honest Al.

 

After making a model quite often I will sit back and look at it and it it doesn't look, or feel, right then I will work on it some more.

Or in the worse case, scrap it and start again...

[KNP]

A low camera angle always seems to work well.

I expect it its because you feel like you are standing there looking up at the building.

 

[Ponthir28]

I totally agree with that. 

[KNP]

Yet another shed underway.

Wriggly tin version, made it larger as I thought it would be more practical than the smaller one.

The gap between the two will have a roof and be full of junk.

 

 

 

The door will be double and built up in layers off the grey card sub base.

Plan is it will be very rusty and a bit neglected.

That’s the plan at the moment!!!

[Bogie]

Quote

The gap between the two will have a roof and be full of junk.

 

As long as it does not contain any of those paralysing crates I think you are on to a winner.

Edited June 16, 2022 by Bogie
Typo

[Benbow]

4 hours ago, KNP said:

The gap between the two will have a roof and be full of junk.

Excuse me we don't have junk on a farm it is all things that might come in useful one day! 🤣

[Nick C]

4 minutes ago, Benbow said:

Excuse me we don't have junk on a farm it is all things that might come in useful one day! 🤣

Don't need a farm for that...

[KNP]

4 minutes ago, Benbow said:

Excuse me we don't have junk on a farm it is all things that might come in useful one day! 🤣

Like my garage then……!

[MrWolf]

Farmyard junk falls into several categories:

 

1. Stuff you have kept in case it comes in useful.

2. Stuff your father kept in case it came in useful.

3. Stuff your grandfather kept in case it came in useful.

4. Stuff that's too bulky to get rid of. Piles of rubble / earth / tree stumps.

5. Stuff that's too expensive to get rid of. Asbestos / tyres / plastic bale wrapping.

6. Stuff a bloke down the pub says he's seen on the telly that went to auction for thousands.

7. Stuff that would be worth money if it wasn't busted / incomplete / rusted solid / totally obsolete but not old enough to be antique...

 

That is not a complete list.

[autocoach]

Stuff that will go for a wartime scrap drive in just a few years....

 

[Oldddudders]

13 minutes ago, autocoach said:

Stuff that will go for a wartime scrap drive in just a few years....

 

I think the chain-harrow we bought at a farm sale in 1984, and left in situ when we emigrated, is ripe for that. Probably.

[KNP]

All quiet down at the farm house.

No one seems to be up yet?

 

[aardvark]

11 hours ago, Oldddudders said:

I think the chain-harrow we bought at a farm sale in 1984, and left in situ when we emigrated, is ripe for that. Probably.

 

13 hours ago, MrWolf said:

Farmyard junk falls into several categories:

 

1. Stuff you have kept in case it comes in useful.

2. Stuff your father kept in case it came in useful.

3. Stuff your grandfather kept in case it came in useful.

4. Stuff that's too bulky to get rid of. Piles of rubble / earth / tree stumps.

5. Stuff that's too expensive to get rid of. Asbestos / tyres / plastic bale wrapping.

6. Stuff a bloke down the pub says he's seen on the telly that went to auction for thousands.

7. Stuff that would be worth money if it wasn't busted / incomplete / rusted solid / totally obsolete but not old enough to be antique...

 

That is not a complete list.

 

That's the thing I love about moving house. You can leave all your old junk stuff that might be useful one day with the house, inheriting a whole new junk stuff that might be useful one day with the new.

 

[Ponthir28]

Quiet on the farm aren’t they building new sheds around the back.

[KNP]

2 minutes ago, Ponthir28 said:

Quiet on the farm aren’t they building new sheds around the back.

Not at the moment, they are having breakfast first!!

[Donw]

1 hour ago, aardvark said:

 

 

That's the thing I love about moving house. You can leave all your old junk stuff that might be useful one day with the house, inheriting a whole new junk stuff that might be useful one day with the new.

 

 

These days in the UK the legal questions usually include  'Please confirm all rubbish will be removed from the property'    which of course doesn't actually define rubbish so is that stack of old roofing tiles handy spares or rubbish and so on.

 

Don