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Job's Modelling

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  1. Job's Modelling
    When I started building the yard I got a problem. I couldn’t find a fitting texture from Scalescenes for the yard ground.
     
    After some try outs I decided to build the yard with a part of the shop from the corner shop kit.
     

     
    As you can see I had to use just a part of my Odeon movie board.
     
    I just my preferred methods to build the building and the yard.
     
    Now the scene is finished it is time to show the final step from black & white to color.
     

     
    Next step was to put the figures in place:
     

     
    And to show the real size of my A4 diorama and how it is build up this picture gives a nice impression:
     

     
    I have made some more pictures to use in my Northall story. But that is for a later entry.
     
    But I have a personal favorite:
     

     
    I hope you have enjoyed the journey as much as I have.
     
    There is still one thing to do. Making my APA-box ready to put this little diorama in.
     
    Advices and comments are much appreciated.
     
    Regards,
    Job
  2. Job's Modelling

    Whiskey boxes

    By Job's Modelling,

    For the interior of the warehouse I wanted some (whiskey) barrels and crates.
    Basic information I found on the very useful http://www.igg.org.uk/gansg/00-app1/common.htm
     
    After reading this basic information my research on the internet began.
     

     
    Then I discoverd that whiskey also was shippen in whiskey boxes. Mostly with the name of the distelery on top of it.
     

     
    With the pictures I found there were also sizes metioned.
    17 x 14¾ x8½ inch is in 4mm : 5,6 x 4,9 x 2,8 mm.
    22½ x 15½ x 7 inch is in 4 mm: 7,5 x 5,1 x 2,3 mm
    16 x 12 x 12 inch ( a box from 1962) is in 4 mm: 5,3 x 4 x 4 mm
    15 x 11 x 13 inch ( a box from 1954) is in 4 mm: 5 x 3,6 x 4,3 mm
    17 x 11 x 5/8 inch ( a Black and White box from 1955) is in 4 mm: 5,6 x 3,6 x 2 mm
    I also found some pictures of a box photographed from different sides. I used this pictures to create sides in O gauge in publisher. The sizes I only used as a refference depending on the thickness of the card I had available.
    So I created my own “whiskey box” kit. And build some of these for free standing use in O scale.
     

     
     
    I scaled that one down to 00 gauge to creat my ‘whiskey box’ card kit. Black and White whiskey box 1955.pdf
     
    Then I started to create the whiskey boxes in OO gauge. See the pictures below.

     
    I believe I can improve my building of very small items. But the whisley boxes work out well on in the diorama for me. Most viewers will have a global look and not the detailed look from the digital camara.
    The whiskey boxes on the Jens truck have some other advantage. Because they are much lighter of color the immediately aske the attention of the viewer to the delivery scene in front of the warehouse. Below a picture without and with the boxes.
     

     
    For the whiskey crates against the wall I used I different approach. I will explain that in an other entrie.
     
    Regards,
    Job
     
    PS.
     

  3. Job's Modelling
    As I wrote before, for my new diorama Station Road I need some “top quality” painted figures. By top quality I mean the best I can achieve at this moment.
     
    This is my second attempt painting a figure at my best at this moment.
    I used artist acrylic paints, different branches. I uses opaque colours for the basecoats and half-transparent and transparent colours for highlighting. For shadowing a mixture of my base colour with Payne’s grey or black.
     
    The base colours are diluted 1:1 with matt acrylic medium.
    Washes are diluted 1:5 with Galeria flow improver.
     
    I used the same method as for the girl in the yellow dress.
     
    Figure analysing
    Search for reference pictures.
    Analyse where indirect shadows will fall on your figure.
     
    My painting sequence this time:
     
     

    1. I choose a colour scheme. I want the colours to reflect the identity of the character.
    I used an undertone of Payne’s grey for mixing the colours of the clothing using a reverence picture. In this way I try to create a consisting overall appearance.  

    Certain parts of your model would naturally look shaded and darker. I used a mix of three colours: a basic colour, a highlight colour and a shadow colour.  

    2. I applied a grey primer from Valejo, keeping the coat light so I didn't obscure any detail.  

    3. Then I painted the basecoat for skin and hands and I tried to apply some shading.  

    4. Then I painted the shirt. After that the jacket, trousers and shoes.  

    5. At last I painted the details.  
    After I got some advice from a professional art painter I decided not to varnish my model. This because my model will be standing in a diorama behind glass and I don’t have to handle frequently. Using gloves I can keep it clean. By using acryl paint your figure is water resistant so you could carefully clean it up with a little water.
     
    I used synthetic pencils from the Da Vinci. That was another advice I followed I got. This pencils are available with small points.
     

     

     
    Please your comments on this one.
     
     
    Regards,
    Job
  4. Job's Modelling
    After I had designed the basic plan for 'Station Road – Shops under arches' and painted my figures, it is time to find the right place for the figures.
    On the map I marked the position of the girl and the boy.
     

     
    So to give the situation some what more personal I made some notes by the figures to create more “living” persons from them.
    This was an interesting journey. Reading the backgrounds of teenagers in the 1950's and the Teddy Boy culture in London and the UK.
     
    So let me introduce them to you.
     
    The girl in the yellow dress is:
     

     
    Vivien Hexman, just 19. She lives on 27 Tabart Road. She has brown wavy hair.
    She is beautiful and has a strong character, but it is her warmth and kindness which likes D. most. She works as a hairdresser by Karin (Millers) Hairdressing Salon on High Street in Northall.
    She likes to listen to American rock and music and is she likes Elvis Presley.
    She listens to this music on the jukebox in the Carousel, a coffee bar at Station Road.
    Her parents are working class people we like to listen to the more traditional and classic music on the BBC radio.
    They don’t like the why D. is dressed and his thoughts about society, although after Vivien brought him home and he made a good impression the will follow their friendship with an more open mind.
     
    The "Teddy boy" is:
     

     
    Darrel Fincher (20) lives at 13 Nice Street. He has black hair and is skinny. He likes to wear Teddy boy clothes. He doesn’t like all the ideas of them. He works at the factory of Ince & Mayhew, producers of office equipment as a metal worker.
    He found normal girls boring, but the teddy girls make him feel miserable. He actually loves a quit live, listening to his favourite skiffle music and hanging around with some friends in the Carousel.
    He is madly in love with Vivien, and they spend time together going to the movies, dancing and visiting the Carousel.
    He now wants a girl that loves him and will stay with him for ever, even if he had to marry her. He is a teenager in love.
     
    To see of the scene was correct I build a muck-up, that I can also use for other micro diorama’s. See the first picture.
     
    After placing the figures on the spots I marked on the drawing I noticed it wasn’t what I had in mind.
     

     
    After some trying out I believe this is the right position for me. See picture below. The white card will become the shops under arches.
     

     
    Regards,
    Job
  5. Job's Modelling
    In a reply of last entry of station road I said that a milk-bar was a place where teenager could meet each other.
     

     
    1950's milk bar date!
     
    I mentioned the above “sorbet”, and it had a nice description.
     
    The Knickerbocker Glories is a big glass of ice cream with strawberries, bananas, grapes and thick, whipped cream on top.
     
    Today I made a nice Italian pasta meal with courgette. So I thought it would be nice to make the Knickerbocker Glories for dessert.
     
    So this time some of my creative kitchen work. Just for fun.
     
    You need (form bottom to top)
    Some nice high glasses
     
    Ice cream ( I used sorbet ice)
    Some grapes – cut into half
    A banana – in slices
    Some strawberries – cut in slices
    Whipped cream ( I added some vanilla sucker)
     
    A sorbet spoon
     

     
    All the ingredients.
     

     
    The final result.
     
    My wife enjoyed it, me too.
     
    You may try it out. Bon appétit.
     
    Regards,
    Job
  6. Job's Modelling
    Littleworth is the village at the end of the branch line from Northall.
     
    I have finished the main building of first model for Littleworth: a detached cottage. On the left side I have planned a garage.
    A low relief kit of Petite Properties and a picture from internet are used as a base.
    The Flemish bond brick texture is from Wordsworth Models. Free to download. All the other used textures are from Scalescenes, except for the curtains.
     
    I used for the roof some useful advice from the excellent book of David Wright “Making rural buildings.”
    This is the way I made the roof:
     
    The Scalescenes texture is A4 filled with rows of clay tiles. Scalescenes provides also an A4 with lines for gluing the tiles in the right position.
    I didn’t want a clean roof and searched for an example on the website of Textures.com. I use this to create the roof for my cottage.
    On the picture you can see the process:
    1. Glue the lines on the roof
    2. Gluing the clay tiles on 220 gsm cardstock
    3. Cutting a line of clay tiles
    4. Giving the individual line his shape
    5. Colouring the underside of the row with a raw umber pastel pencil
    6. Adding the shaped and coloured row to the roof
    7. Repeating step 3 to 6
     

     
    And of course, a picture of the finished cottage.
     

     
    A picture in this size shows my some points that are waiting for my pastel pencil and a chimney pot that is not correctly pushed in.
    Will be continued.
    As usual comment are much appreciated. 
     
    Kind regards,
    Job
  7. Job's Modelling
    Try out …
    It is too hot for modelling and I also suffer again with hay fever eyes.
    So I did some research and thinking about my story telling idea.
     
    I found a wonderful description of a 1950’s week in the UK. So much similar the way I grew up in Utrecht in the 1950’s. This would give me the opportunity to create a serial of diorama’s that could give a good picture of daily live in Northall in the late 1950’s.
     
    To try this idea out I used one of my old diorama’s and made a story to it. So not much new here on modelling, but another approach.
     
    Do you think I’m on the right way?
    Here is a chapter from “A week in Northall”
     
    Bridge Street on Saturday morning
     
     
    Arthur had to work on Saturday morning. He is almost finished for today and he has only to do some parcel delivery’s at Bridge Street. He is coming from North Street passing Berkel & Parnalls Manufacturing Co. Ltd. producing motorcar accessories on his left hand.
     
     




     
    On his right hand is Dixons fish and chips shop. Arthur and also some of his colleagues sometimes uses their lunch here. But mostly his lunch is some sandwiches Christine made for him.
    On Friday afternoon Dixons fish and chips shop is very busy, when house wife’s buy fish and chips for dinner.
     
     




     
    Around the corner he passes the Express Dairy van from Mr. Bill Fulford, the milkman. Saturday was the day to pay him. Mrs Doreen Dacras has just paid her bill and they are talking about the latest local news. There was a shocking article about a murder on Orcadia Place in the latest Northall Gazette.
     
     




     
    On No 3 Bridge Street lives the Bertram Farrance with his wife Mary. Mr Farrance works as a clerk in the office of Berkel & Parnalls. Mary is an old school friend of Christine and on Thursday afternoon they visit each other.
     
    His next stop is at the Great Eastern Pub. The pub is locally well known for its own ‘house’ darts competition. The pub champion then moved on to the Area final of the The News of the World Individual darts tournament.
    It is not money they are playing for but a huge trophy. This trophy may be held by the champion’s pub for a year, plus a replica for the winner and fame. The NoW was the chance for any man, who could throw a great dart to become not only a local but also a national hero.
    Arthur’s colleague Maurice Cullam takes every year of this great event. He is also a member of the pubs dart team.
     
    The pub occupier is Dudley Drury. He is a collector of shipping posters of the Great Railway Company’s before 1948. In the pub he has exposed his collection.
     
     




     
    Dudley is also great expert of Scottish whiskey’s. He has ordered a bottle of Ambassador 25 year old Blended Scotch Whisky for personal use. This whiskey is distilled in the 1920s and bottled late 1940s to early 1950s.
    Today Arthur is delivering the bottle he ordered directly from Taylor & Ferguson Ltd.
     
    After having a nice cup of tea from Mr. Drury he continues his way.
     
     




     
    He is passing the viaduct on his way to his last client. Today he is not driving his Austin 3way van, that has some technical problems. He is using the Morris J van in the old British Railway colours.
    Next to the road is the no longer used railway freight line to Northall Dock. The businesses that are located there are more and more using road transport or are moving to other parts of Northall.
    On top of the viaduct is the line between Stowerton and London. This line is mostly used by workers and students.
     
     




     
    Under the viaduct are advertising posters. One of them is the well know DRINKA PINTA MILKA DAY POSTER from Patrick Tilley.
     
     




     
    His latest client is John Grantham F.C.A. John Grantham’s father was an agent for Morse’s Teas and became a grocer in 1935.
    In 1956 John took over the grocery shop from his father. He lives with his wife and 2 sons above the store.
    For the grocery he has some boxes of Drury coffee’s
     
     




     
    After he is ready he goes back to the Northall Goods Depot. When he has finished his job on the Depot he can go home and enjoy his well-deserved weekend.
     
     
    And for those who liked it the PDF version:
    Bridge Street.pdf
     
    Kind regards,
    Job
     
    PS.
    I changed the cup of coffee in a cup of tea. Also in the PDF version.
  8. Job's Modelling

    Personality 2

    By Job's Modelling,

    The girl as posted in my last entry.
     

     
    I have learned again. After reading the replies I tried to make the figure look “better”. After working on it I decided to give it a light coat of matt varnish using a spray. When the varnish was dry I screamed : HELP. It became very glossy.
     
    Then I tried something totally different to see if I could correct it. I used pastel pencils, a pastel pencil eraser and paper eraser.
    I liked to work with pastel pencils on the figure for detailing. The only thing I had to think of was the sharpen the pencils for a sharp point.
     
    The other thing I realised is ( I read it before in several other entries) that a digital camera is making everything visible. In a diorama or a layout we never look at that close to a figure. But the camera can be very useful in this you to help you to create a figure as good as possible.
     
    The pictures below are the result after my struggling efforts on this one.
     

     
    and
     

     
    I didn't varnish the figure this time. I have to find another varnish to do this. Suggestion are welcome.
    I’m waiting for your opinion.
     
    Regards,
     
    Job
  9. Job's Modelling
    I have trouble with my hay fever eyes. Modelling is a real challenge with cloudy sight every 5 minutes. Fortunately for my I don’t suffer from other hay fever problems any more due my medication.
    After trying for some while I stopped. I have to wait till sight is not cloudy anymore.
    Did some paperwork modelling instead. Trying to get my Northall story fitting to the design of my modules. Searching for background information to create stories for Northall based firms, companies and shops.
    Sorting out my pictures and other information.
     
    But this morning I got this beautiful movie about railway travelling. Look at it ….
     

     
    Then imagine you are travelling this with one of your favourite railway museum companies and you get surprised with some wonderful music.
    The movie gave me my mood back…
    Hoping I can get on with my modelling work soon. And of course happy modelling for you.
     
    Regards,
    Job
  10. Job's Modelling

    The George Inn

    By Job's Modelling,

    Here is update on my latest project. I have finished the pub, but there are some small things to do. Pictures are some great judges!
     
    The pub is, as said in my latest blog entry, a Petite Properties kit. I have used textures from the internet (the lower brick part), Scalescenes and Clever Models for the pub.
    It took a lot of time to put all the small paper parts into the frames. For the stucco I made my own PDF file with the right size for the stucco parts. Also, the chimney’s needed some extra care.
     
    I always work on a small A4 plateau which can be used on almost every table.
     

     

    The Austin A40 woodie is from John Day Models. It is easy to assemble, but hard to paint. A lot of little details. Paint is from the Citadel (main colour and chrome) and AK range (tyres and woodwork).
    The side shown on the picture is finished. I still have to do the other side and the back lights. When I have finished all the painting, I can finish the model.

     
    Suggestions, comments etc are welcome.
    Thanks for reading.
    Job
     
  11. Job's Modelling
    At the end of the year it’s good to have a good look at what you have done and how to go on in the new modelling year.
    When I started with my Bridge Street project 7 years ago, I just wanted to try out card building. And because it was my first project I also wanted to see if it was possible for me to create a believable English scene. Just to fresh up your mind a picture of my first build card building: John Grantham’s grocery shop.

     
    In this stage I also created a station called Northall. My second diorama was also a further try-out.
    Because my allergic constitution I have limited possibilities to model. So instead of trains I decided to concentrate me on the British Railway road vehicles. In this stage to idea grow to create Northall as a town where “packages” where delivered.
     
    In the meantime, I build several other diorama’s and tried out other kits and other materials. One of these project is one of my wife favourites: Church Street
     

     
    The last picture shows also one of the problems I discovered. This road van was never used for the delivery of packages.
    Also, some comments showed me that my approach was not always the way to create a correct image of the way sundries & parcels were delivered.
     
    Because I like to create realistic believable diorama’s I asked myself the following question: what criterion do you want to use your modelling projects. I came to the following points:
    History – Railway related and social
    Parcel and sundries traffic
    Road vehicles
    Advertising and railway posters
     
    To be honest I lacked the knowledge of some of these points. So, I have to do some more research. This time not only on the internet but I also bought some books about the history of the use of road vehicles and parcel and sundries traffic by British Railways. It also awaked my interest in the GWR road vehicles and posters.
     
    I have already deleted some of the categories on my blog page.
     
    So, I will start partly over again. Northall is a market place situated on the canalized river North in the fictive county of Middleshire. From Northall there is a Branch Line to Littleworth.
     

     
    The Northall story from now on will be a “cocktail” of diorama’s situated around Northall and villages mentioned in the map in different time settings.
    As a start some time-based posters with dogs.
     

     
    Thanks for reading my entries in 2018.
    I wish you a merry Christmas and a healthy and
    prosperous 2019.
     
     
     
    Looking forwards to you suggestions and comments.
     
     
     
    Kind regards,
     
    Job
  12. Job's Modelling
    The starting point.
     

     
    Last time I had finished the frame for my row of cottages
    It all started reasonable well. I made a new template and printed the texture sheets on my textured photo paper of 190 gr/m. In the beginning everything went well.
     

     
    At the and I thought It would be handy to use small parts to fill in the openings that where left at the upper part of the windows. And here things went not the way I want it. I knew that with thinner paper it wasn’t a problem to work this way.
    But a picture says more than a thousand words. And I was also content with some parts. So let’s see:
     

     
    With the red rectangles I’m not content:

    A. The horizontal and vertical lines are too much visible by the smaller parts
    B. The smaller white edges can’t be coloured in with a pastel pencil  
    But:

    A. The longer vertical connection line (the small long blue rectangle) are almost invisible. I used two different textures here.
    B. The will try to paint the white window edges with some Vallejo paint.
    C. I like the way the printed doors look and the weathered appearance.  
    I won’t use to different brick textures in my next attempt, because in the APA-box it will not be visible. And I will use the Scalescenes templates to create the cottages. I have to use long small brick parts between the templates to create the front of my row, but the vertical connections will be less visible. I also will hide some connections with a drainpipe. Historically it is also correct if the brick connection is not totally even.
     
    I hope my next attempt will give the good result. But remember: we learn from our mistakes.
     
    Or if anyone has useful information, comments or suggestions please let me know.
    Thanks for reading and till next time and kind regards,
    Job
  13. Job's Modelling
    A pictorial journey:
    To test the choice of the textures I started to build the toilet group.
     

     
    Next step is building the main building of the school.
     

     
    Then the base had to be made and the school must be glued on the base.
     

     
    Base made with the help of a frame maker.
     
    The scene would be a photographer taking a picture of Victorian school class for a special occasion.
     
        
     
    I hope you have enjoyed this little journey.
     
    Comments and suggestions are as usual welcome
     
    Keep save and healthy.
     
    Job
  14. Job's Modelling
    I have learned to do the hardest things first. For me that is painting figures.
    After the excellent blog entries in Wenlock’s Blog (http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/1131/entry-20957-coal-part-2/ ) and Mikkel’s The Farthing’s layout (http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blog/75/entry-21161-gwr-large-flat-dray/) about horses and carts I decided to do some horse painting. In the past I found an excellent tutorial about painting horses using pastels. So let’s give it a try.
     
     
     
    The starting point is a horse from the Dart Castings range.
     

     
    After cleaning it from flashes and cleaning it, the next step was to give it a coat of primer. In this case I used Vallejo red brown RAL 8012.
     

     
    Then I started painting the harness of the horse using black acrylic paint and black wash. I finished the harness drybrushing with a mixture of black and brown.
    Next step is to use the pastels. Building it up in layers. I started with Yellow Ochre, then I added some Burnt Yellow. Then you give it a light coat of varnish for pastels. After that you can built up the colour further using brown and black. Each time you add a small amount of pastel to the colours you have used already. Every time I had done some layers of pastel I gave it a coat of varnish.
    Finally, I highlighted some muscle parts adding black with a cosmetic pad.
     

     
     
     
    After I had given the horse it final coat of varnish I found it to glossy. To solve this, I gave the horse a final coat of black wash.
     
    Then I finished the bottom of the feet using some acrylic paints: white and light dirt.
     
    Here is the result of my efforts.
     

     
    I'm curious about your opinion.
     
    Kind regards,
    Job
     
    P.S. After the correct comments of the picture I have made a new one. Hope it is better. Also got a personal advice to improve it. I will try this out and will show the result in my next entry.
     

  15. Job's Modelling
    Real modelling is still going slowly. This has several reasons. I hope I can show some progress in a short time.
     
    I spend some time on reading inspector Wexford novels and made some thoughts about how to use them into my diorama’s.
    I realized I was making two type of diorama’s:
     
    More or less railway based:
    Northall Dock – track out of use
    Bridge Street – siding with track; station, arches with track
    Nice Street – arches
    Station Road - arches
     
    and British Railways van delivery service:
    Nice Street – delivery to Adderley Glass Works
     
    I like the railway based diorama’s and I have some idea’s to build more of them.
     
    But I also like to explore the possibility to build some diorama’s telling a story about parcel delivery in Northall. I came to this after seeing a nice instruction movie from British Railways on You Tube:
     
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAbqjmbISww
     
    What I like to do is the following:
     
    There is one railway van with a van driver that I will use for all of the to build parcel delivery diorama’s. For the van I had the Austin 3way van in mind:
     

     
    The van men will be Monty porter figures. I can those the right one depending on the scene I’m building.
    I’m also trying to create a map of Northall and have already a lot of other useful information about delivery receivers.
    I will create a delivery sheet for delivering the parcels. I will use a simplified one.
     
    From every scene I will make a picture and a description (small story). I this way I will try to write the story of a workday of Albert Foster, van driver at Lower Road Goods Depot in Northall in the late 1950’s.
    This could be a nice PDF booklet.
     
    I can use all useful information about van parcel delivery in the late 1950’s by British Railways. All information is welcome.
     
     
    What do you think about this idea?
     
    Kind regards,
    Job
  16. Job's Modelling
    I wanted to start with the arches, but then I noticed that this was not the right starting point. I had to start first with the road and the surface. The reason of this is mentioned somewhere below in this blog.
     
    The asphalt road from Scalescenes is printed on Hahnemühle watercolour paper 150 g/m2 rough. I like the deep colour of the asphalt that I got this way. I always put the printer output on best quality and select the right type of paper. This will depend of what type of printer you are using.
    I also placed a drain in the asphalt road as I designed it. The drain is also from Scalescenes. To get the drain on the right place I draw coloured pencil line on the edge of the pavement.
    The asphalt road is sealed with transparent matt gesso from Tri Art. I applied it with a soft brush.
    I did also some test with the gesso. It is possible to apply pastel an colour pencil beneath and on top of the gesso.
    So I gave the drain and the edge to the pavement some additional weathering with some pigment powders. I applied them carefully with a cotton bud.
     

     
    The kerbs are printed on Lana Dessin paper.
    Because I wanted to use the Scalescenes kits, the kerbs are this time are also from the one of his kits.
    This meant the kerbs are 0,5 cm wide at the surface of the pavement. I decided to glue them separately. To give the kerbs a more granite appearance I used an embossing pen and some weathering with a pastel pencil.
    I also glued the pavement stones separately on the underground. I coloured the edges between the separate pavement stones with a Derwel colour pencil. I also coloured every edge of a pavement stone with a dark brown pastel pencil.
    I applied some additional detail using one of mine embossing pens.
    I leaved the last row of pavements stones away. In this way it will be avoid the setting of the aches and shop fronts on top of the pavement. This row will be glued carefully in place after I have finished the arches and the shop fronts.
     
     

     
    I glued the pavement on the asphalt base with coloured acrylic modelling paste. For collaring I used Kassel Earth pigment. When I laid the pavement on the asphalt I saw it didn’t fit exactly flat. The modelling paste will fill up the gaps between the asphalt road and the kerbs.
     
    Also this time an overview picture of the diorama, so you can follow the development from black and white to color.
     

     
    As always your suggestions and comments are much appreciated.
     
    Regards,
    Job
  17. Job's Modelling

    Finally ….

    By Job's Modelling,

    I couple of weeks ago I was surfing on the internet searching for another possible lighting solution for my diorama’s. I left the website I was looking at in front of my computer, while I went to go for a shower.
    When I came back there was I new massage in my Outlook. This was an order confirmation for the light I was looking at. My wife had just ordered them for my.
     

     
    I dismanteled the lighting above Northall Dock to see the possibilities of this set.
    First I made a new lighting frame the way I read in the chapter about Shadow Boxes in How to build a diorama.
    I create a piece of cart in a 45 degree angle on the lid of the APA-box. On the cart I could fix the led strip, that had double sided tape. The rest of the lighting is outside the box on top of the lid.
    On the underside of lid I glued glossy white paper for reflecting the light.
     

     
    And now just some picture of the diorama in different lights. All pictures are made with the same camera settings. What is your favourite?
     
    1.
     
    2.
     
    3.
     
    4.
     
    5.
     
    6.
     
    I left away some terrible green and red pictures. And this is just a limited selections of the possibilities I have. For the pictures I just changed the colours and didn’t brighten or dim the lights.
     
    I think I finally found the solution for my general lighting problem. Do you agree with me?
     
    Regards,
    Job
  18. Job's Modelling

    Doubts

    By Job's Modelling,

    Sometimes I have the feeling that I have to quit a project. I have my doubts how to get the result I like to achieve.
     
    This happens to me from time to time — I feel like I miss the possibilities that can be used in the modelling world, and I start to worry. I’ve learned to deal with it, so that while it still comes up, I now have trust that I’ll be fine.
    So what do I do when have my doubts and get back my motivation ?
     
    I do this: I look at the things I have made. I look at Nice Street and, I remember the problems I have solved crating this one. If this diorama is fine, the next one will probably be too. And the one after. We tend to imagine horrible future moments when it doesn’t really happen.
     
    Ironically, when I have my doubts the first thing I want to do is to start all over again. I’ve found that taking some time to sit back and look at the project helps me to see the problem and the solution. Even just for a view minutes day. I just sit and look and I try not to judge what I’m seeing.
     
    Then I realised that when I want to solve the problem I had to go back to me basic design. What did I want to build and what is the theme of the diorama.
    I wanted to build a dockside diorama. My basic design is a strong diagonal line as a base.
     

     
    That was a good choice. It gives the diorama a dynamic feeling and creates depth.
     
    The basic design for my buildings was a L- shape.
     

     
    Here I didn’t achieve what I had in mind. Although it is maybe difficult to see in a picture. The building behind the cottage is too low. I have to raise that that so that the wall is visible above the roof of the cottage.
    The same is the case with the builders merchants warehouse. The top line of the roof is too low.
     
    But there is something else I don’t like here. The eye goes to that what is brighter. So if I’m looking at the diorama my eye goes first to the cottage and then to the builders merchants warehouse. After that it goes to the warehouse of Roope and Voss.
    I don’t mind that the first focus is on the cottage, because it is expressing the end of the decade I’m building. But my theme was: the delivery of goods to Roope and Voss.
     
    So I have to build another builders merchants warehouse.
     
    Result will be published of coarse.
     
    Regards,
     
    Job
  19. Job's Modelling
    Although I like painting, I find painting metal figures still a difficult job.
    I still have to find my way. In the pictures below the way I tried it this time.
     

    Step 1: priming the metal figures with an undercoat.
     

    Step 2: first cover with black paint
     

    Step 3: second coat with black paint
     

    Step 4: adding some basic colors
     

    Step 5: adding some more basic colors
     

    Step 6: dry brushing with paint.
     

    Finished figures after adding some pigment weathering and a coat of matt varnish.
     
    And a picture of the some painted bollards in the diorama:

     
    I also added some basic weathering on the lower part of the warehouse.
    In the mean time I tried to find some background information about painting figures. For Station Road I have again to paint some figures and other things.
    I will than use this guide I found, summery below:
     
     
     

    - Choice your colour scheme, form base to end
    - Apply undercoat, a dark one for dark figures / parts
    - Apply the basecoat, the most dominant colours of the model with light coats
    - Add fine detail
    - Apply a wash.
    - Varnish the model with a matte varnish.  
    So also for me it means that I have to make a planning for painting my figures to get the right shopping list. There isn’t a good model shop in the place I live. Mostly I buy my paint in a larger town with a good art craft shop and model shop.
     
    I will show that approach sometime in the future, when I have to paint some figures etc. for Station Road.
     
    I wish everyone a good Christmas and a healthy and prosperous 2014.
     

     
    Regards,
    Job
  20. Job's Modelling
    In one of my entries the next question was asked:
     
    “Job, a serious question - do you plan these dioramas over time or just see a scene in your mind's eye in an instant?”
     
    To be honest there was no planning when I started with the building of Bridge Street. I just wanted to build a layout on which I could shuffle around with a shunting loco and some wagons. A single line from a “fiddle stage” to an industry using wagon cards and wagon bills. Because me lack of knowledge about the shunting practice of British Railways in the 1950’s I made a crucial design mistake. But Bridge Street was fun to build and for me my first steps in card modeling.
     

    Bridge Street junction Station Road with goods line in front
     
    As I described before after finishing it was covered with a plastic sheet and out of sight. After that I build Nice Street in an APA-box situating it in Northall, without any planning. Just to see if I could build a convincing diorama this way.
     

    Nice Street main scene
     
    Northall Dock is build, because some people, wanted to see something with water in my next diorama.
     
    But the above question was the impulse of some serious thinking about what do I want to build more. In this way the development of Northall will be more consistent.
     
    On internet I found I nice document from a Great London area with a description of local areas in a borough. I used those description as a starting point for the design of the Northall Diorama’s. This can be quite challenging when I have to translate this to a diorama in an APA-box.
     
    For my next diorama I made this description:
     
    Predominant Land Use: Commercial (shops under arches), shops and residential buildings
     
    Townscape:
    The site is bounded on by a through road and an arched railway embankment.
    Station Street is the main route through the area for both vehicles and pedestrians
     
    Scale and Setting:
    Commercial transport corridor from the east to the west. Garage.
     
    Building Types/Uniformity of age and styles:
    Most of the buildings are shops and residential buildings.
     
    So I made a schematic plan for my Northall Diorama’s:
     

     
    As you can see my next diorama will be Station Road. Situated between Bridge Street and Nice Street. This line is situated on the arches in Northall and mainly used for passenger traffic. The other line to Northall Dock is a single goods traffic line only.
    On Station Road there are some shops under the railway arches. I have found a nice urban social theme from the late 1950’s that I want to use. ( Sorry, I will not give that away yet.)
     
    Regards,
    Job
     
    PS. I have also to make some serious thoughts how to store so much diorama’s or thinking about an other solution.
  21. Job's Modelling
    I decided to finish the cottage in the front of the diorama first.
    Added the street name sign on the building and a drain pipe.
     
    For the roof I had a look at several slate and red clay tile options. In the front of the diorama I try to use whenever possible light colours. The grey slate tiles I found didn’t look right to me so I choose the red clay tiles from Wordsworth Models (free download).
    I also first searched for some background information and read it.
     
    I wanted to give the roof an old look. To create a convincing appearance a looked for a picture on the website of CG textures. See picture below.
     

     
    Then I did pick out a row that I wanted to model.
    I carefully tried to make the row cutting and adding individual tiles.
     

     
    Then I cut it on rows of two tiles high.
     

     
    And then I come to the compromise. If I wanted to create a roof as on the reference picture I had to create it with individual tiles. But I wanted to use the tiles texture from Wordsworth. Then you have to glue them somewhat over each other.
     

     
    In this way I laid all the tiles on the roof.
    On the reference picture you can see there is a line of cement below the top edge.
    I tried to model this with a Scalescenes concrete backyard floor tearing the texture carefully in an almost straight line.
     

     
    After I glued this in place and I added the top tiles individually, the roof was ready.
     

     
    And finally a pictures of the cottage details and a picture of the finished cottage on the layout.
    After making and seeing this picture I decided to create a simple background model behind the cottage.
     

     
    Regards,
    Job
  22. Job's Modelling
    Before I can finish the building of Fanshawe Ltd. I must decide what wall based street furniture I want to use.
     
    I spend a lot of time behind my PC searching for street names for Northall Dock.
    For Greater London there are several options. See the picture below.
     

     
    On Flickr there is a London Street Name Pool with a lot of pictures. I could skip all those modern type street name signs.
     
    I also tried to find names that refer to the scene of Northall Dock.
     
    For Northall Dock I will use the blue enamel signs. Not all street name signs are from Greater London, but they are blue enamel. After finding the picture I had to do some photo shopping to cut out the street names and resize them. I Used the brick height as a guide that means that the signs are 2 or 4 mm high in 4 mm.
     
    I chose for Northall Dock the following names and signs:
     

     
    Anchor Street will be used for the road along the warehouses.
    Canal Street for the alley between the buildings of Farnshaw Ltd and Roope & Voss.
    Waterford Road for the street along the cottage.
    The hydrant sign on the building of Roope & Voss.
    The “Bill stickers” sign in the alley.
     
    Next time again some modeling progress.
     
    Regards,
    Job
     
    PS.
     
    Today I had some time to model.
    And because I'm working on the premises of Fanshawe Ltd. I decided to put the name sign and the Bill Posters side on the side wall.
    I also created with the help of Publisher the Bill Posters is innocent "graffito" on the wall.
    Maybe not all perfect on the picture it will do in the diorama as later pictures will show.
     

     
    Hope you like my Post Scrip-tum.
     
    Job
  23. Job's Modelling
    I’m fond of ghost signs. The an add just some more character to a building or a scene.
    For Nice Street I made my first self-made ghost sign. I wanted to try that again on one of the buildings on Northall Dock.
     
    During my research for the warehouses of Northall Dock I came along this one:
     

     
    This sign I want to made on the premises of Farnshawe Ltd.
     
    First I made the sign in Word and cut out the individual letters.
     

     
    Then I used the cut out letter to create the letter for the ghost sign.
     

     
    I used a white pencil to create the sign and then gave it a coat of varnish.
    I wasn't quite content with the white color of the sign. So I decided to give it some more color using a water based paint.
     

     
    To give the sign a more “London” look (picture reference) I colored the letters black and faded the color a little bit.
     

     
    I’m for 90% content with the end result. I made a little mistake with the lettering of the ‘ and the S behind it. But because the building is not directly in front of the diorama I can accept that. Also I don’t know yet how much will be visible after I have finished the cottage in front of it.
    Next steps will be to finish the cottage and this building to see how the end result in my diorama will be.
     
    Regards,
    Job
     
     
    PS.
     
    Followed Mikkel's advice.
    I toned down the letters some more and also faded them a little bit.
    Hope you like it.
     

  24. Job's Modelling
    Design
    As you could see on the drawing I designed three warehouses.
     
     
    The story
    The warehouse of Roope & Voss Ltd will be the main scene. The story behind the Roope & Voss Ltd – Wine and spirit merchants can be read in the article of the Northall Gazette.
     

     
     
    The Warehouse - from the Dutch architect Peter Potter (1854 -1918)
    The building is just quick build to see of:
    · the scene is convincing
    · the building has the right appearance
    · the colours are right
     

    Detailed picture of the scene.
     

     
    Main scene through the viewing opening.
     
    Question
     
     
     

    · What kind of stone can be used for a canal side dock?
    · Is normal brick work an option?  
     

    Regards,
    Job
  25. Job's Modelling
    After Nice Street my wife asked my to design something with water again.
    I had done that before on my first attempt with the Scalescene factory and an Inglenook shunting puzzle.
     
    So I decided to build Northall Dock.
    Quit a challange in an APA box. I want to build something more than just a quay and a ware house.
    My starting point for the design were two pictures.
    One from John Atkinson from 1890 and one from Edward Hopper (not published here)
     

     
    The information on Northall Dock I found in the archives of the Northall Gazette.
     

     
    I also made the design for the diorama. First on an one to one scale to be sure it would fit.
    Afterwards I made the drawing. It is still possible I will make some adjustments when I'm building the scene.
     

     
    Next stage is to design the main scene.
     
    Regards,
    Job
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