Jump to content

Working Lift Bridge Diorama


Recommended Posts

7 minutes ago, stevehnz said:

I've just had a wee catch up, utterly brilliant as ever, the man eating squid is a hoot, I wonder how many people viewing it will get that. :D

Steve.

Probably not too many. It is only for those with keen eyesight and a sense of humour.

Hoping other more obvious tidbits, such as the police car drama on bridge, will lead observers to look further for hidden dioramas.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have just sat down to read this thread end to end. This is quite an interesting build and you are carrying it off very well indeed sir.

Wood is not the material I would have chosen but you've made it work brilliantly!

I understand absolutely nothing about how the 'lectrcal bits work but I can certainly  admire the craftsmanship.

 

Oh, and the squid attack is a wonderful touch!

I am looking forward to the next installment with as much impatience as your director I think.

Good on yer mate!  :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Tzulscha said:

admire the craftsmanship.

Absolutely!  In a hobby seemingly dominated by ‘aftermarket’ readymade add-ons and even ‘pre-painted’ parts, it’s refreshing to see genuine craftsmanship.:thumbsup2:

 

Regarding the water colour. After looking at your photos of the actual site, and a quick google streetview of the area. IMHO I’d be inclined to opt for your ‘no.2’ colour shade, the brown scheme. An old art tutor of mine was fond of reminding us to “paint what you see, not what you ‘think’ you see”.:D

 

Have a look through this, by another talented Aussie bloke.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dug-ffEhqZU

Towards the end (about 20 minutes in), he uses gloss Mod Podge and an airbrush to impart a very convincing result.

 

Mart

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, LotusArenco said:

Absolutely!  In a hobby seemingly dominated by ‘aftermarket’ readymade add-ons and even ‘pre-painted’ parts, it’s refreshing to see genuine craftsmanship.:thumbsup2:

 

Regarding the water colour. After looking at your photos of the actual site, and a quick google streetview of the area. IMHO I’d be inclined to opt for your ‘no.2’ colour shade, the brown scheme. An old art tutor of mine was fond of reminding us to “paint what you see, not what you ‘think’ you see”.:D

 

Have a look through this, by another talented Aussie bloke.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dug-ffEhqZU

Towards the end (about 20 minutes in), he uses gloss Mod Podge and an airbrush to impart a very convincing result.

 

Mart

Thanks Matt.

 

Great video. Learnt a lot from it, and most probably use most of that in my next diorama.

 

In regards to the water, I am not going to use resin in this diorama. Besides added expense for the museum (already bought varnish), resin over a large area (about 2 square metres) will be vulnerable to lifting off the base if flexed when transported and installed in museum. To avoid this, the tabletop needs to be super rigid, and resin reasonably thick. This adds weight, and a thickness I do not wish to deal with where the boat traverses the bridge, via a slot in the table. So, I'll leave the resin method for another project.

 

I am going to use the tissue paper and glue medium, with several coats of varnish.

 

In regards to the river colour, brown is only seen after a down pour of rain, or flood. It usually is a pea-lentil soup green colour.

 

84TbnKa.jpg

As we can see, there is some transparency along the shallows of the riverbank. So, the idea is to make it more transparent for educational purposes, and not for realism. So, if I was to use more realism, which included clearer waters, then the colour profile would be something like this:

 

UOmzqGF.png

 

So far, the museum president has opted for #6. The curator has not yet said anything. Most probably find out next week. So far, most people have pointed to #6 and #7.

 

fCF9Zy4.png

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you @Gorby, @stevehnz, @Pete in Lincs, @Corsairfoxfouruncle, @Tzulscha, and @LotusArenco for your reactions.

___________________________________________

Laying rock (cork) was mainly done one piece at a time.

It reminded me of using chop-sticks and dipping food int sauce.

Had PVA glue in porcelain tray. 

 

nQ7W5i1.jpg

 

n9WTQmi.jpg

 

5iNChCI.jpg

 

OPriVwK.jpg

 

Seems a shame having to paint it.

 

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

You are, without doubt, a perfectionist and each bit you add is moving the dio from 'excellent' to 'exceptional'.

 

I know you dismissed my crocodile comment out of hand, but with global warming I fear you could end up with a flock (?) heading your way at some point in the future. I think it would be wise to beef up your croc defences around the bridge (they take the bridges first and then the airports). To this end I've used my considerable Photoshop skills to mock up a simulated croc invasion to highlight the weak points.

fe6ba3b3-d01b-4468-ad87-7425982ba4b4.png

 

No need to thank me.

  • Haha 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 minutes ago, Getunderit said:

:dalek::dalek::dalek::dalek::dalek::dalek:

Are they coming after me or the crocs?

I've seen that documentary with those things (the one with the man that lives in a big blue box) and they don't look very trustworthy to me. Good for unblocking sinks, but you wouldn't want them to babysit.

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Gorby, they're croc killers.

33 minutes ago, Gorby said:

the man that lives in a big blue box

Who? Oh, you mean Dr Who!

If he had enough room in his time machine he could transport the crocs to another time and place. Perhaps to your blocked sinks. :D

 

Well, Gorby, you've got me beat. A giant squid? Yes, but not a croc.

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A bit late to the piece here, but for what it's worth I think 7 meets all your requirements. It has the nice blue tones that will offset the green of the banks, but with the more realistic and true to life murky colours at the banks, all while showing the depths involved.

 

The rocks look fantastic, and well worth your time I'd say. Looking forward to seeing these painted. I wonder weather it would have been advantageous to undercoat them black before gluing in place? (Too late now, but for my own knowledge and future projects I'd be interested in your thoughts and findings).

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, James B said:

...The rocks look fantastic, and well worth your time I'd say. Looking forward to seeing these painted. I wonder weather it would have been advantageous to undercoat them black before gluing in place? (Too late now, but for my own knowledge and future projects I'd be interested in your thoughts and findings).

I thought of painting first, but logistics seemed too complicated. Besides, the cork glues better to cork, and the rocks sizes are small enough for a small brush with reasonable bristle length to get into the crevasses.

Also, I only use black where black is either shown as printed or painted matter. In natural circumstances, such as shadows and night time, I use a coloured black. The colour used is what the shadow is from. It makes it look more realistic. So, I am using a bluish grey for the rock, and the shadows are then made from mixing black (matt) with the bluish-grey.

 

I've also learnt, since starting this diorama, that it is more economical to only buy matt colours. If I want a gloss/satin, I simply apply a final coat of clear gloss/satin varnish.

 

BELOW

Top: Used a small brush with medium length bristles. WARNING - at the end of painting all the rocks, the bristle ends got slightly bent. After a good turpentine soap wash, and manipulation, I was only able to recover 50% of the damage. Now it is put aside for jabbing paint into hard the get places. So, I recommend using a brush you don't mind damaging.

Middle: Used a short flat bristle brush to swipe across flattish surfaces without filling in cavities with paint.

Bottom: Used a small short bristle brush to use for a slight amount of highlighting the edges, and small surfaces, on top of the rocks.

 

Dy6cuIq.jpg

 

The painting is not completed. The rocks on location show stains of brown silt from previous floods.

The river is tidal, so it will have a tidal mark so-to-speak. So the bottom third will be stained. Will show this (hopefully) in next post.

 

 

  • Like 3
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It was looking fantastic but I am now officially running out of superlatives!  You'll just have to settle for fantastic and brilliant!  Keep up the good work, you must be getting close!

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Derek A said:

It was looking fantastic but I am now officially running out of superlatives!  You'll just have to settle for fantastic and brilliant!  Keep up the good work, you must be getting close!

Thanks Derek.

Yes, I am getting close appearance wise, but not operation wise.

So after the water gets laid in, there still needs to be shrubs and trees to be installed.

Then the display top will get covered, and I start working underneath it.

Further electronics is needed, and motors and pulley systems installed. Control box internals to be assembled.

Do a few operational test. Put out the fires and start again :o:D. Troubleshoot and fix any problems.

So, after the landscaping, it all gets pretty boring for most modellers. This is because models are based on visual stimulation, and not so much on technicalities.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A timely reminder of the size and complexity of the task you've undertaken my friend, but hey, so far so very good!  Keep posting Peter, I'll be there at the end to help you celebrate!

Edited by Derek A
missing space
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Derek A said:

...I'll be there at the end to help you celebrate!

Would be good if that was a reality. Love to meet all the Britmodeller members who have supported me.

But that is still a long way down the track. There is still a lot to do, and I better get back into it.

Had a few lazy days with this project. I needed a break. Will be posting again soon.

Edited by Getunderit
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 hours ago, Getunderit said:

Do a few operational test. Put out the fires and start again :o:D. Troubleshoot and fix any problems.

 

Fires? hopefully only smoke. But you know the electronics will stop working if the smoke leaks out....

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you @Derek A, @Jo NZ, @Gorby, @James B, and @Corsairfoxfouruncle for your reactions.

________________________________________________________________________________

Been taking it easy lately, and pedaling my bike through the country side and along the beaches here.

All I've done is paint the car parking space.

 

yHFZcVb.jpg

 

Not sure what to do with the side walls. I don't like seeing flat scenery from an angle. It looks so skew-whiff.

Perhaps a plain flat colour will suit it better than having to paint some scenery, of what is there, from the bridge operators point of view.

What do you think?

 

hGwBhw4.jpg

 

There will be a large painted background, about 1 x 2 metres. Such scenes only have slight skew-whiff effects.

So, after the display goes to the museum (a few months from now), I may still be painting the backdrop.

 

wNmOX0H.jpg

 

Hoping the turn the above into something resembling what's below.

 

84TbnKa.jpg

Edited by Getunderit
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Getunderit said:

 

Not sure what to do with the side walls. I don't like seeing flat scenery from an angle

Could you take a photograph of a nice scenic background and make a background from that ? Have a large print of it made and mount that to the walls like a mural ? 

Edited by Corsairfoxfouruncle
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Could you take a photograph of a nice scenic background and make a background from that ? Have a large print of it made and mount that to the walls like a mural ? 

Yes, that is a possibility. Thanks for the suggestion. It got me thinking....

 

Even better if it could be the scene that is actually there. To do a really good photograph would require a drone, to gain an aerial point of view, plus other complications.

Or a painting/collage. I prefer a painting. In that way, it can constantly be manipulated to get a reasonable reproduction of what is there (from one point of view).

Shrubs and trees added to the diorama would cover/hide some of the background.

 

I played with MS Paint program. I don't like using digital painting . . . I am not good at it. I rather use a paint brush.

 

TOP: Today I painted the walls with a white undercoat . Will need to apply a few more coats to better seal the tannin leaking from the wood.

MIDDLE: Digital rough layout of a possible painted wall. Though it can only be properly seen from the console. As soon as one moves away from that point, the image starts to distort. Perhaps it could be an added curiosity for the museum visitors.

BOTTOM: Just to show how distorted the image can be (if viewed from the bridge roadway).

 

MFPaDtf.jpg

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting idea for the side walls, but I wonder if it would work in practice. Trompe l'oeil isn't easy to pull off, particularly if it is intended to be viewed from multiple angles. Perhaps just painting the sides a neutral colour would just make your brain go into “Nothing to see here” mode.

fdbf5f3b-7cde-411e-8339-c161cef2e009.png

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

23 minutes ago, Gorby said:

Interesting idea for the side walls, but I wonder if it would work in practice. Trompe l'oeil isn't easy to pull off, particularly if it is intended to be viewed from multiple angles. Perhaps just painting the sides a neutral colour would just make your brain go into “Nothing to see here” mode....

That neutral colour idea sound good. Looks like a 'nothing to see here' message. Thanks.

 

Perhaps I will give the Tromp L'oeil a go, as a novelty. If it does not work out I'll paint over it with neutral grey as you have suggested and shown.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Gorby, The neutral grey suggestion becomes even more attractive when I am feeling a bit tired. Which is how I feel right now.

Over the last week I seem to be getting more and more tired. . . :sleepy:

I may will take a break to see if my spirit improves.

 

  • Sad 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/12/2018 at 5:13 AM, Getunderit said:

Would be good if that was a reality. Love to meet all the Britmodeller members who have supported me.

But that is still a long way down the track. There is still a lot to do, and I better get back into it.

Had a few lazy days with this project. I needed a break. Will be posting again soon.

I'll be there in spirit mate!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...