Not-quite-real Estate

[Hertsblue]

One of the things I like to do whenever I get bored with painting figures is to scratch-build buildings. They're built mainly of artists' mounting-board (thick cardboard, in other words) and if I base them at all it's usually on 1mm marine ply. Model railway shows are good for things like window-frames and details like that, not to mention brick paper and plasticard roofing.

First up a continental railway station, based (very roughly) on a photograph of the famous station at Skalitz. Since the photo doesn't show the track-side of the building I've had to make it up as I went along.







And then, the hôtel de ville of a small town somewhere in northern France.



Currently missing the tricouleur from the flagstaff, unfortunately.



The residents have made their feelings perfectly clear, however.

The roof is of Das, incidentally.

I'll try and post some more pics when I have more time.

[Leman]

Wow! really impressive. Would love to see Skalitz station with Austrians and Prussians swarming around it.

[Techno]

Terrific work, Ray !
Cheers - Phil

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Superb Ray!

[FierceKitty]

Nifty.

[Matt J]

really like those 

[Ithoriel]

Excellent stuff!

As to the Hotel de Ville tricolour it has no doubt been confiscated by the "filthy boche"

[Leman]

Surely to be replaced by one of those red,white and black mystic symbol flags, as used by some American airmen in WWI on their tailplanes.

[paulr]

Excellent stuff!

As to the Hotel de Ville tricolour it has no doubt been confiscated by the "filthy boche"

What that man said.

Although when I saw the flag pole I thought, is that for the white flag then 

[Subedai]

Nice models. The painted on rear windows look very effective, I had to look twice.

Instead of DAS you can use common-or-garden felt to represent thatched roofs. Once you've glued it down and covered it with watered down polyfilla or similar, get an old comb and tease it downwards. Leave to dry and paint. Works a treat.

Example here (slightly larger scale):

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-emGo8Z0YXHs/Tn4ULDqypRI/AAAAAAAAAhI/zcEwYjNvtyU/s320/SAM_0170.JPG

[paulr]

Nice models. The painted on rear windows look very effective, I had to look twice. ...

They're painted  Completely failed to notice that, which says a lot about how effective they are 

[Hertsblue]

Thank you for your kind comments, guys. Here are a few more buildings I've knocked together over the years.

Here's a Bavarian style church I copied from one or other of the wargames mags. Always a good place to look if you're contemplating scratch-building. I had three goes at doing the gold "onion" on top of the tower with large balls of Miliput. The final one is still slightly "off". As my old boss would put it - "on the wonk!".





Post windmills will fit into many periods, from medieval to present day.





This one's built mainly of matchsticks. If you're sitting around wondering what to do with a big bag of matchsticks here's some suggestions.







OK, the last one is just strips of cornflake packet, but they make a nice little hamlet. Again, "borrowed" from a pic in a mag.



Finally, a little Italian house. This one was actually made by my wife. I just wish I could persuade her to do more.





 

[FierceKitty]

Hmmm, you could take her on exciting foreign holidays to places with model-worthy architecture that might tickle her inner artist.

[Leman]

Excellent stuff.

[Orcs]

Excellent Ray.

You can tell your retired