For a couple of weeks I have been toying with making some modular walls, turrets and buildings for use with Star and Garter, my Dux bellorum 100 Years War variant. The idea is to make them so that they can be combined to use as either city walls, a small keep, or a complete castle, depending on the scenario I am playing.
So far I ve made 3 main walls with ramparts, and 3 turrets (so in the short term I can use them as city walls) and have started the basic structure of the gatehouse. As you can see from the stables I have added to one wall, the intention is to also add a few incidental buildings on the iside of the walls,and eventually build a centre piece like an abbey or great hall, which will sit in the centre of the castle. Theres lots of work to do, but here's the structure so far.
(http://data8.blog.de/media/981/6985981_1e9fa4492e_l.jpeg)
(http://data8.blog.de/media/981/6985981_1e9fa4492e_l.jpeg)
(http://data8.blog.de/media/986/6985986_0d77a8df8d_l.jpeg)
(http://data8.blog.de/media/985/6985985_4f600b8d87_l.jpeg)
(http://data8.blog.de/media/983/6985983_8ee62d0752_l.jpeg)
As you can see I decided to paint one turret just so I can check that my intended plan of using anaglypta wallpaper for the stonework and hand painted tiles will work at this scale. Simply put the stonework is anaglypta for the texture, a base coat, a wash and then a pale stone drybrush over the top. The tiles are various greys, with handdrawn tile edges, and a drybrish over the top to blend them.
Next up, another wall and turret to do, and then on to adding the anaglypta to all parts!
More info coming on my blog:
http://wargames.blog.co.uk/ (http://wargames.blog.co.uk/)
As always, commenst and crits very welcome,
Cheers, Craig
Tiny Terrain Models
Really nice, a promising start :-bd
The towers are brilliant, are you planning on a portcullis,drawbridge or a gate for the main tower?
Thanks Ryman,
The towers are simply kitchen roll inner tube with a card cone lid, and a bit of careful painting.
If you look at pic 3, you will see a portcullis already in place!
Cheers,
Craig
Tiny Terrain Models
Oh yes, I see now......love it.
Kitchen roll? :o
10/10 for improvisation that man!!
:-bd
8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)
I bet that will look awesome when it's finished!!
Thats the plan Peter :D
I actually built one myself, using foamboard, polyfilla and the leftover paint i used for the doors when i was renovating:
(http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff441/petercooman123/DSC02534_zps6eaab558.jpg)
Shame the hinges are showing, but i wanted the doors to open and close when needed. It is however for 25 mm LOTR games.
Excellent work Craig (and Peter too !!).
Cheers - Phil.
Great work chaps, like to see the finished projects,
kev
Nicely done Craig - looking forward to seeing this one develop...
For your interest, I am photographing this and making lots of sketches and notes on how I make the complete city. The intention is to create a kindle book with downloadable pdf plans for each building, so anyone can follow the instructions and build the same.
Latest update, city walls and towers are anaglypted and are awaiting painting. I have concept sketches for the key city buildings, work is underway on the improved city gates.
Cheers,
Craig
Tiny Terrain Models
Good progress this weekend with the city gate being re-modelled to include a much needed roof and 2 integral towers. Also managed to get the city gate, one wall and a tower finished and painted:
(http://s23.postimg.org/uzxabd9aj/Gate_Wall_Tower_3.jpg)
My choice to go with a modular approach has paid dividends, as even with just 3 piece finished I have much greater flexibility:
(http://s8.postimg.org/vloxgoug5/Gate_Wall_Tower_2.jpg)
(http://s17.postimg.org/ybmrxka1r/Gate_Wall_Tower_1.jpg)
My intention at this stage is to get all the extrenal structure completed before thoroughly weathering the whole city as one piece so there is consistency in the grime :D
3 more extrenal walls and towers to paint before the main structure is complete, and then on to some merchants houses and other timber framed buildings to go inside it. Might also make a little chapel if I can be bothered :-\
You can see below the stables which are built into the inside of one wall, which is almost complete, just needing its thatch painting and a second coat of streaking on the doors:
(http://s8.postimg.org/dfb80p7vp/Gate_Wall_Tower_Rear_1.jpg)
And again in "deconstructed mode"
(http://s11.postimg.org/rjr2hrh9f/Gate_Wall_Tower_Rear_2.jpg)
As ever feedback and comments very welcome.
Best regards,
Craig
Tiny Terrain Models
http://www.wargames.blog.co.uk
Nice work Craig :)
yes, very, very nice looking !!! Please Keep on posting :)
Exactly what kind of material did you use to get the texture on the walls? wallpaper?
Cheers, Annatar
B & Qs finest anaglypta 3.75 a roll!
That is coming along VERY nicely Craig ! :-bd 8)
Cheers - Phil.
Yep - nice progress there Craig 8)
My only comment would be that it looks very clean...but then I like things dirty ;) :d
Hi Nik
Yep,the plan is to wait until the whole structure is finished and then i will weather it and dirty it up in one go so i get a consistent look to the grime :-)
Cheers
Craig
Shaping up nicely. The modular approach works well, and the use of anaglypta is inspired. :)
I spent soemtime this evening measuring and drawing out the plans for the 10mm town/city I am making. Key to the design will be a 200mm square of ply which will hold the central cobbled market place and covered walkways (couverts), which were common to many of the 700 Bastides of Southern France. I am using Mirepoix as my inspiration for the central square, as I have visited the town and as a result have a fair grasp of the feel of the place, how close the buildings are too each other, access points Etc.
(http://data8.blog.de/media/424/7000424_4d8264feea_l.jpeg)
Whilst Mirepoix is one source of inspiration, my plans for my Bastide are very different to reality as it is impossible to detail every building, alley and street of a town the size of Mirepoix. As a result my model will be a bastardised version, enjoying tall city walls, the market place, a cobbled street from the main city gate to the square and a number of shops, smithies and houses. Unlike Mirepoix (where access to the market square is at its corners), my model will have an archway into its central square. My mock up plans (at present) look like, the pic below:
(http://data8.blog.de/media/403/7000403_df03d102db_l.jpeg)
Modelling work continues, adding buildings to the inside of the city walls, which will be finished before I start on the buildings and covered walkways of the square.
(http://data8.blog.de/media/427/7000427_73b39ddbc5_l.jpeg)
This has the potential to be one of those projects we all remember and refer to once we begin our own.
Whatever you do Craig, don't rush it, it's got me seriously tempted to do my own and your patience has paid dividends.
If you devote as much effort to the 'finishing' as you have to the design, this could be one to emulate and potentially make it into one of 'the mags'.
Good work chap.
Ry
Market Square skribbles
(http://data8.blog.de/media/506/7000506_15c0efa783_m.jpeg)
Archway is a bit long and thin, will be more squat.
Cheers,
Craig
Tiny Terrain Models
This is going to look SO good......Keep it going Craig !
Cheers - Phil
MASSIVE UPDATE>>>>>>>>PICTURE HEAVY
Another busy week/weekend, with lots of progress on the Bastide. The city walls and outer building structures are largely complete, which means next I will turn my attention to building the central square, but firstly, some eye candy of progress to date:
In "closed city" form (ie all sides joined to make a square):
(http://i43.tinypic.com/2hqw27t.jpg)
(http://i42.tinypic.com/4lsw3.jpg)
(http://i43.tinypic.com/351hdgp.jpg)
(http://i41.tinypic.com/ncnims.jpg)
In "open city" form (ie adjoining table edge):
(http://i44.tinypic.com/35iox3p.jpg)
In long wall form:
(http://i43.tinypic.com/19owwn.jpg)
Biggest revelation this week is using Vallejo's plastic putty applied with a paintbrush and smoothed with water to give an instant render to foamcore buildings......quick, and very easy to do.
As I mentioned in my previous post my plan is to make a number of different centre pieces, all of which will fit the same square template, which is a piece of ply that is about 180mm square with a built in road that leads to the main gates. The first square I will make is a typical bastide market square with covered walkways, but the plan is to also make a monastery or cathedral, and a castle keep at some point in the future. However, for now the template is marked out for a market square, with buildings on all 4 sides and on the approach road.
In additon I have made some extra cobbled streets from more anaglypta (this time stuck to sticky backed foam as its easy to cut to shape) that will run off the market square, this will allow for greater flexibility when beiing used in open and long wall forms:
(http://i41.tinypic.com/33viurp.jpg)
(http://i39.tinypic.com/2r7y5x2.jpg)
So still lots and lots more work to do, but so far it is going to plan. More pics and progress reports on my blog later tonight/tomorrow.
Best regards,
Craig
Tiny Terrain Models
http://www.wargames.blog.co.uk (http://www.wargames.blog.co.uk)
Looking really good Craig 8)
Excellent work Craig 8).
Stroll on !! :-bd :-bd :-bd
Cheers - Phil.
Coming together nicely, Craig. Looking forward to seeing the finished article. :-bd
Thanks for all the comments so far.....
Cardboard mock-up of the market square arcades
(http://data8.blog.de/media/804/7013804_03e2ba1ebe_l.jpeg)
Having completed the bulk of the city walls structure I have turned my attention to the city market square and its covered arcades or "couverts" (to give them their proper name). Stictly speaking a bastide is arranged on a grid, or certainly to a regimented pattern,with a central market square which was used for commercial and political/social gathering.However in order to make a useable modular city that can be used in closed form (all 4 walls together to form a square) or in open format (walls adjoining a table edge) it has been neccesary to create a simpler layout. However I did not want to lose what was the focal point of the bastide, the square.
As it will be quite a tight fit, with couverts on three of the four sides of the square (with an archway on the fourth), I decided to make a mock up from cardboard to check dimensions, and ensure what I had in mind would both fit, and look good. As you can see from the pic below, its difficult to get a true idea of how it will look until all 4 sides are built, but it certainly will have the enclosed, medieval feel I was hoping for.
(http://data8.blog.de/media/818/7013818_9ac92dd974_l.jpeg)
I have a few technical challenges to overcome in making the wooden support struts, as they are very fine, but need to be cut quite precisely, however the build of the foamcore buildings should be relatively easy as I will use the cardboard mock up to make a template. Once completed, the bottom half of each building will be covered in anaglypta to create stone bases and the top halves will be "rendered" with Vallejo Plastic Putty and will have timbers, shutters and other detailing added made from balsa wood.
(http://data8.blog.de/media/836/7013836_7cd87b93be_l.jpeg)
All the best,
Craig
Tiny Terrain Models
Looks good and very inspiring, Craig.
Will the pillars be set back a bit to give the upperstory overhang as in the photo?
Cheers, Colin
Yes Albie, if things go to plan :D
I had a quiet hour before work this morning, made a dozen struts for the markets couverts............here's how:
(http://data8.blog.de/media/124/7015124_76677a6dde_l.jpeg)
Regards,
Craig
Tiny Terrain Models
They work well and easy to glue plus nice and strong :).
What type of foam did you use for the walls?
Looking really good Craig.
But you're forgetting to use the old Blue Peter standby of "Here's one I made earlier." ;)
Cheers - Phil.
I bet you all thought I had given up on this mad project of mine? No way, just been busy painting minis for a few weeks!
In readiness for finishing the Bastide I thought I would knock up a little bit if scenery that would give me the opportunity to try out the half timbered finish I am planning for most of my buildings, as well as practicing painting 3d shutters on flat bits of card and mock wooden planks for the stables.
Here's what I got....(apologies crap camera on phone!)
(http://i43.tinypic.com/2rcmvyo.jpg)
Relatively happy with the look so hoping yo crack on with the Bastide during my upcoming time off work. More pics to follow soon.
Cheers
Craig
Tiny Terrain Models
Like!
Nice!!
8) :-bd
Cheers - Phil.
Looking good, Craig 8)
Hi,
Having not provided an update on my 14th C Walled Town / Castle Project since the start of May I thought I should provide a little more info on what progress has been made in the last week or 2. Whilst I was busy painting my English and French troops I put the modelling to one side, but having been on holiday for the last fortnight and had the opportunity to visit both Nunney and Goodrich Castles my appetite has been wetted for getting the project completed.
As you may recall the aim of this project is to produce a set of free standing terrain pieces that could be used as either a French bastide (walled town) or castle dependent on what centre pieces are added. My secondary aim was to porduce something that would allow both the town or castle to be used in "open" form, where the walls stretch across the table, or in "closed" form, to create a stand alone fortified structure.
I decided that first priority should be to complete the walls and towers as they are used in both and to that end all have been painted, with just the roofs and the buidlings on the insides of the walls to finish. I am pleased to say the roofs are a quick 30 minute job as I have found some grey wallpaper that once dry brushed has a close enough resemblance to slate tiles to work in 10mm. The internal buildings will be a mix of half-timbered and wooden structures so again completetion should be pretty quick as its mainly a paint job.
I ve opted to complete the castle first, so have produced 2 extra short walls which allows for a barbican be created to the front of the castle, with the intenion of a internal guard house and keep being added to complete the "closed" form. Both the guard house and keep will be square with crenallated tops, which were common even in castles with rounded external towers. As you can see from the photos below it will be quite an imposing castle once on the table:
(http://data9.blog.de/media/468/7199468_f20cdf8b53_l.jpeg)
The half-built guard house (behind the barbican), and brown paper square showing the rough location of the keep.
By luck, a side benefit of making the 2 extra short walls I also now have the option of not having an open barbican but a fortified passage from the main gate to the guard house if the scenario requires it:
(http://data9.blog.de/media/473/7199473_e160e8a48d_l.jpeg)
This will be a bitch to storm!
To give you a sense of how versatile (and large) this set up can be, heres a new photo showing the castle without the guard house or barbican in "open" format occupying almost half of my 5ft x 3ft dining table. This gives me plenty of room to add the keep, a great hall and a chapel, as free standing terrain pieecs inside the walls:
(http://data9.blog.de/media/477/7199477_8975fd89de_l.jpeg)
Plenty of room for any extra medieval buildings I get the urge to make
So in terms of structure, to complete the "standard" castle I just need to get a little more foamcore and finish the guard house and keep before completing the paintjob and wethering the whole thing. At the most it should'nt take more than a couple of weeks. Then on to the central square of the bastide (which will be a fiddly job due to all the wooden struts!) and then a few extras bits & pieces like merchants stalls and a well, to bring the place alive. Then finally, given enough time, on to the above mentioned great hall and chapel for the castle.
Cheers,
Craig
Tiny Terrain Models
8)
Looks great and plenty of flexibility on its arrangement which is excellent.
REALLY love this: keep the photos coming :-bd
Superbly done, Craig - this is going to be spectacular once it's complete 8)
Great work, Craig. Looking forward to seeing it when all the detailing's complete. 8)
ULTRA 8) !!
Cheers - Phil
Is it just me or does reading this thread make anyone else want to play Carcassonne??? :D
That is one STUNNING castle.
Great game
Aye, the X-box version isn't bad either PLUS you can play it solo.
Quote from: get2grips on 26 August 2013, 10:37:31 PM
Is it just me or does reading this thread make anyone else want to play Carcassonne??? :D
Play it most Thursdays. (Well, what else can you do on a Thursday?)
Quote from: Hertsblue on 27 August 2013, 09:30:35 AM
Play it most Thursdays. (Well, what else can you do on a Thursday?)
Wife goes to the gym: anything I bloody well want :D ...within reason...after I've doe the jobs...and got the dinner on...
yeah...Carcassonne it is :)
Quote from: Hertsblue on 27 August 2013, 09:30:35 AM
Play it most Thursdays. (Well, what else can you do on a Thursday?)
Drive to Wales - Deeside Defenders meet on Thursdays.
IanS
MKWS meet on Thursday too! :D
The castle and buildings look brilliant, look forward to seeing more, like the blog too :-bd =D>
all the best
Sean
Thanks fir all the positive comments. The castle is getting perilously close to being finished. I have ordered a bespoke 10mm moat to go around it (I am crap at making decent water), so will definitely need to make a drawbridge and smaller outer gate to finish it off.
Just the main keep to make now, but that's a relatively easy oblong of foam card with some crenallations and detailing added from cork tiles.
More updates post colours, as I have few odds and sods to finish for Steve J and my Battle of Deorham Dux Bellorum table :D
Cheers,
Craig
Tiny Terrain Models
Not bringing it to colours! :o oh well. ;)
Hi Craig,
I've just come across this superb castle and would like to try my hand at using the same basic technique
to build a fortified Manor House for my new Pendraken ECW collection. Can I just clarify how you make
the walls - are they cut from cork tiles and then covered in anaglypta (with a card roof) ? I already have
some 3mm thick cork tiles (from a previous experiment) and wondered whether these would be suitable ?
Best wishes and many thanks for the inspiration.
Cheers,
Phil
Hi Phil,
Glad its prompted some action :D
My walls are simply foam core faced and edged in anaglypta, you could use cork tiles but they aren't structurally as strong especially if you are looking at using larger pieces.
If you are in the UK I would suggest getting down to hobbycraft and buying some foam core, they have got a special of spend £20 and get a fiver back until the end of Jan.
Dont forget to post some pics,
Cheers,
Craig
Tiny Terrain Models
Thanks Craig - that was very quick and helpful !
I've just checked the 'hobby inventory' (aka bits and bobs box of dubious/unknown origin) and, lo and behold,
have discovered some foamcore. Great stuff. The only problem is that it is 5mm in thickness. Do you think
this would be too thick for 10mm ?
Cheers !
Phil
Mines 5mm and its fine.
If you need any pointers feel free to PM me.
Cheers,
Craig
Tiny Terrain Models
Hi Craig,
Have you finished your castle yet? If so, we need some pics. :)
Craig,
Very many thanks for the help (and for the offer of further pointers).
Much appreciated. The idea is to create a representation of Stokesay
Castle (not an identical model but something 'inspired by').
I would also echo Hertsblue - the castle project is really something special
and any further pics would be welcome.
Cheers,
Phil
Love that place, more of a heavily fortified manor house than castle, but severly underestimated as a structure.
Remember Stokesay had one wall and half the church levelled by close range artillery fire during the ECW, the perimeter wall would be high all round, rather than the modern low wall and fence on the East side.
People also underestimate the fish pond on the western side, as this would have been wider and shallower now, leading to the boggy ground by the Onny which was drained for the railway and towards the weir as it looped round the manor house to the south. Ideal choke point between Ludlow and Church Stretton to control trade.
ML,
Many thanks for the advice on Stokesay. I've seen a superb model of this Manor House already
and feel quite nervous about attempting something of this scale. Hence 'inspired by'...
Anyway, a visit soon to the place itself followed by the build. No doubt, a few mails to Craig will
follow !!
Cheers,
Phil
Matt of Munslow is very local, he should meet up for a wine (gum)!
Just when you thought this project had died......an update!
http://wargames.blog.co.uk/2014/02/22/modelling-10mm-castle-project-17807742/ (http://wargames.blog.co.uk/2014/02/22/modelling-10mm-castle-project-17807742/)
Design of the click in place hoardings for the walls is complete and my scribbles are currently being converted into CAD files for laser cutting. Please see my blog for more details.
(http://data9.blog.de/media/324/7700324_d0966b65e6_m.jpeg)
Structure is 90% complete, just the Keep to finish.
More pics to follow
Cheers,
Craig
Tiny Terrain Models
Good skills, Craig, good skills 8)
Very nice as always. Its a pleasure to see your work come together
take care
andy
Great work Craig! 8)