Gondorian Fort WIP - UPDATED 26/6/14

malky23 · **Posted:** Thu Oct 31, 2013 12:20 am

Thanks! Im not totally sure really what I was planning to do. I was actually more thinking like a water display rather than a fountain really so just static water would be all i needed to add, just to give it a bit more detail. Kind of based on the one below from BGiME #57 but without the tree and with a statue in the middle instead.

http://www.lotr-collector.co.uk/bgme/mo ... hop_57.jpg

I have looked at those videos the other day actually but it wasn't the woodland scenics stuff I went for, it was another one I got from a model shop when I was away at a mates at the weekend. It was quite cheap but the guy in the shop told me it gave a very similar result to the woodland scenics one. I will test it first though and if its no good il maybe buy the two proper ones.

Gandlaf the Grey · **Posted:** Thu Oct 31, 2013 12:24 am

The cheaper ones have a tendency to shrink, but on a feature like that it may not be too my.change of an issue. A bit of testing will answer your questions.
Is it Vallego ? Ironically they make excellent paints though the water is said to shrink. I've never used their water but I'm converting to all their paints, slowly as there's lads.

malky23 · **Posted:** Thu Oct 31, 2013 12:34 am

Erm nah it wasnt a vallejo one. I think it was a Javis one actually (could be wrong, not got it here just now) will be interesting to see how it is! If its no good il just get the woodland scenics one, its not like I'll have wasted much. Might buy the real one anyway though for the river im planning to have at the bottom of my hill. Will need to wait until I get my styrofoam so I can see how the layout is going to work out.

On another note, I know you mentioned in a previous post about how you make your trees but I'm planning on making mine as they are made in the several BGiME issues as I like the look of garden wire trunks I've made. Just wondering what is best to use to cover them in. The magazines say that coarse turf is what they were recommending but I have had a look online and it looks like it is more like flock? Do you have any experience with the stuff? Or would I be better with the clump foliage that they have on the woodland scenics website? I would say that looks a bit more suitable but I've never seen or used either so not too sure.

Oldman Willow · **Posted:** Thu Oct 31, 2013 1:31 am

J

Quote:

ust wondering what is best to use to cover them in. The magazines say that coarse turf is what they were recommending but I have had a look online and it looks like it is more like flock? Do you have any experience with the stuff? Or would I be better with the clump foliage that they have on the woodland scenics website? I would say that looks a bit more suitable but I've never seen or used either so not too sure.

I use fine medium green flock from Woodland Scenic even on the green clump foliage. Hair spray works best for flock. I use hot glue to attach reindeer moss or clump foliage to tree armatures.

Some fall colors of course turf and clump foliage.

I have used the poli fill

Reindeer moss

I have made wire brush trees

All natural materials

I even tried clay

I have made hundreds and hundreds it is not hard experiment.

malky23 · **Posted:** Thu Oct 31, 2013 1:39 am

Wow! thats a pretty awesome looking collection of trees! Guess I'll just see what I can find and will try them all! I especially like your all natural ones, they look great!

Gandlaf the Grey · **Posted:** Thu Oct 31, 2013 8:02 am

For my Oak tree I used this method
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7tnBIdbL9sY
And here's how it turned out.like Charlie I have used a medium coarse scatter to resemble the leaves. Hair spray really is the best thing for sticking this stuff to armatures. It has that wetness to it for just long enough to get it sticking. Any cheap one will do.

I've found this link and intend to make these trees on a future diorama I'm already planning
http://www.modelarmour.com/index.php?op ... &Itemid=59
The below shows how you can experiment with real wood by sticking on the branches
http://www.coolminiornot.com/articles/1 ... st-diorama

Oldman Willow · **Posted:** Thu Oct 31, 2013 1:56 pm

malky23 wrote:

Wow! thats a pretty awesome looking collection of trees! Guess I'll just see what I can find and will try them all! I especially like your all natural ones, they look great!

Thanks hope it helps

Gandlaf the Grey, very good links

malky23 · **Posted:** Fri Nov 01, 2013 2:22 pm

That's some great help with the trees, thanks guys! Will have a think about what kind I want to make soon!

Just a quick update, the entire fort is now finished in terms of brickwork! Tomoro I will be starting on the painting and in between the drying of the paint I will start to do the inside of my courtyard. My plan is to put down very fine ballast chippings as the ground with the fountain in the middle and a stone path out the gate (as seen in the last picture)

malky23 · **Posted:** Sat Nov 02, 2013 8:03 pm

That's the entire fort basecoated in a wash of black! Tomorrow I will be starting the drybrushing. Anyone have any suggestions for drybrushing colours? I was just planning on doing maybe about three progressively lighter drybrushes of grey shades then a very light white one over the top. Due to the the size of the thing, I am using just a tube of black and a tube of white acrylic paint and will just mix them until I am happy with the greys

Gandlaf the Grey · **Posted:** Sun Nov 03, 2013 5:40 am

Check page 1 of this thread for my tips on colours to use.

malky23 · **Posted:** Sun Nov 03, 2013 11:46 am

Ah yeah, I forgpt about that thanks. I was thinking it was just tips for painting the rest of the board where the flock will go and stuff. I will stick roughly to that scheme as I love the look of the bricks on your bag end model. I will be starting it in a while and might even hopefully have the walls all painted by the end of the day.

malky23 · **Posted:** Mon Nov 04, 2013 1:17 am

OK, after a long (much longer than expected) evening of painting, the anticipation, at least for me, is finally over and the fort has been painted!

I hope you all like it it! I'm very pleased with how it turned out! It looks a lot better than I could have imagined!
I've lay a small layer of extra fine ballast in the courtyard too which I think looks pretty good! Tomorrow I will be working on the pathway and the fountain for the courtyard. I'm also hoping that my order of Styrofoam will arrive early this week, after which I will start work on the rest of the board.

Let me know what you all think

Also, just thought I would mention that I found my DSLR and have just bought a new lens for it which should arrive in a couple of days. Once I have my new lens, I will take some better photos to replace these ones which were again taken on my phones broken camera.

Gandlaf the Grey · **Posted:** Mon Nov 04, 2013 7:44 am

Excellent mate, a first class job. It really is worth the effort if you want a certain look and you have definitely achieved that.
If you want extra little touches you can water down some green paint and use that as a mossy growth. Just paint where you think water will have run down etc. little touches like that, just here and there will aid with the authenticity.
The courtyard is looking great.
The whole thing is looking like it's made of stone and has been there for decades. I am very well impressed with you first effort at doing this.

Rognarr · **Posted:** Mon Nov 04, 2013 9:01 am

A truly lovely piece of scenery you made there!

Robshaw · **Joined:** Thu Jun 20, 2013 12:06 am **Posts:** 100

Is it for sale

malky23 · **Posted:** Mon Nov 04, 2013 11:02 am

Thanks guys, I appreciate it!

Yeah gandalf, the paint job I did was mainly following your suggestion but I left out the catachan green wash (in between drybrushes) as I tried it first and I felt like it made it look a bit too worn. I wanted quite a clean look. I am going to wait until the rest of the scenery is made so I can see how the surrounding land looks and then I will see where to add little mossy bits like you suggested.

@robshaw sorry but I'm rather fond of it now so it's not for sale just now :-D

if I decide to attempt something else big however in the future, I may decide to put it up for sale as there is not really much room for me to keep stuff at home.

Does anyone have suggestions for the roof of the stable kind of bit? At the moment it is just a thick black wash on top of some dark red card which actually looks alright, kind of like terracotta tiles or something. Just wondering if I should give it a proper paint job itself tho so it stands out. Any thoughts anyone?

Coenus Scaldingus · **Joined:** Sat Aug 17, 2013 9:14 am **Posts:** 1121

Great looking piece you've made there, I'm sure you'll enjoying gaming in, on and around it.

Bilbo · **Posted:** Mon Nov 04, 2013 11:19 am

Well done, the fort is really looking great!

malky23 · **Posted:** Mon Nov 04, 2013 11:30 am

Thanks Bilbo, I hope you like the look of the polyfilla bricks! It did take a long time to cover the entire model in it but it was definitely worth the extra time and effort! I would totally recommend it for your helms deep.

Bilbo · **Posted:** Mon Nov 04, 2013 11:34 am

Cheers Malky,

They look great! My only technical issue is that much of my walls are curved?

Gondorian Fort WIP - UPDATED 26/6/14

Who is online