I had recently finished the hamlet ‘White Orchard’
which is featured in the Witcher Game series. Its architectural style can be
best described as East European and constructed with timber walls and covered
with thatch. I was very pleased with the results, but unfortunately the older
structures in the collection now paled by comparison.
You can see from the photo these buildings were
quickly constructed, based and decorated. This looked okay, but I found storing
them a problem. In the White Orchard collection all the structures have a
minimum size base to aid storage and I have more options with village size and
shape. Trees now have their own bases which permits their use with other
structures.
The first step was to trim the bases and make new ones
for the trees. With Milliput, I covered the walls and scored timber supports,
doorways and windows. After the walls were dry, thatch roofs were added and
scored. These were left overnight to dry and the following morning all the
structures were given an undercoat.
Painting followed a similar style as seen in the original
photo, but you can notice the difference. Adding a mixture of white glue and
sand, the bases for the building and the bases of the trees were covered, later painted,
dry-brushed and covered with some ‘green’.
Satisfied with the results, the same technique can be used to construct similar structures for a planned campaign in Burma, early 19th century.
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Very nicely done, vegetation additions are splendid...
Thank you Phil,
The trees, now separate from the structures, offer greater flexibility when positioning them on the village (BUA) template.
That is the next step now, making four or five different size templates.
Cheers,
Robert
Impressive! Was it difficult?
It was not difficult, but did require patience and good planning.
Mix enough Milliput to cover the walls of one structure as the material will quickly lose its tackiness.
Keep a small tub of water to moisten your fingers occasionally to avoid lifting your work by accident.
I used a modelling knife to score line, but switched to a long sewing needle; this was perfect.
If the structure is based you can continue with the roof; if not, then wait for the Milliput to harden.
Covering the rood, I scored three or four horizontal lines; these represent rods to hold the thatch in place.
Beginning with the lower section, score lines in quick clean strokes gradually working to the crest.
Once hard, you can undercoat the piece and paint first the roof.
Apply a thin wash to simulate ‘dust’.
This will prevent accidental bleeding when painting the timber or doors.
Dry-brush the upper portion of the walls white as the lower areas will remain dust covered.
Cover the base – done.
Great idea and great result. Might have to bookmark this and copy your process, if you don't mind. Inspirational stuff!
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