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You'll need to wait a little longer, Gits'. Much research/inspiration searching today.

The rear/lower section of the lid has had some holes filled and it's primed and ready for paint.
I found some photos of hills from just the right angle, to give me an idea of what to paint.
And then researched Anamorphic art (took a while to find out what it was called to start with) to work out how to paint something on an angled surface.

As this is an interesting subject if you are into perspective in art I'll post the links to the site I've been using:
https://anamorphicart.wordpress.com/ This explains everything related to anamorphosis, but the part I'm using is about halfway down that page about Plane anamorphosis...
https://anamorphicart.wordpress.com/2010/04/22/plane-anamorphosis/ Which can be found by itself here.



I've practised on a piece of paper, with pen and pencil, just to get my head around drawing the grid in the shape required for my lid.

Once I had the grid done I was returned to GCSE Art classes in transferring a picture from one grid to another.

Luckily with the abstract shapes made from splodges of colour, that are distant hills, trees and clouds, it should be pretty do-able... I just have to contend with painting within the CD player as the lid is firmly glued to the base (city and airship have been removed though). Had this been planned from the start I would have painted it first.
I've had worse angles to paint at...

Thanks Graven, Shas'. I did avoid using BR references for the adverts as I don't want this to become a Blade Runner model. But the front side got a sci-fi person with hologram thing, and the back got some unintelligible lettering as it's not easily visible in normal viewing.

Letting the primer cure fully before even attempting any painting on it to avoid any lifting off (as it tried to do during priming, not the best surface for paint adherence).

Clouds still to do. More on that below.

Hills done though. Not quite as difficult as I expected, and quite effective.

This series of photos shows, from top to bottom:
How it looked before I decided that some holes needed filling,
This was the way up the majority of it was painted (upside down),
"Full-on" shot,
Viewing angle shot,
And 3 photos with the city in place.


Next is the clouds...
These provide another challenge. How to paint on a clear(ish) surface that can be viewed from both sides...
I will need to think about this.

Excellent work!

Hmmm, a quandry regarding that semi transparent cover.

Well, this is a direction I did not foresee. Very cool idea.

No help about the clouds.

Thanks Gits'.

'Twas a tough thing to wrap one's head about, indeed Shas'.

Thanks Red'. Glad to have introduced the unexpected.

The clouds did take some hard thinking, and some google-ing to see if I could find any alternatives to the only obvious answer I could come up with.

I found no alternatives...

To paint something on a clear surface, that is visible from both sides, you have to paint the details first...

By this, I mean the things that you would usually paint last, you have to paint first.

Taking the clouds as an example:
Normally, you would paint the white bulk of the cloud's shape first,
Then you would add some light grey shading,
And then the darker grey details to the lower edge of the cloud.


For this case:
You paint the darkest shadows and details first,
Add the light grey shading next, overlapping wherever,
Then cover the entirety of that with the white (but without going below the dark grey at the bottom...
Then you paint the light grey shading as normal,
And finish with the dark grey shadows to finish the look of the clouds from the inside.

Take a moment to wrap your head around that...

...

and bare in mind that you cannot add more shading or highlighting to the outer side once you've painted over it.

Luckily, clouds are forgiving.

Once that's all done, it'll look a bit like this:


Now we're onto the stage of adding the final little details and then weathering the outside of the CD player.

That is looking cracking good!

That is stunning. You were absolutely right about the clouds needing to be painted first, it really paid off.

Clouds are awesome. You cracked it. They look brilliant. Nice job Doc

By the beard of Zeus! The clouds make it whole and good.

Thank you all. Good to see it well received.
Things like this always require a deep breath and then go for it. No going back.

Still deciding on what/where I might add the final little touches, but one so far:

Being a CD player, the case had two holes on either side for headphones and charging.
When first preparing the case I decided to leave these open, but had no idea what to do with them; they may have just been left as open holes.
But, probably as a result of my recent trip to nodnoL and travelling on the underground, I've added a track and train.
Just as a fun little detail.


I've now started with tidying up the edges of the CD. You can see how worn it is in the above photo.

Getting ever nearer, but I have one last trick up my sleeve...

Love the subway train. Inspired wee touch

Hmm part of me wouldn't be surprised to hear that you plan to motorise it........

That is weird extraordinary work on the lid, and the tube is terrific!

Lol. Ah 'the tube' ㅋ

Glad you like the tube, chaps. It was that or the holes would have become sewers; I think this was the more fun option.

Llamahead wrote:Hmm part of me wouldn't be surprised to hear that you plan to motorise it........

lol No, not this time. It's not designed to be seen full-on from the back, and the out of town factory doesn't fit under the lower part of the lid if it were to rotate.

The city is glued in now and it's a matter of finishing touches before the final reveal.

In the mean time, I have some judging to do, and you can too if you pop over to the LoER terrain contest public voting thread:
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/701595.page#8883629
Go and give them some love.

This seems eerily apropos.



Clouds look fantastic. Whole project does. Glad you made the headphone jack a subway and not a sewer main

The clouds are really stunning, and are an excellent tool for hiding the attachment point for the blimp.

Red': Yeah, that works.
Thanks.

Thanks Gits'. See, I did have it covered, but thanks for the feedback.

and after poking and prodding, wiping and splashing, the city is done. I can't justify putting any more hours into it.

Lots of photos in 4 collages; there are many things to show.
Although I took over 80 photos to get it all just right in lighting and focus.

Have a look around and zoom in to see all the details.








Thanks for sticking with me on this journey.

Just extraordinary. After much consideration, my favourite bit is still the window cleaner outstanding work sir.

Awesome work Dr H. So much, just so much!!!!!

Pretty spectacular, labour of love that we have really enjoyed riding along with. Fantastic attention to detail. Want to know why we do not have a monkey hanging off the Empire State!

Such a jot to have been with you on this epic journey through your amazing talents and imagination. This is one of the most interesting, unique and mind-blowing projects it's ever been my pleasure to see on Dakka. Congratulations Dr. H. I hope everyone votes on the image so we can get it on the front page of the gallery and keep it there for a long, long time!

Thanks Graven. I don't think I can pick a favourite bit myself. I'm just glad it all works together.

Thanks Jan'. More and more details, it's what I like.

Thanks Cam'. Glad you enjoyed watching.
No ape... No Empire State.

Maybe one day I'll do another, but with loads of monsters fighting it out. Just not yet.

Gits': Thanks.
It has been quite a while since I've had something up on the gallery front page, so that'll be nice.

No modelling today as I've been tidying a room (that room, where all the junk goes).

There are a few little things I have to finish off for this blog; those rock things I showed before.
But I'll soon be posting a question over in my army blog as it's been too long since I've done something for myself.

I promised rock things, so here's rock things.

This is currently known as "Artefact 1".
You saw before that it emerged from a series of experiments to make something "different" from some pressed cardboard packaging; most of which ended up back on the pile of junk (to be used for something in the future).

This one, together with some plaster spread about and to fill it, and some sprue (what else would you expect of me?) became what you see here.


You'll see that I stuck with the grey rock look of it; although it received many layers, washes and dry-brushings.
The crystals were originally going to be multiple colours, but having started colouring them I didn't like the look and so decided to stick to one colour.

I aimed for an undefinable something and it's pretty much there: What's if for? Who knows. Check.

Thing is, there are plenty of natural rocks out in the world, and some can be found with pretty gems/crystals inside, and I've just made one from cardboard, plaster and sprue...
But why would someone want this one when they could get a "real" one?
I have perplexed myself with my own artwork... Maybe that's the point...

The other rocky thing I showed before has developed a purpose though:
And so, has not had much painting love.

I'm going to keep this one around for a bit and use him as a cast master to make moulds of for stone walls and the like.

Anyway, these can now leave my work area and I'm going to head over to my army blog and build something there.
Pop in and say hello.

My God Doc.....This is stunning stuff....that city is just masterful!

Hey hey, Dave. Good to see you out and about.
And Thanks.

I've been quiet (but busy) again.

And now I have a couple of sculptures to show you all here.
The first I've already shown in my army blog as it was relevant to discussion about a new toy in my modelling arsenal; a 3D printing pen.
In trying out some of the techniques unique to this equipment, I came out with a display stand for all the earrings I've been making:


The printing pen is an interesting tool, and I'll be sure to keep experimenting with it.

I have just finished another, more typical, sculpture.

Still need to work on my hand and head sculpting, but getting better with each one.

I can now get back to my tank (until I need to start on Christmas presents).

Cool new stuff Dr.H

Holy Crap! That's amazing! you did all that with the pen?

Can it do precise, complex shapes like...

with consistency?