Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Funnily enough I was in Strathaven today delivering a wedding cake. Nice run up from Glasgow today in the sunshine.

 inmygravenimage wrote:
Funnily enough I was in Strathaven today delivering a wedding cake. Nice run up from Glasgow today in the sunshine.

Hah, that's awesome. I don't suppose a strathaven company had recommended you for a project they couldn't manage?

No, why? My wife bakes, as you know, and we had a big one up at the hotel.

My friend does a little baking and she told me a while back that she had to pass on a wedding cake that she couldn't do but that she gave the woman a recommendation. Thought it might coincidentally have been you she recommended.

Not much in the way of an update today but I've pretty much pulled out of panda's competition at this point. This was my first time seriously entering a competition and I bit off more than I could chew. I'm taking this as a positive experience though, it's a lesson learned and in future I'll know my capabilities and tackle something that I can actually finish in time. I plan on entering many more competitions from now on as it really pushed me out of my comfort zone.

I'll still be finishing my Nork Warboss but at a slightly more relaxed pace. This'll allow me to take more time over the details anyway which is nice. Eventually he'll also get a little entourage but I'm in no rush to do that.

Take care folks!

Been a bit quiet round these here parts! I'm really busy right now and the hobby time I do have I'm putting into entering competitions. The one I'm working on right now has a really short deadline but it's really exciting!

Briancj's Terrain Competition!Check it out! The deadline is extended to the 18th August and the theme is recycling.

So it seems that I've really caught the competing bug! It's pushing me to work outside my comfort zone and I feel like I'm improving already. My first competition, C&R's on the previous page, was an incomplete but as I have said already it taught me what is, and more importantly what isn't, possible within a certain period of time. This current project is still quite complex but I spent a few days doing detailed drawings and test pieces which has made me confident that I can do it in time. I've actually entered three competitions and I believe there are a few more on their way so I'm going to keep a tally of how I place in the OP of this thread.

My entry to this competition is very much underway and I want to be painting it by 1st August. Because it's a short deadline I'm sidelining my other projects for a short while to focus on it so I won't be updating much, please do feel free to chat though. I want to get that punch factor of having a completed entry all of a sudden so I won't really be posting WIP pictures until I'm finished. Well... maybe some teasers if you ask nicely!

My Nork Warboss will get some attention again when this is done, I'm really psyched by that project and want to get it finished soon.

Oo oo, tease me, tease me...

Good luck, look forward to what you pull out to wow us in the end.

Until you lose control? Haha! Well okay since it's you!



I doubt I'll be wowing anyone but thank you. Your set to run away with this by the looks of it but I'm going to strive to get as close to your work as possible. A little friendly rivalry hopefully!

Oh man!! Whenever I make sketches like that, it usually turns into something big! Except my sketches are sometimes illegible even to myself I like the engineering brainwork going on here.

I hate running with a passion, I hated it since I was in school sports, especially wrestling, we had an OLD school building where we had conditioning/practice. We had to run the gym steps, and each step was only 6 inches high, we had to hit each and every step...Wrestling shoes are more like socks with a rubber sole, and I have big, flat feet. I fething hate running!

dsteingass wrote:Oh man!! Whenever I make sketches like that, it usually turns into something big! Except my sketches are sometimes illegible even to myself I like the engineering brainwork going on here.

Haha, my Graphic Communication skills may paint a considered and focused picture of myself but my written notes tell the opposite story. They're scary. Scary like the ramblings of a madman scratched into the walls of an asylum, scary. I've got Physicists handwriting, illegible and I write in tiny capital letters. Haha!

I don't know if I'd call my entry big but it's quite intricate and heavily researched. I had to learn about building construction! Which, interestingly, is incredibly simple at the most basic level.

dsteingass wrote:I hate running with a passion, I hated it since I was in school sports, especially wrestling, we had an OLD school building where we had conditioning/practice. We had to run the gym steps, and each step was only 6 inches high, we had to hit each and every step...Wrestling shoes are more like socks with a rubber sole, and I have big, flat feet. I fething hate running!

That's a real shame but I bet you could learn to love it. It becomes very addictive. That does sound painful though and would really put you off. I got obsessed the first time round through rugby. I used to stick around for another hour after training to do full pitch saltires and suicides eventually just to get the burn for longer. That's where I'm trying to get back to really, you hit a kind of wonderful nirvana.

Blimey Casey, you sure do put some thought into your concept sketches don't you... I'm looking forward to seeing what comes out of those pages. Oh and sorry for not stopping by sooner

 Ruglud wrote:
Blimey Casey, you sure do put some thought into your concept sketches don't you... I'm looking forward to seeing what comes out of those pages. Oh and sorry for not stopping by sooner

A little too much some might say! I try to fight it but OCD rules me with an iron fist at times, this extensive planning and the research I do for my projects is a prime example. The project is bounding along nicely but it looks like I'm going to have to wait for the PVA to dry before I can do much more. I'm trying to use the spare time by working on details that I'll add later. Time management isn't my forte but I'm getting better!

And I'm pleased you dropped by at all, thank you! I've got a tonne of blogs still to read and it's really hard to find the time to read one through and add it into my circulation.

I wonder if I could conjure up another teaser of some kind... But what would it be?

Nice sketches. Consider me teased...

When I do sketches for a model, they don't look anywhere near as neat as that, it's usually just to capture the idea though. I like the level of detail you're planning at.

I was tempted to build my hut using proper woodworking joins, but decided against it due to time.

And as for handwriting, I've only met one person with worse than mine. I'm of the "drunken spider that's fallen into an inkwell" variety.

I could never get into running. I'm not that sort of person. Cycling I could possibly due to the sense of speed, but as far as sports go I'm more of the slower persuasion, like climbing. Although I did used to play rugby for the school and a local team, usually as second row or flanker (so again less running that playing in the backs).

Dr H wrote:Nice sketches. Consider me teased...

When I do sketches for a model, they don't look anywhere near as neat as that, it's usually just to capture the idea though. I like the level of detail you're planning at.

Thanks! To be fair, I don't always go into so much detail but I felt I had to here because there are so many little bits that I wanted to be at the correct scale. My Nork Warboss for example was all designed in my head and I collected a tonne of reference images to guide me, I only made a couple of quick drawings when I needed help visualising a certain structure. I'm actually doing this piece at 30/35mm truescale because it fits a lot of game systems and GW heroic scale doesn't look ridiculously out of place beside it. I think that is my best bet in terms of the competition rules. I'm using an Infinity miniature to check scale but I have an IG on standby as well to make sure it's not too small.

Dr H wrote:I was tempted to build my hut using proper woodworking joins, but decided against it due to time.

I'm still not sure about that myself! I have to decide today but I'm not sure it's worth it as 90% of it will be covered up.

Dr H wrote:And as for handwriting, I've only met one person with worse than mine. I'm of the "drunken spider that's fallen into an inkwell" variety.

Haha, I know what you mean. If I write anything longer than note taking I revert to standard hand writing and it's just a lot of squiggles, in school I'm pretty sure some of my teachers used to just guess my grade rather than try and read it.

Dr H wrote:I could never get into running. I'm not that sort of person. Cycling I could possibly due to the sense of speed, but as far as sports go I'm more of the slower persuasion, like climbing. Although I did used to play rugby for the school and a local team, usually as second row or flanker (so again less running that playing in the backs).

I think you'd be surprised, I think, given enough time, it can get it's claws in to anyone. I played a little second row myself, nice position because you form the core of the forwards whatever they are doing. Spent most of my time as a loose head though despite being too tall and actually pretty damn fast.

Well! How about another little preview? Nothing too exciting but this is my first real WIP:

Well, remember it's a model, only what's on the outside will matter in the end. Unless it needs stability under serious stress, there's realy no need for "real" construction techniques. Making it look like real construction is usually enough. However, the laws of physics still work on a model level too.

 Casey's Law wrote:
I'm actually doing this piece at 30/35mm truescale because it fits a lot of game systems and GW heroic scale doesn't look ridiculously out of place beside it. I think that is my best bet in terms of the competition rules. I'm using an Infinity miniature to check scale but I have an IG on standby as well to make sure it's not too small.

Yeah that's the way to do it, I'm keeping the scaling of mine as ambivalent as possible to fit as many games as possible, it actually looks quite big with a tactical marine inside...

Dr H wrote:I was tempted to build my hut using proper woodworking joins, but decided against it due to time.

I'm still not sure about that myself! I have to decide today but I'm not sure it's worth it as 90% of it will be covered up.

I don't mind building (and even painting) things that can't be seen, but it was just with all the wood in the hut, it would have been really difficult and time consuming to be doing tiny dove-tails etc... everywhere...

Haha, I know what you mean. If I write anything longer than note taking I revert to standard hand writing and it's just a lot of squiggles, in school I'm pretty sure some of my teachers used to just guess my grade rather than try and read it.

Oh yeah, I'm very sure I lost many a grade or point to my handwriting throughout my school life. At least at university, most of the work could be word-processed (except the exams).

I think you'd be surprised, I think, given enough time, it can get it's claws in to anyone. I played a little second row myself, nice position because you form the core of the forwards whatever they are doing. Spent most of my time as a loose head though despite being too tall and actually pretty damn fast.

I dunno, maybe with enough time I could. But my body just doesn't seem to be built for stamina; I can walk for miles at quite a high pace (and have done many hikes, even won some trophies for it at a local scale), but my body just can't keep up when I start running.
Ah, yes I've played prop on a few occasions although being too tall for it. Yep, second row was all about pushing and that, I could do. But I preferred flanker as you could just slip off the side of the scrum and nail the opposition's scrum-half or one of the centres. I did play a couple of games as an outside centre, but it didn't really fit me well.

Well! How about another little preview? Nothing too exciting but this is my first real WIP:

Nice. You could use this build as an example of landscape architecture for the garden...

dsteingass wrote:Well, remember it's a model, only what's on the outside will matter in the end. Unless it needs stability under serious stress, there's realy no need for "real" construction techniques. Making it look like real construction is usually enough. However, the laws of physics still work on a model level too.

Dr H wrote:I don't mind building (and even painting) things that can't be seen, but it was just with all the wood in the hut, it would have been really difficult and time consuming to be doing tiny dove-tails etc... everywhere...

Thanks guys, yeh I think I'll just make it look 'real enough'. I'm trying to keep the construction techniques simple anyway so that this fits fantasy and historical so 'nailed together' is as technical as the wood construction needs to be.

Dr H wrote:You could use this build as an example of landscape architecture for the garden...

Haha, yeh and my garden needs some serious work! So have my sketches given a good idea of what I'm doing then?

 Casey's Law wrote:
So have my sketches given a good idea of what I'm doing then?

If it's not going to be a landscape garden with a nice patio, teak decking and brick and mortar bbq, then you can consider me sufficiently teased and still in the dark...

The curvy staircase thing/shape/wossname is cool though.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Oh and maybe a water feature...?

That's crazy brilliant!

Thanks, graven! It sounds like I need to turn the lights on for you Dr H... But not just yet!

All these lovely comments from you guys and all I've shown you is some sketches and cut up pieces of card. Well you've pulled another WIP out of me:

I'm still not giving much away but we are getting close to some more interesting pictures I think. Maybe I'll give in and post something nice. Any other ideas on what I'm doing? The main terrain feature, apart from the building, is meant to be something you'll find on pretty much any battleground...

Ahh. Looking cool. Just had an extreme close up of your sketch. I see where you're going.
I didn't realise that it was a building at the back and blinded myself with the thoughts of the garden...

An Eldar ice cream van docking station?

An ice cream van docking station would be amazing, but I'm guessing at some sort of gun emplacement?

Ice Cream Van Docking Station!

...No. The other ideas are edging towards the answer though I think. Does this help?

Loved the sketches - and the implementation is keeping me intrigued!

Thank you, sir! Another picture tomorrow methinks. It might make things clearer, or maybe muddier... After that the pictures will be more abstract because I don't want to give too much away.

Got it, love it!

this is really thrill! man...I love your concepts and seeing how you are able tu cut the cardboard so neatly is an amazing skill all in itself... I think this competition will see the most talented entries yet of all the former ones!

Jesus all that with... cardboard!!

inmygravenimage wrote:Got it, love it!

You are a liar and a cad! Aha! Thanks bud , what do you think it is? First person to get the three main elements gets... eh, something?

Viktor von Domm wrote:this is really thrill! man...I love your concepts and seeing how you are able tu cut the cardboard so neatly is an amazing skill all in itself... I think this competition will see the most talented entries yet of all the former ones!

Thank you very much! A ruler and a sharp blade is all it takes, oh and loads of patience. Honestly, I would really like to have been neater and more precise but I'm learning as I go. This project is making plasticard a whole lot less scary for me since all of the skills are transferable.

Knightley wrote:Jesus all that with... cardboard!!

You flatterer! What if I told you... Duhn, duhn, duhn! The cardboard is gone!

I'm actually working on the other side now so I've been holding out on you all. That's the last full image until the comp is over though. We got a deadline increase to the 18th which I think I'll use for comfort but I won't use it all, I have C&R competition to enter too.

 Casey's Law wrote:
First person to get the three main elements gets... eh, something?

That's all in your sketch.

What's the goo you're using there?