Belle Lane - Miss Lemon's Cottage.

[Little Andi.]

Well here we are again?.................


I need now to make a start on the next buildings, and this as you all know is the basis of what will form one of Santo's neighbours.





So, looking at the right of the building you'll see a cottage seemingly tacked on to the end of the row. This is actually the residence of Miss Lemon, a spinster of formidable character and stout heart. Several generations ago the foundry business was split equally between two sons, this portion became a hardware and supplies store serving the surrounding:- What was then, a largely agricultural community, and complimenting the Foundry and Blacksmiths to be found effectively at the other end of the building - more about which later.




Here's the front elevation with the basics marked out. Note, that the upstairs windows have here the original twin sashes, much more handsome and symmetrical than the ungainly and mis proportioned single sash that lives there now!
Also I've included this pic' to show the different depths of wall that I've utilised to portray the opening reveals, this card is 2mm thick so representing 2 inches, the window openings have received a double thickness giving a total of a 4" reveal - totally prototypical. The door is at 2" because being tucked into a corner as it will be, I didn't want it to look as though it was "tunnelled" into the wall. I've yet to make a decision on the inside of the bay, except for the fact that I will again replace the windows with original opening sashes - I truly remember seeing shops where the goods spilt out of the open windows onto folding shelves.




OK, .......... so here we have both elevations, I have actually decided to cut a "boot scraper" into the wall next to the door, again very prototypical in buildings that were built when this location was so much more rural, and the road nothing more than a broad and muddy lane on occasion. It may also be prudent to point out the fact that the whole building has been lifted 18"[mm] off of the ground, this to accommodate a gentle rise in the frontage both for visual relief and to minimise to a degree the fact that this building is much smaller than the restaurant, and needs any help in order to reach the 300mm level of the backdrops height perimeter, I could of course just put more roof on? But, the more roof I use the further the building is obliged to be pushed forward encroaching onto the "Front of stage" portion of the Diorama.
The end elevation shows a different window style and will be explained as a later addition when the side was extended during the Victorian boom years. [In fact a necessary device to bridge the visual gap between this and Santo's........ shhh!].




If you briefly refer back to the previous pic' you'll see the window blank clamped behind the upstairs openings, I simply draw around the inside and once released again draw within the periphery to establish the placement of the windows, and so they're marked ready for ready opening up. Don't be in too much of a rush to dispose of those blanks, a quick cut across the diagonal and you have instant gusseting for reinforcing any corners.
Noteworthy is the fact that this is a different card - one that measures 1.5 inches thick [1.5mm], a perfect measurement for this type of timber work.




And finally for now - I'm sorry.......... but a rather poor pic' of the finished windows. This will be left off until much later and placed in as part of the final dressing.
I've been a bit "obvious" perhaps in my posting but I'm trying to just highlight what a delightfully simple method working with card is - again not trying to convert anyone as I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but it just may sate the odd curiosity as to my personal approach? - which truly is invariably as "low-tech" as possible.

Hopefully now the framework is done we should be able to move on with the interesting bits?

More as it happens...................... Andi.

[teetrix]

Its fun to read your "stories behind the walls", the reasons for each detail and the logical development of the model and the scene. And there is a lot to learn about cardboard-modelling too. I'm already waiting for the next pics

Michael

[Little Andi.]

Hey all.......................I'm quite quickly catching up with myself now so it won't be long before I'm finally posting in real time, of course this means there'll be a lot longer between updates. But it would appear most folk have gone a little numb [sorry] so that might not be a bad thing?


So, what appears to be only a nominal update! But none the less quite a bit of effort had been expended - more mental than anything.

You see I've tried to make sure my thinking is in place for this building. Not that it wasn't in Santo's but I was more tied up with the actual construction in that part. Now I'm trying to expand a little on the storytelling that the building is capable of, and as such thought I'd post this wall in the raw as it does set the scene for the rest of the build.

Check out the pic' first................




Now then!................. You may have noticed that there is a lot of differing surfaces in the wall? We have a small stone mullioned window in the attic gable, a bricked in window on the first floor. And a remodelled window in the ground floor - you are given clues also here in the way a weight bearing arch has been used, a different brick has been cut in, and also the fact that the original sill extends beyond the current window dimensions.
Further down you can see on the left where large quoins remain on the lower corner, and also large dressed stone foundation blocks are visible.
You see, I want the building to carry a history and the story goes that this portion of the building was gutted by fire and rendered unsafe many years previously, ergo it's been rebuilt in a less than complimentary style, at the time Victorian.
As we pass around the corner onto the front of the building I'm hoping to make a transition to an earlier time in the buildings history with a lot more medieval styling cues, and of course plenty of anomalous visuals that give away the hand of man coupled with a deep sense of the passage of time.

I'll crack on with a posting of the frontage [a little later today] so you can see it a little clearer perhaps?

Cheers cheps................ Andi.

[Jez kirkwood]

Very nice work, the building reminds me of a row of shops here in Nailsworth which from the front look like ordinary victorian brick shops, if you go round the back you discover that the lower ground floor is cotswold stone, in fact the remains of a row of old mill workers cottages - these were semi-demolished and the 'new' three storey brick shops built onto the top! It is refreshing to see these details (which are so often missed out) being modelled so convincingly.
Jez

[Steve Bennett]

Thats really strange, one of the first things I noticed on seeing the photo, was the narrowed window, thats before reading the words. Thats remarkable I dont know how you did that

[Little Andi.]

Hello again all............told you I'd post a bit more a bit later.....

Another interim update then, but it's one I thought those that are curious about the card stock bricklaying method - might just be interested?
I'm not an expert as you know and most of what I've achieved so far has been fairly intuitive. So as such most improvements seem to be one of expediency more than anything, and so it is with this update.

As I assembled the flat wall elements of Santos' I was having to match and detail the corners, this despite my most earnest endeavours was a part of the build fraught with danger. I seem to spend most of my time damaging or undoing work that had been done once already - I don't mean ruining or really destroying anything, but frustrating never the less. And then there was trying to match colour schemes and detailing. I just felt I was making things harder for myself than I should??

So, I've tried a different method. I do need the walls to remain in the flat for working upon - but need to be confident that they'll match happily once offered against each other.

This is the way I've tried............



You'll see that I've applied the returning bricks on the other face using the original courses as a guide.




From the rear you'll see that this now gives me a guide from which to place the front wall against - in fact when considered against the rebate I'd already placed on the back of the side wall I actually now have a very specific slot within which to fit the front wall.

Now from the front again............



Simple, see?

I've actually ran a pencil around those bricks and once the walls are separated I have a line from which to continue the brick courses - and all being well they should fit back together pretty much perfectly? Also means I can paint around the corner without fear of miss-matching the colours and creating yet more work.
Yes, this has been a bit of an extra fiddle at this stage, but hopefully it should pay dividends later?


PS, Sorry about the red background, I was trying [unsuccessfully it appears] different ways in order to figure out the best method of shooting these pic's as almost all seemed to be coming up short in the clarity department.


Later............ Andi.

[gfadvance]

Andi,
thought you might be interested in this effect - although a completely different part of the world its interesting what can be achieved using cork tiles instead of card!

(I'm wondering whither this technique could be used to model slate built buildings )



Here is the link to the complete thread

http://www.migproductionsforums.com/php ... &sk=t&sd=a

Anyway please keep working hard, so you can post more - really enjoying your work and the way you have envisaged the whole thing and then actually turned it into reality ( can just about do the the first but not the last )

[Little Andi.]

Wow...... great post Gordon.........

I love the texture this technique has brought to the look of the job. I'm sure it could be adapted for a more European purpose, in fact I might just need to build some outbuildings - that would do the trick....... I would even have an excuse for trailing some dodgy power cables around the building too! - I sooo want to do that!!

The link made for great reading as well - I'm pleased you made the effort to bring this to my attention as this is all very new to me. you'd think I'd been pretty much modelling in a dark cupboard for the last 40 odd years.

Thanks again............... Andi.

[John New]

Gordon F - thanks for your posted link. Not seen cork tiles used that way before. Might try building a stone wall in it for the loco' water tank support on Pebbles End.

Andi - how did you do the stone at the base of Miss Lemon's place?

[Geno6309]

Andi
Your building reminds me of an Agatha Christie quote about how a house was added to in all the wrong periods. You have beautifully captured the feeling of the unsympathetic attitude of all the guys who mistreated the poor little building over all these years.
I've got to figure out how you did that. The history just leaks out of this at this early stage. It's going to be a thing of beauty when done.

Gordon F
I've duly bookmarked your link. Definately a technique to be tried.

[rue_d_etropal]

hadn't thought to use cork . looks great, now will have to find some cheap scap cork.
interesting way to do pantiles with inverted ones underneath. how were tiles shaped?

[Little Andi.]

Andi - how did you do the stone at the base of Miss Lemon's place?

Hello John.................

A very simple explanation of an even easier technique ;-

I use an Aliphatic resin, which is basically just a "better" wood glue, and the slight benefit of this is it "set's-up" much quicker. Because the stone shapes are torn from paper it leaves the edges very thin, rough and fibrous. Lay down a pattern of large shapes first, then selecting smaller shapes I simply moisten them between my lips [ewww!] and arrange them over the previous layer to the best effect, and this with copious amounts of glue. Because this is all very moist the surface becomes a bit squishy, this you use to effect by moulding the surface to enhance the stone effect. If you want a greater relief you just add another layer of ever reducing sizes of paper shapes till you're happy with what you have - the more relief the more layers it's as simple as that, the deepest rock here has no more than three layers [applications] of paper, and because it dries relatively quickly any moulding you put into the relief usually dries hard before it "springs" back out again. It's also possible to work into the job once dry for that added detail should you want to?......................It really couldn't be any simpler.

John I've got a couple more updates coming up that will show the stone off to much greater effect - these will make what I'm trying to say perhaps a little clearer?

Andi.

[Little Andi.]

Oh what the heck!.............. I'm up and about a bit earlier today so this shouldn't take too long!!?........................


Here's a couple of quick pic's then just to keep folk up to date.
Mainly consisting of the brick dressing on the front face, much easier when said quickly like that!
I must admit to this being just a bit tedious as I wanted this face to represent a rebuilt wall but yet using the original materials, - consequently the bricklayers have made a pretty good job of the side wall, but here trying to match and lay random part dressed stone has left them floundering somewhat. You can see if you look closely - it'll read better once in colour! That there are quite a few different textures and schemes within the face - study it awhile, you should be surprised at how much difference there is?

Couple 'o' pic's then....................






Some of those courses run out on purpose - "in case you're wondering", I've tried to illustrate how the brickies [Who'd been hired for the whole job to keep the price down!] had struggled with the differing qualities of stone and how they made a reasonable job of some and a poor one of others. I know this seems like a terrible fuss to go through to get a credible back story, but if folk do stop to tarry a while, I feel they should be as rewarded for their interest as much as they possibly could be. In fact I would go as far as to hope that the more people looked into Belle Lane the more credible it became - in fact, I would like it to offer such a credible foundation that any given viewer could actually use it as an environment from which to emote into, and project back out of!!! Or does that sound a bit "Heavy man"??

Laters................. Andi.


Ps.............. John............. you can see the stonework in slightly better relief here - I hope it makes the idea a bit clearer?

[John New]

Thanks for the stone work tip. It does make sense. I experimented last year with a similar idea when I had some white glue left over in a pot with some soaked toilet roll layed over some scrap card to simulate a muddy track. Must go back and paint it to finsh that experiment!

[Steve Bennett]

Another possible for stonework like this, is pieces of toilet tissue and glue. Once the tissue dissolves into the glue (very quick with the cheap stuff), it can be prodded and shaped very easily, it almost becomes a paste. I have used it in smaller scales for cliff faces, not sure I would go that far in this scale though Hopefully of some use.

[Little Andi.]

That sounds like a good idea, especially I would of thought as a means of producing the final finishing effects to an area.

I've been saving the "softener tissues" that appear in the dryer for a similar idea. They're not so delicate as toilet tissue and have a distinctive surface texture - I wondered whether they might make a good "matting" over a rougher substrate like one of the foams.

It's in my mind to try this when I get around to the topography I'll post and let you know if it works to any measure??

Andi.

[Little Andi.]

Only a trickle of simple updates I know, but hopefully you should be able to easily read between them to see how it's coming together?

I'd finished most of the additional items, the notable exception being the bay window. I had yet to finalise in my mind just how I was going to do this as too complicated with three sash windows may look a little fussy? Perhaps go for a simple plate glass affair in order that it didn't overwhelm what is in effect, a tiny little property.

So, without any further ado.....................

A three quarter shot to give the general feel of the building, you can hopefully see how the end gable reads as part of the building yet feels subtly adrift of it?





Apologies for the corner which you can see is not yet ready to be fixed and is coming adrift somewhat! It should also be easier to read the differing textures and types of brickwork once it goes into colour. But this eye level shot should show that even though the building is quite small it packs in a lot of interesting elements to catch the wandering eye.





Just a slightly squarer shot to allow the front to be read a little better..........






And finally a mercilessly enlarged shot of the front showing the front door, suitably different for added interest. Those very well worn steps, the boot scraper hole and to much better effect those rough hewn foundation stones.
The screens within the window opening are a detail I'm hoping will show through the bay once it's built as I remember these!! In the older shops these used to keep the window display secure whilst providing easy access - they also used to serve as an attractive backdrop for the goods and products. It will be glazed, as they were, with frosted glass.




Very close to catching up with myself now so we'll be working in real-time and you'll have more opportunity to digest the posts. I know these postings have been a sort of daily digest, and I hope that the lack of actual railway items hasn't worked against your interests. I am hopefully going to start the baseboard this weekend as having sorted through the various threads I have an idea of the type and size that should be best suitable?

Andi.

[Little Andi.]

Well cheps!................. this is it??

We're officially and finally caught up, this is where I am with the project to date, and from this point on we're working in real time so the posts will slow down considerably.


Right - Ok then.............. - actually just a small update to show the bay which is now complete. I'd worked hard in the thinking dept' for this one as I wanted it to be interesting visually but not so fussy as to clutter up the facade and detract from the building as a whole.
I'm hoping I've achieved this as I'm relatively pleased with the outcome!!

So firstly from that ever passing top deck..............





And then again from the more relevant eye level..............





Onwards and upwards......................


Andi.

[PeterH]

I uploaded some of the missing photos from this and other of Andi’s building building threads here:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=5199&p=124465#p124465

[PeterH]

Andi wrote an article about how he made his buildings, here:

http://tome.gn15.info/14_fall_09.pdf

[docnjoj]

Thanks for reminding me about that technique. Paper and card are still wonderful and inexpensive materials to work with.
otherDoc