My First Foam Building... (2 Viewers)

[mikemiller1955]

Thank you Martyn, Joe, Tim, Scott, Mark and Mitch...

Looking forward to the village taking shape great start with the buildings Sir Michael....Papa Z

Papa...I think I will make about 8 buildings...I started one today with an arched brick entrance...trying to resemble some type of mosque or religious structure...every village needs one...hahaha...I used some of my old Hirst Arts bricks to build the entrance...after I built it...I literally beat it with a hammer to give it a little broken decayed look...I think it will look good painted with a weathered front door in it...

Great looking buildings Mike! I guess you,ve overcome your fear and hate for foam?

thanks Tim...Modwalls was so cool in explaing a lot of stuff to me...he really helped me a lot...I know I'll never do "modern" bricks as well as his...but I can scratch out a "decent enough stone" for this era...

Looking good and, your work has saved you a small fortune doing them this way. Excellent work
Mitch

Mitch...I know my pieces are not the quality of K&C and Wm. Brit sculpters...or any of the other fine manufacturers out there...but they are more than adequate for me and I'm sure they would cost me at least $60+ apiece...so I feel like I'm saving a ton too...

I can't believe how easy and fast these are to do...

 

[PolarBear]

Mike

I just got this flyer from K&C and thought you might like it for inspiration for your latest project. Note that the exposed bricks are sand colored. I noticed on your buildings with exposed brick/stone that you painted them grey. I think brick and stone in the Middle East would more likely be the sand color as seen in the Pyramids and Sphinx. I like the alternating bands of red and white around the door used in the K&C example. I am really looking forward to your first domed structure. Will you add a minaret?

Randy

 

[mikemiller1955]

Mike

I just got this flyer from K&C and thought you might like it for inspiration for your latest project. Note that the exposed bricks are sand colored. I noticed on your buildings with exposed brick/stone that you painted them grey. I think brick and stone in the Middle East would more likely be the sand color as seen in the Pyramids and Sphinx. I like the alternating bands of red and white around the door used in the K&C example. I am really looking forward to your first domed structure. Will you add a minaret?

Randy

Thanks Randy........I know my bricks are wrong...they really are...believe me...I hate them more than you do...I already planned on re-doing them in a tan or sand color...I'll probably re-do that today...it is my first attempt at carving bricks and I was happy just to finish them...but I don't like them either...the grey doesn't work at all...totally out of place...

that's a huge piece K&C is making...the red and white bricks around the door are a nice touch...but I really don't like the color of his exposed brick (reddish)...but it's a beautiful piece...I wonder what it's gonna cost...it's HUGE!!!!

responding to your "minaret" question...before reading the description in their ad...I had to google the word "minaret"...not knowing if I accidental made one or not...hehehehe....

no I didn't...and no...I don't think I'm gonna attempt a minaret...that looks like some pretty advanced work...my game is not "par" on that level yet...

I already finished the "little tiny house of worship"...(no minaret)...it's the "ghetto version"...hehehe...small and ugly...hehehe...but it's acceptable to me...

I googled the word "Starbucks" on a "free translation" website...(one on every corner...hehehe)...I translated it from English to Arabic...I tried to copy it for the wooden sign over the door...my attempt at humor...nobody would know but me...

I used some Hirst Arts bricks...but again...I hate the color I chose and will repaint them too...

I will re-do the bricks on the door too...pulling them out and starting over...

when I made them...I battered them with a hammer to give them a "distressed" crumbled look...

I wish I had only attempted to "crumble" the inside frame (red squares) of the bricks instead of the outside (yellow circles)...

if that makes any sense to you...it doesn't look right to me...the interior should be decayed...not the exterior...

soooooooooo...I don't like them and will re-do them...this time only "weathering" the bricks on the inside instead of the bricks on the outside...

I'm gonna stop for a bit and fix these pieces before I make anything else...

 

[mikemiller1955]

maybe this picture will show a little better what I'm trying to say about the damage on the inside of brick door frame...

none on the outside of the frame...

it looks better this way...

I'm learning......it's a slow trial and error process...

and of course I will repaint all of them in a tan or sand color...

 

[PolarBear]

Mike

Nothing wrong with your bricks--just the color. I couldn't even begin to get as far as you have with this. I kept wondering how would one make a dome. Then I saw your comment about cutting a styrofoam ball in half. Duh! I never thought of that despite seeing a bunch of them at Michaels Arts & Crafts. Like Michaelangelo you have the ability to see the "figure in the block of marble".

I am impressed by your writing of Islamic calligraphy for the sign board.

My guess is that the bright red and white bricks for the arches are symbolic to Islam. I will try to find out what they represent unless another forum member knows off the top of their head.

These are from a mosque in Crodoba, Spain

Here is a comment about the arches at Cordoba

A second and purely aesthetic innovation was to alternate brick and stone in the arches, creating the red and white striped pattern which gives a unity and distinctive character to the whole design.

From what I have found so far this polychromy (several colors)for Islamic arches was characteristic of Spain and North Africa

 

[PolarBear]

Mike

A Sudanese Moslem Mosque in 28mm with dome

 

[Alexdakar]

Joining in a little late but Wow Mike these are great buildings. You've inspired me to finish my little foam cafe that I put off to the side. I've noticed your not afraid to try anything and that's a big part of creativity.

 

[mikemiller1955]

Thanks Alex...they are really not as hard as they look...I think the hardest part of any job is just starting it...

Randy...the buttress's on the 28mm mosque you posted...was that a common architectural design in the structures...I would like to try that...if it is...

 

[PolarBear]

Thanks Alex...they are really not as hard as they look...I think the hardest part of any job is just starting it...

Randy...the buttress's on the 28mm mosque you posted...was that a common architectural design in the structures...I would like to try that...if it is...

Buttresses were used on larger structures throughout the Islamic Empire. These really got going in the era contemporary with the Crusades when we see
so many cathedrals across Europe making use of the buttress as an architectural motif.

Here is a site on Islamic architecture. http://www.islamic-architecture.info/

The great thing about collecting toy soldiers is that it leads you to so many related things like this and becomes a great way to learn cool new stuff.

 

[The Lt.]

Miss seeing your ghetto version Michael until now It fits in quite well with your village to date and for what it's worth prefer it over the fancy ones they wouldn't look good in your nicely started village. Papa Z

 

[mikemiller1955]

Miss seeing your ghetto version Michael until now It fits in quite well with your village to date and for what it's worth prefer it over the fancy ones they wouldn't look good in your nicely started village. Papa Z

Honestly..I agree Papa...my little beat up mosque will look in place with my little village...glad to see you got your new comp up so quick...


Randy...you really do some of the best research on this forum...thank you...I could not find any buttress fortified structures on that site...but did see a lot of interesting stone work and architecture...

 

[PolarBear]

Honestly..I agree Papa...my little beat up mosque will look in place with my little village...glad to see you got your new comp up so quick...


Randy...you really do some of the best research on this forum...thank you...I could not find any buttress fortified structures on that site...but did see a lot of interesting stone work and architecture...

According to the Dictionary of Islamic Architecture (see Google Books) many of the Islamic buttresses were towers. The term "buttress towers" appears in a number of places in the dictionary. Once you bring up the dictionary preview on Google plug in the word buttress in the search box to go to the specific pages.

Randy

 

[Scott]

Michael,

Realistic AND sturdy looking. Study is good when the buildings are used the way they are used in temporary set-ups. This style of building certainly covers several millennium and continents.

 

[Mitch]

Remarkable stuff
Mitch

 

[mikemiller1955]

I finished my 5th building last night...played golf all weekend and did no work...it was 100 degrees Saturday and when I got home I was spent...all I had enough energy to do was shower, eat and watch tv...

anyway...this is my 5th structure...a small one...I put some Del Prados in front of it...

I also finished a wall for a backdrop...

and built another building with a brick gated area...

I'll post pics when I finish...

 

[mikemiller1955]

I put all my buildings together...I'm trying to make a small village...maybe a couple of more buildings are still needed...2-3 more...

 

[thebritfarmer]

Very nice Michael. Looking forward to seeing the Highlanders backed up against that brick wall with the Madhists charging towards them.

 

[Mitch]

Looks excellent. The design means you will get so much use out of them as they will cover so many periods in time
Mitch

 

[mikemiller1955]

Looks excellent. The design means you will get so much use out of them as they will cover so many periods in time
Mitch

Thank you Scott...ty Mitch...

I think they are versatile...

Crusaders...Nile Wars...Afrika Korps...Afgan...Middle East...Life of Christ

 

[fishead19690]

Mike the town looks great! Too bad you don,t have any wild west Mexicans, I could see some south of the border gun fights going down on that street.