(Yes, it is okay to use "oriental" when you're talking about things, like rugs and terrains!)
I am a terrain junky. This is well known amongst those who know the Bruunwald brand! For the past two years or so I have been working on anything related to Anime or Eastern Culture, as I go to these Anime conventions with my wife (she has a thriving business as an artist at these things). I go mainly to help her, but as time goes by I am selling more and more of my own stuff. Anyway, I am not here to try to sell anything to anybody...
I am here to show off!
This is a bunch of my latest stuff. You can bet I am stoked that Ultimate Combat is finally out, as I have been dying to put this stuff to use, myself. Now I just have to come up with a few scenarios (I have no shortage of friends lining up to play samurai and ninja).
(I won't even pretend I know how to embed links.)
http://s701.photobucket.com/albums/ww14/bruunwald/Feudal%20Japan%20Terrains /
Enjoy!
Pretty cool stuff. Here's your link.
I've been wanting to try out L5R and this scenery would be great. Is it all scratch-built? Please share some details.
M
Pretty cool stuff. Here's your link.
I've been wanting to try out L5R and this scenery would be great. Is it all scratch-built? Please share some details.
M
Most of what I make, I intend to reproduce, so a lot of it has been molded. For instance, I sculpted the ponds from Magic Sculpt, then molded them so I can cast however many. I sculpted the tree trunks and I cast those from resin, but then I still do the individual branches the old fashioned way, by inserting paperclip armatures and sculpting over those. The foliage is the good stuff, the loose stuff, from Woodland Scenics.
All the walls on the building have been molded. The originals were made with styrene and basswood, with a bit of sculpting here and there. The frame of the roof is likewise resin (I wasted a lot of RTV rubber making that mold the wrong way, but you live and you learn). I still texture the top of the roof manually, so the slats you see there are patterned styrene sheets, cut to fit. The stone mount is resin, from a mold of a piece I carved from foam. I still have not yet made/molded several small details to these buildings, so you could say that it is about 70% resin and the rest is wood and plastic (the stairs are basswood, for instance). But the design and the molds are my own, I didn't buy any kits for these.
I actually have an upper floor to turn this into a tower. I have a tower I am painting right now, as a matter of fact, but having some trouble deciding on how brown I want the final thing to be.
The short of it is, though I still have to do a lot manually, I can crank out the basic pieces rather quickly, and build on top of them.
Bruunwald, that is some really nice work. I am impressed that you went to the trouble of making molds. I have been transitioning my craft work for the game from a focus on miniatures to a focus on terrain, and I've been struggling with the concept of making molds. Mostly because of the high cost of the mold making material itself.
What mold material do you use, and have you found a place to get it cheaply? Are most of your molds two part molds? Have you tried any cheaper mold making materials and/or casting material? I did a quick experiment with making a mold for a terrain element out of sculpey clay which I then brushed the inside with latex and let that dry before casting, and it lasted for about four or five castings. Still that could be much cheaper than using silicon even if I have to make a couple of sculpey molds.
I'm sure you could sell these online, especially with the Jade Regent AP starting up.
Bruunwald, that is some really nice work. I am impressed that you went to the trouble of making molds. I have been transitioning my craft work for the game from a focus on miniatures to a focus on terrain, and I've been struggling with the concept of making molds. Mostly because of the high cost of the mold making material itself.
What mold material do you use, and have you found a place to get it cheaply? Are most of your molds two part molds? Have you tried any cheaper mold making materials and/or casting material? I did a quick experiment with making a mold for a terrain element out of sculpey clay which I then brushed the inside with latex and let that dry before casting, and it lasted for about four or five castings. Still that could be much cheaper than using silicon even if I have to make a couple of sculpey molds.
I use an RTV from a West Coast company called TAP Plastics. I am lucky in that I have two stores equal-distant from my house, so I can avoid shipping charges by stopping by when I am in the neighborhood on other errands. Here is their site:
http://www.tapplastics.com/
Not sure if the stuff they sell would be cheapest if you have to buy it online, though it's very easy to use. I know a few years back some guys were able to get gallons of RTV through some special GE was running. But the best source for finding the cheapest and best for you would probably be the Hirst Arts site:
http://www.hirstarts.com/moldmake/moldmaking.html
Bruce is a great, generous guy who makes wonderful molds and shares all his knowledge online. The community there has amassed a great deal of knowledge. I learned a lot there (and contributed a bit, too!).
I do have some two-part molds, but haven't had much luck with the mold release that is supposed to keep the two parts separate. Thus, my two-part molds usually end up being one-part molds that I have cut into two with a razor. Most of the time, I calculate what I can get away with as a one-part mold just because it's so much easier. Even if it means a thing must be cast in multiple parts, it's often worth it just to avoid the headache.
I'm sure you could sell these online, especially with the Jade Regent AP starting up.
Thank you for the encouragement! I have sold a fair amount at conventions. I do have a site, but right now it is in terrible shape. Hopefully my wife and I can have a store running on it very soon.
Jade Regent has definitely been on my mind! ;)
I really like the coy pond. What did you make the fish out of?
As for oriental RPG stuff, I have a number of re-painted pieces of aquarium scenery, the four L5R elemental dragons and a couple of resin wargaming pieces. Most of my figures are Dixon's - I like the detail, but they look "fat" compared to most of my 28-32mm.
If you get your site back in shape, and a store running let us know.
I agree with you on the Dixon's figures being a bit 'Chunky' but I always found the official L5R stuff a little fragile looking.
I really like the coy pond. What did you make the fish out of?
As for oriental RPG stuff, I have a number of re-painted pieces of aquarium scenery, the four L5R elemental dragons and a couple of resin wargaming pieces. Most of my figures are Dixon's - I like the detail, but they look "fat" compared to most of my 28-32mm.
If you get your site back in shape, and a store running let us know.
Right now, I'm just making what I call "passable" koi fish, where I quickly bend a bunch of them into shape with Magic Sculpt. On my to-do list this week will be to sculpt a number of better looking fish to mold for casting out of resin.
I'll definitely let everyone know when the store is up. (In the most forum-rules-friendly way, of course!)
Right now, I'm just making what I call "passable" koi fish, where I quickly bend a bunch of them into shape with Magic Sculpt. On my to-do list this week will be to sculpt a number of better looking fish to mold for casting out of resin.
I'll definitely let everyone know when the store is up. (In the most forum-rules-friendly way, of course!)
Looking forward to it Bruunwald.