Fantasy

22 March 2011

Scratchbuilt A-Frame house

Having started my Dark Ages village with a thatched hall (http://tasmancave.blogspot.com/2011/03/dark-ages-thatched-hall.html) I needed more to go with it.    I decided to try a different construction style this time.

This A-frame style house was deliberately a lot smaller and again had plastic card as the basis for the walls.  This time I tried something new: cut up ice cream sticks for wood paneling.  Again, I based the building on an mdf coaster for added stability.  The inside firepit was constructed from matchsticks ( I was thrilled with how well the fire itself came out actually), the log piles are sticks from my garden and I used my usual basing technique with static grass and silfor tufts.

For painting the wood, I was after a weathered effect, so I base coated it all codex grey and then did a sepia wash.  That wasn't quite what I was after so I did some burnt umber parts too and ended up with this nice mottled effect to make it look like its stood a few seasons.  For the insides I simply painted on the woodgrain onto the plastic card, which works.

Like the hatched hall, the roof is made from cardboard with teddy bear fur glued on.  Ive gone the extra step now and plastered it with watered down PVA glue, combed into shape and left fr the 3 days it needed to fully dry.  I am really pleased with the how it came out and glad I went the extra step.

The next Dark Age buildings I am planning are some small hovels.

14 comments:

  1. Fantastic building. Well done.

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  2. That's a brilliant building, the thatch looks better with the added PVA, and I like the fireplace in the middle of the room, where does that come from?

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  3. The teddy bear glued fur fascinated me. It looks wonderful. I mean, you don't look at it and think 'teddy bear', you think 'thatched cottage'.

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  4. Beautiful building but I want the next one 3 times longer and twice as tall:P

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  5. Awesome building, is the the entrance small ? still looks great though :)

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  6. Thanks all, I was amazed at how easily it seemed to come together at the end and very pleased with how it came out actually.

    Ray - I made the fireplace surround with 4 cut-down matchsticks stuck down, a bit of grit inside that painted grey for ashes, then used sticks from the garden for logs and painted the red and yellow flames on.

    John - I am really glad I did the extra glueing stage, it really made all the difference, and its pretty rigid too, so it can cope with being used on the tabletop. I was originally intending to drybrush it a little to add some contrast, but dont think I'll bother now.

    Thanks Lurker - like I dont set myself enough challenges as it is!

    Extraordinarii - indeed it is and deliberately so to represent the usual stooping a fully grown man had to do through the doorframe(thanks for noticing!)

    cheers!

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  7. Very nice model and looks like it could be quite versatile. My first attempt with teddy bear fur wasn't nearly that successful.
    Well done.

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  8. I just found your blog and Im glad I did. That is a great building I may have to try my hand at it to use with 'Pig Wars'

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  9. Wow - I love your work and am inspired to do some buildings which I've been planning for sometime. I'll get started as soon as my Viking war band is done. Thanx for the great thatch tip. So where can you get teddy bear fur?

    cheers.

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  10. Neat building - central hearth looks great

    -- Allan

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  11. Thanks guys!

    Herrodadog - I got mine at a simple fabric shop. If you cant find any let me know and I'll send you some

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  12. Fabulous!!! you have done a great work...
    Plastic Business Cards
    Plastic Card printing

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