Witches Castle - Halloween Scene

[Mark W]

A few weeks ago I printed a set of N scale Halloween figures on the Photon.


https://i.imgur.com/4pd7JLo.jpg

I really like how the reaper turned out, so I added a led to the lantern.


https://i.imgur.com/6oilNOC.jpg

I decided I wanted to build a permanent scene for these characters, so I started scratch building an old stone house in runes.  The design is taken loosely from an actual place called "Witches Castle" in Oregon.


https://i.imgur.com/K1HFSoL.jpg

I did a quick painting test of a technique Youtuber Black Magic Craft uses on his stone miniatures for tabletop gaming.  Individual stones are highlighted with quite a medley of colors, then toned down with dry brushing and washes.  I think the results are quite impressive and makes each stone look unique.  Especially compared to the uniform paint and black wash bottom left.


https://i.imgur.com/dDOQ8Lr.jpg

Next I painted the raised floor highlighting the splintered beams with a lighter beige.  I also shaved some of the damaged floorboards to be a thinner profile, as they would be. 


https://i.imgur.com/h5AAIri.jpg


Finally I built a foam diorama for the scene which will later be incorporated in a Free-moN module. 
I took some fiber optics and melted the tips into a flame shape, then connected the other end to flickering LED below.  I painted the rest of the fiber black and think they turned out to be some really cool flickering torches!


https://i.imgur.com/pKHLPqV.jpg


I will be adding a pumpkin patch to the front left where the scarecrow will stand.  Between the patch and the house will be a stone fire pit where the witch boils her potion. 

[peteski]

That is wicked cool Mark!  Nice!

[mmagliaro]

Love the battered, weathered, broken-up wood floor!

[wm3798]

The floorboards seem a little heavy, but I love the execution!

[nuno81291]

Everything in this is great but the wood boards look outstanding. Craft paints?

[Englewood]

Very nice!

[Mark W]

Thanks everyone.

Yes, I used Vallejo acrylics on the wood, which was glued with CA. 

Perhaps I can mask the thick floorboards further with dead leaves and fallen rubble from the runes. 

[robert3985]

...Finally I built a foam diorama for the scene which will later be incorporated in a Free-moN module. 
I took some fiber optics and melted the tips into a flame shape, then connected the other end to flickering LED below.  I painted the rest of the fiber black and think they turned out to be some really cool flickering torches!


https://i.imgur.com/pKHLPqV.jpg

I'm particularly impressed with the Grim Reaper too...  

However, if there's only a single flickering LED underneath the melted fiber optic lanterns, don't they all flicker at exactly the same rate and intensity??

I love the idea, and when I first saw your Grim Reaper, I conjectured if you printed it with clear resin, painted it, but left the lantern clean and put the light source under the figure...which acted like a light-pipe.  Hey, it might work!

Anyway....Happy All Hallow's Eve!

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[Mark W]

If there's only a single flickering LED underneath the melted fiber optic lanterns, don't they all flicker at exactly the same rate and intensity??

One LED per torch.  At first it was an experiment with the battery tea lights.


https://i.imgur.com/jp1Yh7M.jpg

It worked, but the 'flickering LED' was too subtle, and the fiber optic seems to filter out the flickering even more.   Also, I'll want the final torches to be closer together.
I've since wrote a script for random flickering with an Arduino Pro Trinket and each torch will be bonded to it's own LED.


https://i.imgur.com/Any88rz.jpg

I love the idea, and when I first saw your Grim Reaper, I conjectured if you printed it with clear resin, painted it, but left the lantern clean and put the light source under the figure...which acted like a light-pipe.  Hey, it might work!

In fact, the reaper was printed clear.  But not as intended to light the lantern.  For now the 0402 LED wires are just hung behind its back.  There is a little bit of material blocking the sleeve from being completely hollow.  If i remove that, I can feed them down inside the cloak, and I'll be able to put the LED inside the lantern. 


https://i.imgur.com/7R7XBbt.jpg

[aikorob]

Thanks everyone.

Yes, I used Vallejo acrylics on the wood, which was glued with CA. 

Perhaps I can mask the thick floorboards further with dead leaves and fallen rubble from the runes.

If this was some abandoned mill/factory/warehouse, the thicker floors would be spot on

but.................in reality, the vast majority are going to be too awestruck by the overall scene to measure the boards

excellent work!!!!