Weekend Update 6/7/20

[DKS]

No modeling for me this week... unless you count 1:1 scratchbuilding.

[spookshow]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the kind words!

nkalanga - sorry, by "boneyard" I meant the elevator's boneyard. Their various equipment storage areas are a veritable time machine of farming and elevator equipment (some disused, some not)....



...and my 1954 Fords are indeed rusting away out there along with the rest of it



-Mark

[mplsjct]

No modeling for me this week... unless you count 1:1 scratchbuilding.

Flush frame drawers, impressive.

[DKS]

Flush frame drawers, impressive.

Thank you. Harder to build, but worth the effort.

[jereising]

This thing has a lot going on and a lot of angles, so bear with me here....

And another one of the finest.  I love it when it just "looks" right!  Well done, Mark!

[CRL]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the kind words!

nkalanga - sorry, by "boneyard" I meant the elevator's boneyard. Their various equipment storage areas are a veritable time machine of farming and elevator equipment (some disused, some not)....



...and my 1954 Fords are indeed rusting away out there along with the rest of it



-Mark

Excellent scene layout allowing plenty of room in the lot for vehicles. Excellent building, vehicle & structure modeling.

Some fine tuning of your scene would get it closer to the feel of your prototype photo which reflects a well organized & maintained facility. However, your scene looks like the parking area is freshly topped and almost all vehicles are perfectly placed whether parallel or perpendicular to the structures. I’d use fine sandpaper to sand the texture surface of the parking area in the direction that vehicles would be moving in the lot to give it that driven on look. Then use a very soft brush to move the sanding dust to the unsanded areas to blend and be sure some of the dust ends up on the bottom half of the buildings walls. Then create some erosion around the perimeter like in the prototype photo. Finally, dirty up some of the vehicles like they’ve come from the fields and place them in a more random manner. The prototype photo reflects an organized randomness that reflects the reality. I don’t know if you’ve ever tried backing a 4 wheel steerable trailer but it’s damn near impossible to get it into a spot perfectly straight.

There... my anal retentiveness has been addressed. 

[spookshow]

I have plenty of dirty and slightly crooked stuff there, it just doesn't show up very well in macro photos. As is, I'd say it represents the same level of orderliness I see there when I visit, so maybe they're as OCD as I am 



Tracks in the dirt is something I've considered, and perhaps I will experiment around with it some day.

-Mark

[DKS]

Tracks in the dirt is something I've considered, and perhaps I will experiment around with it some day.

Really exceptional modeling here.

FWIW, tracks in the dirt don't need to be physical ruts. Think about using powdered chalks, shades slightly lighter and slightly darker than your base dirt color; lightly trace them on with a fine brush. You can cut paper templates to control the shape and spacing.

[dnhouston]

Created a scenery base for my Fred's One Stop kit build (vehicles are just placed for the photo)
Final vehicles, figures, etc. will be added once I complete where it will be placed on the layout.

A straight on shot


and a 45 degree angle shot


and the same lit up for night

[spookshow]

FWIW, tracks in the dirt don't need to be physical ruts. Think about using powdered chalks, shades slightly lighter and slightly darker than your base dirt color; lightly trace them on with a fine brush. You can cut paper templates to control the shape and spacing.

Thanks for the tip, David. What do you use to fix it in place? Reason I ask is that the AR&M dirt that I use is so bleepin' finicky and flaky when it comes to Scenic Cement (changing tones in seemingly random ways), that once I get it the way I want it I'm loathe to ever mess with it again. Or do the chalks work like a stain and so don't need any sort of fixative?

-Mark

[BCR 570]

I applied the secondary layer of static grass over the base layer (which was quite brown) and I'm happy with the transformation.   The harvested hay fields are framed nicely and foreground green blends well with the backdrop.    A few bushes and small trees needed here and there to finish the scene but for now I think I will move on to some rolling stock projects for a change of pace.   

Hi Andy:

This is all looking fabulous; very evocative of the area.

Well done,

Tim

[DKS]

Thanks for the tip, David. What do you use to fix it in place? Reason I ask is that the AR&M dirt that I use is so bleepin' finicky and flaky when it comes to Scenic Cement (changing tones in seemingly random ways), that once I get it the way I want it I'm loathe to ever mess with it again. Or do the chalks work like a stain and so don't need any sort of fixative?

For the most part I just leave it without fixative. Sometimes, depending on what it's being applied to, it can stain the surface.

[nscalbitz]

I applied the secondary layer of static grass over the base layer ...

Could I suggest for aerial photos a 'flap' of sceniced plastic over the switch throws, would be far more impressive 'expanse' then..?
d

[BCRail_FSJ]

Could I suggest for aerial photos a 'flap' of sceniced plastic over the switch throws, would be far more impressive 'expanse' then..?
d

The slide switches aren't too obvious in person (maybe I am just used to them) but they do jump out a bit in pictures..    I could try some strategically placed bushes or just cheat and use Photoshop to get rid of them next time.

[nscalbitz]

The slide switches aren't too obvious in person (maybe I am just used to them) but they do jump out a bit in pictures..    I could try some strategically placed bushes or just cheat and use Photoshop to get rid of them next time.

my you're quick- was coming back to amend comment slightly. I was going to suggest bushes too but then thought I dont know if any exist @ prototype so best not say it.
Yeah I guess at the correct height you won't see them as dramatically. 'Shopping' for prosperity would be a record, not a necessity.
  Envy  regards dave