From little acorns mighty oaks do grow - or so the proverb goes! I suppose much the same can be said of my interest in wargames and modelling. As my interest in history expanded (military history in particular) so did the amount of time and effort I put into research. The result of this was an improvement in the standard of my models to the stage where I was being requested to paint figures for the Charles Stadden Company and others. Fame at last, eh! However, it was the realm of terrain, buildings and scenery that finally claimed the bulk of my interest. Looking around at clubs and shows it became apparent to me that most people had beautiful model armies but scenery that did not really do justice to their figures - me included. So I thought there might be a gap in the market that needed filling: namely the construction of made to order, high quality model buildings. Not the moulded resin or plastic kits, but one-off scratchbuilt individuals each hand-made to the customer's requirements. Eventually the orders began to trickle in and have gradually built,.up steadily to the present day. I now receive correspondence from all over the world placing orders, requesting information or asking for research help. I have been asked to constructor advise on all manner of buildings: medieval castles; a Chinese fort; "olde English" half-timbered houses; tepees, concrete bunkers; a Mexican "Alamo period" village and so on. These have been in diverse scales varying from 1/300 to 54mm!
BUILDING CONSTRUCTION
For the majority of buildings people commission me to make I use 4mm plywood on the walls of the basic shell. Alternatively one can use balsa, this is easier to work with but ply is stronger. Once the walls and joints are cut it is time to mark in the positions of all doors and windows and cut these out. When this has been done the walls are laid flat on the work surface and a coat of filler is applied over them. There are a number of different brands on the marketwhich will all givevarying clegreesoffinish when dry: rough, smooth, coarse and so on, therefore don't risk messing up your masterpiece until you have experimented with the various products available. Having made your choice ensure that it is mixed to a fairly thick consistency because the likelihood of warping the wooden walls increases with the wetness of the filler. it is a good idea to brace large wall areas anyway as a matter of course with 112 inch thick strips of wood.
After the filler has dried I lightly mark in all the bricks, stones, cobbles, etc., with a soft pencil. Each of the lines is now carefully scored along with a sharp craft knife, the walls are then turned around and the process is repeated. With most buildings except modern ones each brick and stone must be individually shaped if they are not to look too unrealistically straight and square.
The walls may now be assembled and painted. Everyone has their own preference regarding which medium to use. I personally like artists' acrylic paints followed by washes of wood dyes which are then immediately wiped off - this technique results in very beautiful and authentic finishes. The doors and windows are also added at this stage. The doors can be made either from stiff card or thin strips of veneer wood with handles, hinges, etc., made of wire or paper.
Next comes the roof. Most of my clients want roofs which can be removed, therefore they must be built separately. To do this I dye a quantity of modelling card a mid to dark red-brown and use this to build up the basic shape of the roof. It is now time for the tiling job which is achieved by cutting individual tiles measuring about 3mm/2mm (25mm scale) from a sheet of pre- dyed card. These are each stuck in place on the roof in overlapping horizontal rows. This is where your patience and eyesight go straight down the drain! Although this tends to be a long drawn-out process, the end result is well worth the effort. When the roof has set it can be painted an overall red-brown with touches of yellow and brown. Gentle highlights of red and white are now added.
THE BASE
My baseboards are generally made from plywood or hardboard cut to an irregular shape so they don't stand out too sharply against the wargames table. The landscaping can be made in a number of ways, e.g., papier mache, modelling clay, tissue paper soaked in filler and glue, plasterimpregnated bandage, etc. Grass textures can be depicted using one of the purpose-made commercial flocks and scatters whilst foliage and trees from the Woodland Scenics of Factree (England) ranges are well worth purchasing.
The foregoing information should give an idea of the general principles involved when I undertake a commission. What one must now consider is the all-important aspect of bringing your model to life, for without the fine details it could look simply bland and'flat'. The kind of things to think about might be: a cracked window pane, leaky gutters, a drain in the cobbled yard, weeds, litter and animal droppings in farm or stable areas. These in themselves may be unimportant but do tend to be noticeable chiefly by their absence.
So the next time you paint a unit of soldiers spare a thought for the scenery and let's all aim for trees and housesthatareas much awork of art as a well-painted model army.
More Dispatch
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