Chuffnell Regis

[Graham T]

And I made a start on the veg plots this afternoon.  The cabbages (?) are scrunched up crepe paper, and need toning down about with some acrylic paint I think.  The plants with the red fruits are allegedly tomatoes, but look a bit on the large side to me.  Maybe Tom has some magic formula for fertiliser that he's using...

 

[Gedward]

Looking good Graham.

 

Maybe starting with something plain to start with would be easier than trying to tone down that vibrant green. Perhaps try starched tissue dipped in diluted PVA. Then you can dye it before the crumpling stage. As I always find trying to tone down something with strong chroma/luminosity can be a struggle and you may not get the right tone.  Just a thought.

 

[Graham T]

Thanks George.  I'll try a splash of paint on them first, and if all else fails then they'll be getting harvested rather sharpish!

[BroadLeaves]

1 hour ago, Graham T said:

Maybe Tom has some magic formula for fertiliser

It's my understanding that he has a ready supply of chicken manure.

[BroadLeaves]

1 hour ago, Graham T said:

 You can even see the inside of the signal box, which is usually hidden.

 

I do like that. Apart from showing up the detail in the signal box, it has a real "late summer evening sun" feel to it, with the signal box catching the last of the light and the house already in shadow.

[Graham T]

1 hour ago, BroadLeaves said:

I do like that. Apart from showing up the detail in the signal box, it has a real "late summer evening sun" feel to it, with the signal box catching the last of the light and the house already in shadow.

 

The photos seem to come out much better in natural light.  Unfortunately the railway spare room only gets direct sun first thing in the morning.

[Graham T]

I decided that, as it's Friday night, I would give myself a break from work and play with Chuffnell Regis a bit more instead.  Firstly I added a trackside sign.  Still need to put in some post and wire fencing between the end of the retaining wall and the hedge around the cottage gardens, and add a telephone pole, and then I think this particular view will be complete, more or less...

 

[Graham T]

I've also been driving myself quietly mad fiddling around with all sorts of bits and pieces in Tom and Dorothy's garden.  I added some olive green paint to the cabbages (?) to tone them down, and in what I'm going to call a "happy accident" a la Bob Ross, I now have a mixed effect on them that I think works a bit better.  Then I planted some more veg next to where Tom is standing, and added an extra tomato plant at the bottom of the garden; I might still add another one to the right of it, what do you think?

 

 

Some weeds went in around the wriggly tin shed, to bed it in, and then I added the water butt.  That has a drop of gloss varnish in the top in an attempt to make it look as if it actually has some H2O in it.  I had to gouge out the top of the barrel first, of course.  The tin bath has some green growth in the bottom of it now as well.  A spade, barrow, and rather grotty looking bucket were added, and I also glued a few chickens down.  They wouldn't stand up on their own!  

 

I think the final touch was the washing line, which I suspect is probably too taut.  I chose not to add any washing, as I think it's quite a busy little scene already.  I might put some on the line in the neighbour's garden.  Speaking of which, I'm not sure whether to fill that one up with veg as well, or make it a bit more flowery?

 

[BroadLeaves]

 

9 minutes ago, Graham T said:

I think the final touch was the washing line, which I suspect is probably too taut.  I chose not to add any washing, as I think it's quite a busy little scene already

It doesn't look right as it is now. It definitely needs a bit more "sag". It might be the angles, but to me it also looks a bit high. I'd expect the line itself to be at head height at the most.

I'd agree about not having any washing, but how about just a bag of clothes pegs hanging from it?

 

11 minutes ago, Graham T said:

I'm not sure whether to fill that one up with veg as well, or make it a bit more flowery?

It it were me, I'd go for a preponderance of flowers. The bees have to get their nectar from somewhere!

While I'm sure that a large vegetable patch would be more prototypical, I think some more variation in the scene would be better than two gardens like, err..  peas in a pod. 

[Graham T]

25 minutes ago, BroadLeaves said:

 

It doesn't look right as it is now. It definitely needs a bit more "sag". It might be the angles, but to me it also looks a bit high. I'd expect the line itself to be at head height at the most.

I'd agree about not having any washing, but how about just a bag of clothes pegs hanging from it?

 

It it were me, I'd go for a preponderance of flowers. The bees have to get their nectar from somewhere!

While I'm sure that a large vegetable patch would be more prototypical, I think some more variation in the scene would be better than two gardens like, err..  peas in a pod. 

 

I think you're right, I'll lower the line a bit and try to get it to sag more too.  Like the peg bag idea!

 

I'm tempted by a flowery garden too, just for the variety.  But also a patch of veg down at the bottom of the garden next to the hedge, perhaps...

[Graham T]

And an unusual shot to finish the day, as it's actually got a train in it 🙂  Could do with a crew though...  And some passengers.

 

I see Dorothy's back, but still not looking especially happy...

 

[John Besley]

58 minutes ago, Graham T said:

And an unusual shot to finish the day, as it's actually got a train in it 🙂  Could do with a crew though...  And some passengers.

 

I see Dorothy's back, but still not looking especially happy...

 

 

Looking good, just out of interest both houses have a fairly large expanse of plain brickwork on either end, what is behind this part of the wall

[aardvark]

On 30/07/2022 at 07:26, Graham T said:

And an unusual shot to finish the day, as it's actually got a train in it 🙂  Could do with a crew though...  And some passengers.

 

I see Dorothy's back, but still not looking especially happy...

 

 

That's smashing, Graham.

 

I'm thinking the neighbour could be a bit Hyacinth Bucket, and not abide a messy garden. Expanse of manicured grass, carefully crafted roses around the edge.

 

Edited July 31, 2022 by aardvark
proofreading is not my superpower

[Gedward]

2 hours ago, aardvark said:

I'm thinking the neighbour could be a bit Hyacinth Bucket, and not abide a messy garden. Expanse of manicured grass, carefully crafted roses around the edge.

 

I think this is really interesting. From afar we see one big house/cottage. But up close we see that it's actually two. As well as stark differences in the garden, you could think about making small changes to the colour of windows and doors on Hyacinth's side. As you have such a large expanse of brick. It might be possible to create a divider. By masking one side and making subtle difference in the brick tone. Using weathering powders on one side only. And maybe add some other details too, such as bird poo and/or algae. Just a thought.

 

[Neal Ball]

Excellent work there Graham. What are you using for your earth?

 

Thanks

[Graham T]

10 hours ago, John Besley said:

 

Looking good, just out of interest both houses have a fairly large expanse of plain brickwork on either end, what is behind this part of the wall

 

The houses are modelled on where my grandparents used to live, but I must confess that I don't remember much about what the interior of their house was like, especially the upstairs.  But I think, from looking at the windows on the end of the building, that this might have been a bathroom.

[Graham T]

7 hours ago, aardvark said:

 

That's a smashing, Graham.

 

I'm thinking the neighbour could be a bit Hyacinth Bucket, and not abide a messy garden. Expanse of manicured grass, carefully crafted roses around the edge.

 

 

Merci Monsieur Vark, you're too kind.  Strangely, that sort of idea has also been percolating in the old brain.  I suspect that's why I have (deliberately) made the Travers' garden a bit of a mess.  So, I need to find a rather majestic looking figure for the left hand garden too now.  Ideally someone looking across at Tom's chicken coop with an air of lofty disdain 🙂

[Graham T]

4 hours ago, Gedward said:

 

I think this is really interesting. From afar we see one big house/cottage. But up close we see that it's actually two. As well as stark differences in the garden, you could think about making small changes to the colour of windows and doors on Hyacinth's side. As you have such a large expanse of brick. It might be possible to create a divider. By masking one side and making subtle difference in the brick tone. Using weathering powders on one side only. And maybe add some other details too, such as bird poo and/or algae. Just a thought.

 

 

Some nice ideas there George, thanks.  I think changing the colour of the windows might be a bridge too far - I wouldn't be able to reach across to paint them accurately.  But maybe some weathering on the walls - a leaky gutter at Tom's place perhaps - and some more weeds around the edges of the pathways...

Edited July 30, 2022 by Graham T

[Graham T]

3 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

Excellent work there Graham. What are you using for your earth?

 

Thanks

 

Muchos gracias!  For the cabbage patch I made up a mix of polyfilla, chinchilla dust, and earth coloured acrylic paint.  Pasted that onto a bare patch that I'd removed the grass from, and then stuck the scrunched up balls of paper into it while still wet.  I might do that again for areas near the front of the layout, but back where the cottages are you really can't see the texture (and it's all covered with veg anyway).  So for the patch of veg nearest to the house I just removed the grass, then put a thick-ish layer of brown acrylic onto the groundwork (which is a thin skim of polyfilla over a papier mache shell).  Then just lines of basing glue with small shreds of of poly fibre to represent some foliage.

[Graham T]

A little more pottering has been committed today.  I've painted a small forest of telephone poles, and one has now been installed next to the signal box.  The rest are ready to take their places in the hedgerow leading towards Chuffnell Regis station, when I finally get around to planting it 🙂

 

I also made a few withdrawals from the profanity bank, when building the stretch of post and wire fence I need.  I considered using the Austrian equivalent of EZ-Line instead of wire, but it's much too fine.  Ironically, the thread is probably close to being the right scale size - meaning that it's almost invisible!

 

And I've been planting the veg plot and flower beds for the Glossops.  I'm hoping to add rose bushes too; been working on those this evening...

 

Mustn't forget to add some more weeds and general grot to the other garden too.

 

[MrWolf]

Apparently 4lb fishing line is a good substitute.

[Graham T]

Thanks, good to know.  I'd imagine it's easier to handle than the wire that comes in the kit.  That stuff gets bends and kinks in it if you even look at it the wrong way, and is a b***er to paint as well.  Would be nice if it was supplied chemically blackened!

[MrWolf]

Stole it from here, the layout being fenced may well look familiar:

 

https://www.world-of-railways.co.uk/techniques/how-to-make-a-fence-for-a-model-railway/

[Graham T]

7 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

Stole it from here, the layout being fenced may well look familiar:

 

https://www.world-of-railways.co.uk/techniques/how-to-make-a-fence-for-a-model-railway/

 

Cheers, seen that before in fact - and the layout does look somewhat familiar!  I think I will use that technique for CR Mk II.

[Graham T]

I got the roses planted this morning.  I think the red ones might be a tad too dark, perhaps replace them with someone a little more pink?

 

They are made of very small, rolled-up pieces of poly fibre superglued onto the end of a piece of wire.  Then dosed with hairspray, dark green flock, and more hairspray.  Unusually for me I was patient enough to let the spray dry thoroughly overnight before dabbing on some spots of colour this morning.

 

Time for a glass or two of lunch?  I may need something to fortify me before tackling the next task - the washing line of doom!