War was always here…

Not literally a roadblock.

When I started building the machinery (the sexy bit.) of my imagined factory I suppose I had pictured walkways and gantries, maybe also those partitioned office spaces too… something like the inevitable factory shootout scene in every other thriller!? Anyway only some of that scenery is going to be appropriate to game around:

This idea was for modular walls, with a 2nd story that could be used to run around and dish it out from. Also versatile enough to change around on the table. How I went about doing that was more an excuse for a technical exercise. The cardstock from boardgames is often v. high quality and has regularly-spaced punched holes – often it put me in mind of modern poured concrete brutalist concrete architecture. Maybe now I’ll finally put some to use, rather than chuck it I thought? Again, it’s fun messing about and gluing stuff to other stuff, but….

…I think I’ve reached a point of confusion as to what to do with these walls. I might have burnt out a little. So I’m putting them to one side until my thinking clears…

btw, the “glass” is just some nice thick packaging from some scenery I bought.

I still think partition spaces could be fun – that inevitably means furniture though, meaning work. More pressing is general street clutter and general urban hard landscape and scenery…. I have ideas….

It’s time to slop some paint around.

I can’t really do what some others do and itemise each and every paint I use. I almost always use cheapo acrylics from craft shops or tester pots and ruthlessly mix paints. I very rarely use paint straight from the pot. There’s a few acrylic pours used, but I ran out and one of those annoying “drying holes” appeared in a couple. I need to restock.

I’m getting tired of running around the same old trees, walls and gothic arches as backdrops for every climate and epoch imaginable.

I want some terrain that will suit a fairly generic 20th cen > scene of ruination. The internet is all too full of inspirational photography to this end.

Wrecked cars to run around.

A ruined building – something more medieval looking. Walls made by using a roller on cheapo polyclay, mixed with wood framing(lolly sticks, glued and shaped.) and greenstuff plaster.

The last is stick I-beams. (There’s something very satisfying about making them.) Chopped-up toys, rubbish and cork.

Next up, very generic destroyed walls to sit comfortably in any environment.

Made with foamboard, the paper removed and detailed, beams created from lolly sticks and detailed with shaped sprues and model tank bits and pieces.

Next, Turbines and Machinery – inspired by a beautiful abandoned Deco substation.

This is all either packaging from inks, bottle caps, canisters and chopped up sprue. The shaped paper elements mâché technique and stiffened with poly varnish. That is time consuming but pleasurable if you like making stuff! I like that coloured foamy stuff that craft shops sell, it’s very easy to cut and glue and adds nice form.

I want them to sit in a factory-type environment so will need some height. I’m using some Fisher Price toys as a base (Car boot fair fare!) and will make some stairs for them.

Also, more lolly I-beams. Fencing created from a magazine rack. I’ll try using the high quality card stock remnants from board games to create some window shapes for walls…. I’m not confident that this will look good though…