I've decided to make a model from outside MoMA that I saw on 08-08-08. Here are some crappy BlackBerry photos
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The street has since been repaved so I have only these, my sketches and images from Google Maps...who would have thought I needed archive photos from only three years ago.
I started by making a small small sketch to nail down the composition followed by a scale plan on ragboard
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Then I started making the plates. During the process the Chopper was invaluable. The plastic is 10 thou and 5 thou card. The metal is brass that has been folded to give the correct scale thickness and then annealed on the stove burner.
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I'm this far on two of the seven plates. More details to add and some tidying up to do, but its taking shape.
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Thanks for looking.
Looking great already.
Very cool. I look forward to seeing this project progress. Looks like there will be some nice opportunity for details, texture and coloring.
M
Narayan's pavement dioramas defy description. By the looks of the reference
photos, this will be another masterpiece. Can't wait............
Cool project!
I've gotta get a Chopper one of these days.
You are the only guy I have come across who can turn a thirty scale foot section of miniature pavement into art. -- Russ
Quote from: nk on October 17, 2011, 11:37:54 AM
I'm this far on two of the seven plates. More details to add and some tidying up to do, but its taking shape.
(https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages15.fotki.com%2Fv2%2Fphotos%2F7%2F698387%2F10146134%2FIMG00115-vi.jpg&hash=36beb16a99950ede6f1fad75910201aa89944b34) (https://www.finescalerr.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages59.fotki.com%2Fv684%2Fphotos%2F7%2F698387%2F10146134%2FOutsideMoMAOctober2011011-vi.jpg&hash=53c9fe5f86d930467f448b725ff4cea89215d966)
... I'm just curious what this great number amount of plates are for ... a "hidden" or temporarily entrance to a subway ... and how do one remove them ... ? Can they be handled by 4 men or do you need a truck with a crane?
Love the project - to your question, I believe that there used to be street access to the under ground of major buildings through panels like this: http: //pqliving.com/street-elevator-action/
For something like MoMA, there was likely a ton of storage basement for incoming/outgoing artwork, displays and crates...
Yours would be closer to this size - but the odd number of panels is throwing me...
http://www.aclifts.com/material-handling/images/sidewalk-image-1.jpg
In the old days, I believe that buildings with a great deal of their "mechanicals" in the basement had to have access points like this. In Portland and Seattle we have sidewalk grating that you can see down a couple of floors in some cases (both cities have "underground tours" so that you can see the old city and its guts), seeing steam pipes, access doors, etc.
Oh - and seeing your version of the Chopper, it may be time to retire my first generation model... mine is on brown fiber board, without the cool stadia lines and chopping arm ;D
Quote from: pwranta193 on October 18, 2011, 09:42:36 AM
Love the project - to your question, I believe that there used to be street access to the under ground of major buildings through panels like this: http://pqliving.com/street-elevator-action/
Yours would be closer to this size - but the odd number of panels is throwing me...
http://www.aclifts.com/material-handling/images/sidewalk-image-1.jpg
... thanks for the explanation, I simply disregarded, that building and townscape can differ quite a lot, comparing the Cities in the US of A with German cities ...
Quote from: pwranta193 on October 18, 2011, 09:42:36 AM
... there was likely a ton of storage basement for incoming/outgoing artwork, displays and crates...
In the old days, I believe that buildings with a great deal of their "mechanicals" in the basement had to have access points like this. In Portland and Seattle we have sidewalk grating that you can see down a couple of floors in some cases (both cities have "underground tours" so that you can see the old city and its guts), seeing steam pipes, access doors, etc.
... there comes the Chicago Tunnel Company to my mind .. ::)
Quote from: pwranta193 on October 18, 2011, 09:42:36 AM
... For something like MoMA ...
... only one question left: what does MoMa stand for, where is it located respectively? Does it mean
Museum of Modern Art - then it will be located in NY ... (and I answered my last question myself)
EDIT: Well, THIS is way cool .... I typed in "MoMA, West 53rd Street, NY, United States" using Google Maps - and had a look at the original scene you're modelling (may be Google Street view was there 2-3 years ago), being thousands of miles away ... 8) 8) 8)
Narayan,
What scale is this in? Being new to your work, I don't know if you have a preferred scale - I should probably be able to decipher it from the lines on the cutting pad... but I'm lazy this AM :)
Gerald - you probably laugh when I use terms like "old" for US cities... since Seattle and Portland are about 160 years old...
What does MoMA stand for? Silly its short for Moammar Gadhafi!
If you did'nt know he's a big time modeler! ::)
MPH
Quote from: pwranta193 on October 19, 2011, 07:18:08 AM
Gerald - you probably laugh when I use terms like "old" for US cities... since Seattle and Portland are about 160 years old...
... um, well, no ... OK - confession: chuckling a little while thinking of having visited the places parts of my ancestors lived the past 400 years ... ;D
Quote from: Mr Potato Head on October 19, 2011, 09:13:46 AM
What does MoMA stand for? Silly its short for Moammar Gadhafi!
... hmmmm, over here moma is associated with THIS (http://www.morgenmagazin.zdf.de/) ... :D
Quote from: Mr Potato Head on October 19, 2011, 09:13:46 AM
What does MoMA stand for? Silly its short for Moammar Gadhafi!
If you did'nt know he's a big time modeler! ::)
MPH
"Museum of Modern Art" would be my guess ;)
Thanks for the comments gents. Much appreciated. Sorry for the delay in replying, I am in Durango, Colo visiting family with limited computer access...with no spare time to ride the Durango-Silverton train!
And to answer a few questions:
The model is in approx 1/24 scale, which is my preferred scale (actually 1"=1mm is what I really use)
MoMA stands for the Museum of Modern Art. I visit it almost every time I am in NYC.
I don't know what the plates are for. My guess is that its for access to utilities along the street and into the buildings. I know it is definitely not to load/unload art or for access to art storage.
I've seen these plates lifted with chains attached on an excavator, but I didn't have time to hand around and inspect what was underneath.
I'm working on how to replicate the crusty/flaky look of the steel. I have a few experiments to carry out. As soon as I have results, I'll post some more updates.
Time at the bench has been scarce for all kinds of reasons, but I have made some progress:
I finally made seven of these plates. The first two I made with brass parts but it proved to be so fiddly that I gave in and went with styrene:
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Then I had to make the edge retainers with the notches in exactly the right spot. That took a lot of thinking time, and once worked out went very smoothly:
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And then I ruled up a sheet of 80 thou plastic to use as a base onto which I assembled the access plates
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glued the retainers in place and cut it to approx size
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Moving right along at my usual snail's pace, I started getting the base together. I used plywood (to avoid any warping problems) and added a riser on the back so that the base is not flush with the display surface (a wall). It adds a lightness to the whole construction. I also have some hangers in place, which I will install after the whole base gets a good shellacking.
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On the front I added ribs to give the correct shallow crown of this type of Manhattan street. I have also put in a series of nails that will give some extra supoort to the plaster that will become the sidewalk.
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Then I measured out the size of the access panels and precut the long piece of wood before installing it, and used various scraps to fill up the other spaces using the access panels as a template to get a snug fit.
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The next step is to stain the wood for the edging of the whole piece and install it. More soon.
Another Masterpiece-in-Progress......
I love watching your street scenes come together, Narayan.
Can't wait for the next installment.
I love that it is going to be a vertical piece when finished (versus a horizontal flat as with most of our dioramas). Do you post photos of the original space/subject as well, or do your pieces stand alone when when done?
Thanks Pwranta. These are stand alone pieces. I don't have any reference material on display with the dio once it is done. Sometimes the reference photos are nice pictures in their own right, and I have thought of framing them, but never got beyond the thinking stage.
I've been very quiet on the modelling front as a lot has been going on in my real life that has taken me away from the bench. I've been making some slow progress on my current build. (I can only build one thing at a time)
I have the sidewalk laid in plaster and inscribed with expansion gaps. It took a couple of goes to get it right, which was frustrating, but I finally am happy woth the results. I have also laid the patchwork of asphalt that was there in the real street.
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I have always been impressed by the steel curbs you find in Manhattan, and this was an opportunity to model it and also to try out some weathering techniques. I made some adjustments to a plastruct shape, then painted it a variety of rust colours from a spray can, then with the red kerb colour, and then the light grey of the red pigment after it fades in the sunlight, and then went at it with a wire brush when the paint was touch dry but not fully cured. I think it worked beautifully. Its not finished, I will do the final toning, rust etc when I am about to install it. (I did try the hairspray technique and it was a complete mess. I had to clean it off and start over. )
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And I have started adding asphalt into the metal hatch covers. Its a very simple process of using Elmer's glue and 80 grit silicon carbide.
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And added a pothole or two
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Again, its not finished, and the final weathering etc are yet to be done, but its taking shape.
More soon.
Good to see you modeling again. It's been a while. -- Russ
I second that.
Nice work!
Yes great to see you back at it, and sharing your progress. Nice work and texture on the asphalt.
M
Hey Narayan
Not only in watches you have good taste (IWC ;)) but also in the subjects you are working on - I admire your work and I love your street scene very much. In particular your asphalt looks similar papescent as in the original photo. Very convincing technique!
(BTW: Damn realistic muddy water in your Amsterdam canal dio!!!).
Cheers, Peter
Thanks for the welcome back guys, and for the nice words Peter (talking of the Amsterdam diorama, its nice to look back and see I can finish something!). Its good to be back at the bench.
Here is a quick update. I am working on the weathering of the steel plate. Its half done and starting to head in the right direction. I have added the asphalt and made some dings in it using my favourite tool, a spatula from Tiranti
http://www.tiranti.co.uk/EdgeImpactShop/category.php?Category=8&Content=Modelling+Tools++ (http://www.tiranti.co.uk/EdgeImpactShop/category.php?Category=8&Content=Modelling+Tools++) .
These are sculptors tools and worth their weight in gold.
The photo is a test fit into the base. I had some serious worries, but after seeing this I am now sure that everything will be okay
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Looks really good! Interesting subect.
Quote from: nk on December 18, 2012, 07:22:54 AM
I am working on the weathering of the steel plate. Its half done and starting to head in the right direction.
The steel plate is stunning by now and the asphalt looks top class indeed!
Peter
Before you came along I never would have thought of an old asphalt street as a work of art. -- Russ
The steel plate looks perfect...but the asphalt is stunning. I need to back and find where you describe how you do it....definitely something I want to copy (umm...err...learn :) )
Thanks chaps. I spent a few hours last night doing some more weathering on the metal plate, and there is a little more before its done. I'll post photos soon, when I make the next quantum jump on this project.
Marc, I'll save you the hunt. The asphalt is essentially silicon carbide stuck onto the base with Elmer's white glue. You can buy different size particles, 80 grit, 120 grit etc so you can make your own aggregate for each job. I use some copper tubing as a roller. Its that simple.
Looks terrific N, just hope you're not getting anything on those new cabinets.
Chester, I am being super-careful with those beautiful new cabinets...no paint, no scratches... yet!
I finally finished my dio. Here are some crappy iPhone photos, please excuse the quality. I will have to take it into work for some glamour shots. I'll post them in the next week or so.
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That looks great...ahhh all the gum spots on NYC sidewalks...looks just right.
Paul
the gloss on the heavy cast iron hatches looks just right
regards kim
Nice street texture. -- Russ
that's astoundingly perfect.......
That came out great! It will look good hanging on a wall.