Anglia105E Posted December 11, 2017 Author Share Posted December 11, 2017 Many thanks for your comments Eric, and I suppose you are right in saying that this diorama is actually a work of art ! The lighting that I am using inside the Hooper & Co building consists of three LED aquarium lamps, but I am beginning to think that what might be needed is something more like 1:12 scale doll's house lighting. This would be true to scale individual ceiling lights rather than these large powerful lamps that may be too bulky and also have a blue tinge. Concealing the wiring for the lighting system is something that I have to be careful about. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gramps46 Posted December 13, 2017 Share Posted December 13, 2017 David, I am just catching back up with your work and am really impressed with what you have achieved with your additions. Unless they have tried to make realistic figures themselves, I doubt few modellers appreciate how difficult they are to make appear presentable and you have done an excellent job. My favorite is the older gentleman in the blue suit! Please continue to share with us your progress. Gary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglia105E Posted December 13, 2017 Author Share Posted December 13, 2017 Thank you again Gary, and the whole issue of figures in dioramas is quite a big subject. I am convinced that Michael Paul Smith must have a very good reason for not including a single figure in any of his wonderful dioramas. He has used buildings that he constructs himself, Danbury Mint diecast cars that look absolutely real, and his photography is without question pure genius, so he must know for sure that placing a figure in there that does not look real would compromise the entire scene. The elderly gentleman in the blue suit is a Shapeways 3D printed 1:24 scale figure so I cannot take the credit for that one. My painting of the figure is reasonably competent but needs to be better really. His hair is not actually finished as it needs to have a darker shade of paint under the grey. I have recently produced a mold from this figure and converted the cast figure into a chauffeur for the Rolls-Royce of the lady from Canada, who is Margaret L Sayward-Wilson. Her car is the Velvet Green Silver Cloud from Victoria, British Columbia. Here is a photo of the chauffeur I made. The gentleman in the blue suit is the Managing Director and Chief Designer of Hooper & Co, Osmond Rivers who was in charge of the company when they closed in 1959. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglia105E Posted December 19, 2017 Author Share Posted December 19, 2017 Here is a short update on the progress with the diorama, as Christmas approaches. Just noticed that I mentioned 1:12 scale doll's house lighting earlier in this topic, but of course I meant to say 1:24 scale lighting! I have finished making three further framed paintings for the back wall of the first floor showroom in the Hooper & Co building. There are already three framed paintings on the back wall of the ground floor showroom, as well as a large wall clock. The paintings are by Whistler, Degas, Stubbs, Vermeer, Seurat and one is by my daughter, which is an embroidery not a painting. To the side of the building can be seen a Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud build that is still a work in progress, having a windscreen fitted and also registration number plates. For this particular scale model motor car I have produced a 3D design file of the 6 cylinder petrol engine and this has been shipped from the Netherlands by Shapeways as a 3D printed model. Two of these engines are arriving at my house today, Tuesday 20th December. Any questions, criticisms or compliments are very welcome! David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gramps46 Posted December 19, 2017 Share Posted December 19, 2017 David, The paintings on the wall add class to the setting as you would expect in a Rolls dealership, clever idea. I am anxious to see how your 3D printed engines come out, pictures please. Gary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglia105E Posted December 19, 2017 Author Share Posted December 19, 2017 The two 6 cylinder Rolls-Royce engines arrived from Holland this morning, and the resulting model is even better than my expectations. Here are some pics for you Gary, and as you can see the engine fits perfectly into the Silver Cloud's engine bay. The 3D printed engine will be refined before producing a silicone rubber mould and then an ivory resin cast engine will be fitted to the car you see in the photos. I shall be carrying out some extensive detailing work on the resin cast engine, such as plug leads, fan blades, fan belts, spark plugs, lettering, painting etc. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gramps46 Posted December 19, 2017 Share Posted December 19, 2017 I am impressed with what you have done with the engine and its basic shape in 3D. Oh, and thank you for the pictures. Gary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cien1986 Posted December 22, 2017 Share Posted December 22, 2017 Speechless.... only one word on my mind..... amazing... The themes.... car ... building ... it really represent retro time.... Amazing..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglia105E Posted December 22, 2017 Author Share Posted December 22, 2017 Many thanks Henry Wijaya, and you are correct, it is retro time. These are the motor cars of the 1950's and the Hooper & Co building as it would have looked in 1958. Hoping to produce some realistic photographs that give the whole project a period feeling. This diorama will be at the Rolls-Royce show in June 2018. Thanks again for looking at my project, and four more photos from last night. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglia105E Posted December 25, 2017 Author Share Posted December 25, 2017 Wishing everyone on the Model Cars Magazine Forum a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year for 2018..... I must be the only scale model builder on the planet to post on this topic at 2.00 am in the morning on Christmas Day..... but there you go, Mad Dogs and Englishmen ( go out in the midday sun ) Had this idea last night that I could see in my mind, which was an LED light behind the street lamp in my diorama and then spraying water over the street lamp, the London bus and the pavement ( sidewalk ) to create a scene of a rain shower at night. So, I tested the idea by clipping a battery powered LED bulb behind the clear glass of one of the two street lamps and covering all the other 19 bulbs with a black cloth, with some taped up with black PVC tape. No water used in these test shots, as I was just curious to see if the idea might work. Here are three of the photos that showed potential I think. There is not enough light from the one LED bulb, so needed some additional lighting to help the camera pick up the vehicles and figures. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Macleod Posted December 25, 2017 Share Posted December 25, 2017 I like it and Merry Christmas to you. FYI the Mad Dogs and Englishmen Auto Show is but 20 miles from my doorstep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglia105E Posted December 25, 2017 Author Share Posted December 25, 2017 Thanks very much Eric, and I had no idea there was such a thing as a Mad Dogs and Englishmen Auto Show..... that is news to me! David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Macleod Posted December 25, 2017 Share Posted December 25, 2017 It is described as an all British Auto Faire. Typically they get in the neighborhood of 350 or so British cars. It is held at tyhe Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, MI. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglia105E Posted December 25, 2017 Author Share Posted December 25, 2017 Thanks Eric, and I had a look at the website. Liking the old Shell petrol station ( gas station ). David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gramps46 Posted December 31, 2017 Share Posted December 31, 2017 David, (Reference the Corgi thread) The only suggestions for your time period are the relatively new Hachette Collection Traveller and the Franklin Mint Bentley. Or there might be a Jaguar passing by looking for a family car. ;-) Franklin Mint, modified BBurago, and Monogram. It is kind of sad but it seems many of the Franklin Mint cars are coming up for sale as the original collectors have now aged and have to liquidate their collections.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglia105E Posted December 31, 2017 Author Share Posted December 31, 2017 Thanks for those suggestions Gary, and I haven't seen the Hachette Collection Traveller, is that 1:24 scale? The Franklin Mint Bentley is a model that I would like very much, but it is way too expensive over here on Ebay. Only one or two have come up for sale but the price is beyond what I can afford, especially when you factor in the shipping costs. I do have a BBurago Jaguar XK120 in maroon colour, and yes the owner of the two-seater Jaguar sports car could want to trade-in his motor car in for a family four seater Rolls-Royce ! There are actually a lot of Danbury Mint and Franklin Mint models coming up on Ebay, particularly the Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, which some advertisements say is RARE..... but how can it be rare if there are more than ten on Ebay at any one time? Although I prefer to use plastic kits that I have built for this diorama, I am quite prepared to use diecast models from both Danbury Mint and Franklin Mint because they are so good. Some of them are priced low, and this usually means they are damaged, as these models are easily damaged if not handled carefully. Meanwhile, some are priced way too high, with sellers asking silly prices that cannot possibly be realistic or indeed justified. I have a Franklin Mint Phantom I, a Danbury Mint Phantom III, and a Franklin Mint Silver Cloud but I sure would love to get my hands on the Danbury Mint 1947 Bentley Mark VI Franay classic vintage model car. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gramps46 Posted December 31, 2017 Share Posted December 31, 2017 I agree with you on prices on EBay and they can be all over the place depending on condition. The one I have is missing the radiator cap and came from an estate sale. The Traveller is a true 1/24 which makes the SAICO versions look tiny. I too prefer building my own but with my trembling hands things like bare metal foil are almost impossible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cien1986 Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 Happy new year..... Still watching on your work.... and i never get tired of it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglia105E Posted January 1, 2018 Author Share Posted January 1, 2018 Happy New Year to Henry in Indonesia, and many thanks for watching my work in progress. I am watching your topic on the '69 Camaro with interest. Also Happy New Year to Gary in Stafford VA, and following your suggestion I have been fortunate enough to place an order for a 1:24 Franklin Mint 1947 Bentley Mark VI Franay diecast motor car model on Ebay, which will be delivered to me one week from now. My offer was accepted eventually, and I did have to pay a bit more than I had intended but very pleased all the same. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglia105E Posted January 8, 2018 Author Share Posted January 8, 2018 Happy New Year to everyone following this topic and here is a 2018 new year update. These photographs are taken mostly inside the Hooper & Co showrooms, and they feature the 1947 Bentley Franay drophead coupe by Franklin Mint. Experimenting with lighting, camera angles, camera position and composition. Defying the rules to some extent by making use of multiple light sources rather than using only one light source ( the sun ). Using a mix of lighting types and positioning I have managed to create the effect of early morning sunlight, which can also be seen as late afternoon sunlight. Many other photos show the car with the top down, door open and a figure standing alongside. All the photography is carried out indoors, so no natural light is used. Arriving by the end of this week will be a Bentley S1 also by Franklin Mint. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Macleod Posted January 8, 2018 Share Posted January 8, 2018 I continue to be amazed every time I read another chapter of your excellent diorama. I appreciate the chance to go along for the ride. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglia105E Posted January 8, 2018 Author Share Posted January 8, 2018 Thanks a lot Eric, and I do appreciate your interest in my project. I shall continue to post photos and information as it develops. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anglia105E Posted January 10, 2018 Author Share Posted January 10, 2018 Latest addition to the diorama setting is this Bentley S1 diecast model car from Franklin Mint. Already I have the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud by Franklin Mint and I had been wanting a Bentley for some time. The car is missing the bonnet / hood mascot, also the roof aerial and door mirrors are missing. I should be able to fabricate a Bentley motif and the roof aerial, while this car should really have wing mounted mirrors and not door mirrors. Now there are two Bentleys in the Hooper & Co showrooms! David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gramps46 Posted January 12, 2018 Share Posted January 12, 2018 I am glad you were able to find the Bentleys. Great additions. Gary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Scar Posted January 12, 2018 Share Posted January 12, 2018 The nicely framed and matted artwork... Pure class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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