A number of years ago I was asked if I would be interested in building a scale model of a 17th century English theater called the Fortune Playhouse. The original structure was built in London, England in 1600 and was a contemporary of William Shakespeare's Globe Playhouse.
Dr. Richard Hosley, from the University of Arizona, is well known for his scholarly work and research on Elizabethan theater and had done extensive study on the Fortune Playhouse, even devising a reconstructed version of how he felt the original structure appeared. It is interesting to note that of all the English theaters of the time, the Fortune Playhouse was the only one where the original builders contract is still in existence, giving specific measurements and details about its construction. From this information Dr. Hosley was able to extrapolate enough data to prepare a set of measured drawings and plans of the theater.
That's where I entered the scene. With plans in hand I began what would become a rather involved effort to fabricate a 1/32nd scale model of this structure. Today I am actually adding the last finishing detail to the project, a scale human figure to the front of the stage.
I could not find a commercially available 1/32nd scale figure of the Elizabethan era to work appropriately, so needed to create one of my own. Although not a sculptor of human anatomy I thought I would give it a try. After watching online sculpting tutorials, studying books on the human form, researching costuming of the period, and finding a place locally where I could get my finished sculpture 3-D scanned and then printed at a reduced size, this is the end result.
As time goes on I will explain in fuller detail my methods and efforts on this project. Needless to say, I learned a fair amount as I experimented with modeling techniques new to me during the build process.
Sweeper.jpg
This is the original sculpted figure. He stands not quite 11 inches tall. I used plasticine modeling clay formed over a wire armature.
Sweeper front.jpg
The reduced scale 3D printed version is just under 2" in height.
Finished figure.jpg
The final painted and ready to install "sweeper" figure to place on the theater stage. I was disappointed that the reduced 3-D print was not as sharp and detailed as the original. I wonder if the loss of detail is a combination of the scanning, printing and reduction in size process.
Fortune figures - large and small.jpg
A size comparison between my clay model and the scaled down 3-D version.
Here is a quick preview of my Fortune Theater model. More photos to follow as I am hoping to have it professionally photographed in the near future.
Fortune aerial 1.jpg
A top view of the overall model.
Fortune aerial 2.jpg
The model splits into several sections so that the interior areas can be viewed. In this case the front section has been removed.
Stage facade.jpg
The stage facade with hand sculpted figures and satyr busts.
Gallery section.jpg
The interior of the front gallery section.
Boah, that's a strong statement :o ! Absolute fantastic! I would call it archaeology by modelling. The subject itself is also interesting and very enriching!!!
Stuart, that is an amazing model, and your first figure sculpt is professional quality.
I think when you reduce any scan for 3D printing, you lose detail in proportion to the shrinkage. My son just "scanned" me with his iPhone, and the 1/12 3D print has lost some of the finer details, and has become somewhat "faceted". The better (more expensive) the scanner, the more detailed the scan, and any reduced print. I'll share a picture of the print soon.
At any rate, congratulation on a fine job!
Carlo
Very nice!
On the figure resolution:
I'd say there are 4 approaches.
1. Scan from life. This is what Modelu in the UK do and the results are good, if possibly a little soft. You get perfect poses and extremely realistic results. And you get to play dress up :-).
2. Digital sculpting from scratch. Very sharp, but results depend on skill.
3. Digital sculpting from commercial assets (ie pre-rigged figures and clothing. see daz3D for example). Very sharp, relies far less on artistic skill, but requires software skill. This is the approach that I use. Attached work in progress is printable. Ear detail, nostrils and forehead wrinkles resolve in 1:34. Figure to get to this point was 5-10 minutes work. Figures are no problem and almost infinitely variable. Printable hair is more tricky. Clothes are relatively easy if you can find something off the shelf, somewhat harder if you need to do them yourself.
4. Your approach. For me this would be the hardest, but I don't have and artistic bone in my body. You've mastered the skill admirably, but I suspect the scan step was a bit low resolution. It should be possible to do better with an 11" figure to work from.
I'm really impressed with the quality of the figure! The facial expression looks very lifelike. Even if the reduction has lost, it is still better than what you can buy many times.
Bernhard
Very impressive work all around, Stuart! Wow!
Stuart, That's impressive work all around. Your first sculpted figure turned out really well!! As did all the smaller decorative figures, busts and medallions. And the theater (Theatre?) itself is no slouch either.
Must've been a neat project to work with all the historical records for overall size plus informed interpretations/speculations for the details.
I agree with Carlo that the resolution of the scan makes a big difference. A few years ago I read an article about Rapido Trains scanning a diesel loco as the first step for modeling it in HO scale. That's a much larger shrinkage than your sculpted figure to printed figure. What amazed me was the original scan captured the thickness of the layer of paint where the cab number and railroad name were painted on the sides! I don't know what scanner they used, but it was very high end (They rented it).
Thank you to all of you for your encouraging words.
Peter -
Your Schaffhausen wire rope transmission model is outstanding. Beautiful work. And the figures you were able to find look very appropriate and well detailed.
Lawrence -
Early on, when I was contemplating the need for a figure to finish off my project, I had actually thought to scan an actual person dressed in the garb of the time. Then I discovered the cost involved in such a process and changed my mind. I also looked on line at various ready made digital models but was unable to find exactly what I was looking for. And then I inquired about having someone create a digital model for me, but that too was cost prohibitive. Alas, the only option left open to me, that was at least somewhat affordable, was to sculpt something of my own and have it scanned. It was definitely a challenge and not one I think I will repeat anytime in the future.
Had I been better informed with regard to needing high resolution in the scanning process I would have sought something better than what I received. Anyway, perhaps my experience will prove a valuable resource for others who are faced with similar issues.
That figure is a superb effort in sculpting and nicely painted too. The only downside is the soft resolution outside your control. It's a bit of a bugger that we only seem to get helpful suggestions once we have shown our finished models off.
I know that Modelu in the UK do shows where they scan you and produce prints. It's popular, so I assume not prohibitive, but finding someone local might be difficult. I'm certainly not aware of a supplier local to me. Digital sculpting takes time, so expensive if you are paying someone or charging your time out. Mind you it must have taken some time to sculpt your clay figure too.
It would be possible to graft a hi resolution head/face on to your existing scanned model, but I think you might gain sharpness at the cost of charm. In any case the figure is a small element of the overall theatre model so it's probably not that big an issue in this context.
This is a great project. I am very impressed by the theatre. It's interesting that you chose purple for the trousers on one figure. At that time, the only real purple dye came from murex mollusks and was incredibly resource intensive, requiring something like 10,000 mollusks for a gram of dye. Another way to look at it is that Cleopatra dyed her barge sail purple. Your bloke is a stage sweeper with imperial pants!
Here's the figure now in place on the stage, purple pants and all. Originally I was going for an olive color for the trousers but then my wife suggested something a little more "exciting, maybe burgundy". Next time I'll listen to my instincts.
Sweeper on stage.jpg
He could simply be a very good stage manager with bad taste in clothes. -- Russ
Wow! The model of the theater is pure perfection, and your sculpted figure is really quite impressive!
A great overall work of art. But one question still remains open to me, what kind of lighting did they have at that time or was the theater only used in daylight?
Quote from: Design-HSB on October 27, 2022, 01:34:32 AMA great overall work of art. But one question still remains open to me, what kind of lighting did they have at that time or was the theater only used in daylight?
All they had at the time was natural daylight although they may have used candles and lanterns occasionally as props.
what's with all the creep-y figures on the walls look's like they all have horn's on the top of there heads.... ??? Satan???
Yeah, I suppose they are a little creepy. They are satyrs, a mythological creature, half man half goat. This is one of the things that are spelled out in the original builders contract.
I'm imagining some Elizabethan sitting in his lawyers office drawing up the contract: "So nudes are out?. Satyrs then, yeh, we need a few of those..."
Superb job Stuart... very impressive work!
At the risk of being redundant, I wanted to post some additional photographs of the Fortune Theater Playhouse model. These, and the ones following this post, were taken by a professional photographer so I am hoping they show more detail and clarity than my earlier ones.
These first four shots show the basic model - front, side and back. The openings in the roof in the rear view allows the spectator to look inside to see the interior of the "hut", the small structure above the stage.
This project was meant to be an educational piece for students studying the performing and audience spaces of this particular Elizabethan playhouse. It, therefore, separates into several pieces, and some parts of the structure are left open so they can be observed.
Stuart, I came across this new company that uses a very high end scanner and printer to scan people and print them in full color in N, HO and O scales. They are not inexpensive, but perhaps if you need additional figures for your Theater or other upcoming commissioned models they coul scan your sculpted fugures and print them: https://westedge3d.com.au/gallery/
This is a close up of the "hut" structure located directly above the stage. A red flag waves predominantly above, signaling the advent of the day's performance. The flag was formed from a piece of .003" sheet copper and I used various diameters of brass tubing and rod as forming tools to create the bends and curves
A red flag indicated a performance with an historical plot, a black flag meant a tragedy was the subject matter and a white flag signaled a comedic presentation.
Hut & flag.jpg
The "hut" contained a winch which was used to lower actors down through the stage ceiling representing gods, angels, spirits and the like. It took a couple of stout, strong armed gents to control a slow and safe decent of a trusting actor. Bringing the poor chap back up to his lofty perch in the hut likewise required considerable effort and concentration.
Winch.jpg
The stage ceiling was painted to represent the "Heavens" complete with mythological gods, cupids, clouds and stars. This depiction of the "Heavens" is a recreation of an actual ceiling located at Cullen House, Banffshire, Scotland. The gold stars are 3D printed items. You will notice the door in the ceiling which would have been removed to allow for the decent of the aforementioned deity personage.
Heavens.jpgHeavens detail.jpg
Terrific. -- Russ
The gold capitals at the top of each marble column were created in SketchUp and 3D printed. Unfortunately, the program is not geared for much in the way of creating organic forms so, the leaves at the base of each capital are not as detailed as I would have liked. But, where they are placed in the model, up high and next to the ceiling, I felt it was not as critical to get exacting detail.
Corinthian capitol.jpg
The columns themselves were turned using acrylic rod, primed and then painted to appear as marble. It took considerable experimentation to finally come up with an acceptable representation of marble. Valejo acrylic paints were my salvation here.
Stage.jpg
Like the capitals, the stage furniture was created in SketchUp. The floral pattern on the front of the table was scanned from a photo of an actual 17th century table, imported into SketchUp and then traced and sized to fit my table face. I was pleased that the pattern actually shows up in the finished printed piece. The chairs were also created in SketchUp and 3D printed.
Library table.jpg
Furniture.jpg
Quote from: Bill Gill on January 06, 2023, 04:57:19 PMStuart, I came across this new company that uses a very high end scanner and printer to scan people and print them in full color in N, HO and O scales. They are not inexpensive, but perhaps if you need additional figures for your Theater or other upcoming commissioned models they coul scan your sculpted fugures and print them: https://westedge3d.com.au/gallery/
Thanks Bill for the heads up. I will keep this in mind if there ever is a next time.
Here are a couple shots of the gallery sections of the model showing all the timber work that went into the construction. The original structure in London, England succumbed to fire in 1621. It must have been a raging inferno with so much available fuel to burn.
Gallery detail 1.jpg
Each column in the gallery was topped with a carving of a satyr figure, as specified in the original Fortune Playhouse contract. To create my versions of satyrs I used Fimo clay to create the masters, poured a silicone mold of each and then cast a series in urethane resin. To do this successfully, without the considerable irritation of air bubbles in my finished product, I broke down and purchased a pressure pot for casting. Although a sizable initial expense it proved to be a life saver.
Galley detail 2.jpg
This photo shows my original Fimo sculpted pieces.
Gallery satyrs.jpg
I left one of the stair towers open for observation. The configuration of the stairs to each gallery level was a major design concern for Dr. Richard Hosley, the fellow who researched and developed the reconstruction of this project. He wanted to be sure that his efforts to determine how the stairs were constructed did not go unnoticed.
Stair tower.jpg
This lets a modeler of the old school philosophize about such extesive modelling projects. I tend to believe that the normal modeler (not professional model builders) will probably finish such a masterpiece only once in a lifetime. And it will be the case in the midst of life, when he has experiences and skills enough to start a labour-intensive project like this here.
Somewhere along the way I noticed that with increasing age I get somehow afraid of such great challenges, well knowing, that my skills wont get better in the next twenty years. That's why my projects are becoming more and more manageable and that's why such modelling projects like yours cannot be over-emphasised.
Congratulation!
Peter
P.S. May be this Swiss colleague will be of interest to you...
http://modellrapport.ch
Stuart, Thanks for posting more photos of the theater. It's a magificent model all around and a joy to study.
What a fantastic model! Very clean, precise construction and paint work, and the seams are virtually invisible.
Very neat and defiantly different -
Barney
Peter--Thankyou for the information about Marcus Rappo. Wonderful workmanship!
Like you suggest, taking on another project of this magnitude at this point in my life would not be a wise move. This model of the Fortune Playhouse was a great leaning experience as I was able to cut my teeth on new methods and approaches. The things I learned on this project will certainly be helpful as I continue with future smaller, less involved, modeling efforts.
A few words about how I approached the fabrication of the roofing tiles.
Early on, I had planned to manufacture thousands of roofing tiles and place them one-by-one over the entirety of the expansive sections of roofing.
To create the tiles I used Fimo clay, a polymer clay which remains pliable until backed in an oven. Step 1 shows the method I used to roll out the clay in an even thickness. Once flattened the next chore, as shown in Step 2, was to cut through the clay at the prescribed dimensions of the tiles with a sharp hobby knife. After making the cuts, any clay that would not produce a fully finished tile was removed and saved for future use. The glass piece was then placed in the oven and baked to harden the clay.
Step 1.jpg
Step 2.jpg
This photo shows the finished product.
Fimo tiles.jpg
When I got to this point in the building process I suddenly began to question my sanity in placing each tile individually over the entirety of the roofing area and wondered what other method would satisfy my desire for realism yet keep me from going completely over the edge. I had already expended considerable time and effort producing a large number of the small tile pieces and did not want to simply toss them aside. After doing a little research on the subject, I determined I would attempt to create panels of roofing tiles through the plastic casting process. My experience in making castings of this nature was minimal but I pressed on non-the-less. This would be a new adventure and learning experience.
Using the tiles already manufactured I went through the tedious process laying out a single panel big enough to accommodate the largest expanse of roof area as shown here.
Tile master.jpg
Once that was accomplished I poured a silicon mold over the completed master. In any casting effort, removing trapped air in both the casting medium and within the mold itself as the pour is made can cause considerable headaches. There are procedures, if followed, and equipment, if available, which will help minimize and even remove the problems of trapped air but for a one time effort such as mine, the expense did not warrant the purchase of such equipment. I moved ahead as best I could.
The silicone mold was poured and then removed from the master.
Silicone mold.jpg
I had worked to keep air bubbles at a minimum but was not completely successful as you will see in the finished cast pieces. As can be seen in the photograph of the finished casting, there are numerous small bubbles poking out within the tiles. Fortunately, I was able to remove these with a chisel point knife blade fairly easily.
I used a urethane resin with some dye for the finished tile panels. Although crude in its approach, in order to force the resin into all the nooks and crannies of the silicone mold and reduce the potential of air bubbles and voids in the casting, I put on a latex glove and with my fingers worked the resin into place covering the entire expanse of the mold. This seemed to work fairly well but it took me several initial pours to finally decide this was the best approach.
Roof tiles.jpg
Finished tile casting.jpg
Above is a sample of the finished casting after removing the air bubbles.
Once the urethane was cured and removed from the silicone mold I flipped the entire piece over on its face and sanded the backside until I arrived at the desired thickness. I then had a panel ready to trim to size and place on the model.
The rounded ridge tiles were created using SketchUp and then 3D printed as shown below.
Fortune ridge tile.jpg
With all pieces cut to size and ready for installation I mixed a suitable terra cotta paint color and airbrushed all pieces. I then mixed a variety of darker and lighter colors and randomly brush painted the tiles to give variation and further realism. The panels and ridge pieces were them cemented in place using epoxy. The last phase was to then age the entire roof with washes of diluted India ink and then given a protective coat of Testors Dullcote.
Roof tiles.jpg
Stuart, you are absolutely insane.
In a rather good way.
Russ
Stuart, That looks terrific. You must've felt a lot of satisfaction and relief when the roofs were all done.
Russ -- Others have told me the same thing. What would truly prove my insanity would be to take on another project of this magnitude.
Bill -- Yes, to have been able to finally clap my hands together and exclaim, IT'S DONE was an exhilarating moment.
Hi Stuart, the completion of a model is always a special moment and when it has succeeded, so excellently I can only congratulate.
The tile casting turned out great!