The Playland Penny Arcade

[michael mott]

Ken it is a real joy to watch all the different areas of detail and great workmanship, the overall model will be a study in observation.

Michael

[Ray Dunakin]

Very cool! Thanks for the info.

[nk]

Ken, You really have a great composition there with the truck pushed out to the left and the action taking place off centre. It keeps your eye moving in all the right directions. And I have no doubt it will be full of all the fun Hamilton details too. The sidewalk is firsdte rate with the cracks in all the rights places....nothing looks more like a crack than a crack (and I'm not talking plumbers' either!).

[Chuck Doan]

Very cool, I didn't realize a whole block was coming.

[Mr Potato Head]

Ken
I looked at your SBS for the concrete, and adding the sand is like a "salt" or "hairspray" technique, genius! Pure genius!!! I can't wait to try it, great work, thanks for the inspiration! 
MPH

[Chuck Doan]

I believe Ken also came up with the idea of using RR ballast in plaster which worked so well for me.

[Mr Potato Head]

You have the title of "Wizard" ! Rightfully so!
Maybe Ken deserves the title of "Einstein" 
Wow! Very creative stuff
MPH

[danpickard]

Thats a pretty cool little story in that scene Ken.  Like some of the others, I didn't realise the whole block was getting in the picture.  I like the idea of the different stages of the demise of the area.  I imagine if we come back in a few years time, the apartment may be gone as well.  Also, seeing as you are doing the whole block for this one, its reassuring that we will be entertained with this thread for quite some time yet.

Cheers,
Dan

[Ken Hamilton]

The brick gutter continues:
After the plaster bricks were glued to the strip of black construction paper,
the bricks were painted with a not-too-neatly-applied coat of Burnt Umber:



Next, the bricks were lightly dabbed with Norwegian Orange applied with a
make-up sponge. Lots of Umber was allowed to show thorough:



This was followed by dabbing on other brickish colors like Cadmium Scarlet & Vermilion,
along with a few more dabbles of Umber & Orange.  When that was dry, it was washed
with a coat of A&I to give it some depth:



Here are some of the sections of the 36" strip:




I'm going to leave it like this for now. Once the brick gutter is incorporated into
the street and sidewalk I can tie it all together with fine dirt in the cracks and some
washes and pastels.

PS:  Yes, I should have colored the plaster so pure white wouldn't show if the
bricks got chipped or broken.  I was too impatient............

[artizen]

I am really annoyed by the realism you have achieved in a quarter of the time I have. Using plaster and painting the bricks is obviously much better/quicker/realistic than the current method I am using with plaster and cement oxides.

Oh wait, the reason I don't paint my bricks is because I can never get that level of dirty realism that you have. Damn. 

[finescalerr]

I'm really annoyed with your realism, too. The modeling is satisfactory nonetheless. -- Russ

[Junior]

This will be a great diorama with an unusal concept and story. The color of the bricks is excellent.

Anders 

[Malachi Constant]

What the hell happened to the Yellow Brick road?  Are all our dreams lost?  First the arcade shuts down, and now this ... damn, damn, damn.

(Looks awfully good for what it is, though.)  

[nk]

Ken those bricks look great. One thing I do when the bricks chip and the white plaster shows through is to apply diluted red paint to the chipped area so that you have a bright looking chip, just like a real brick.

[mlcolbert]

and that would be the one reason I would leave the the plaster 'a naturel' the extra red would make it.  Thanks for the tip nk!