Hobby Holiday

As some of you may know, life has been a bit hectic lately, and I needed to get away from it all.  I did try opening the toolset a couple of times, but I was always disheartened by the monumental task ahead, and would end up closing the toolset to leave tackling it for another time.  In the meantime I'd end up feeling a bit guilty having proclaimed the Relbonian Chronicles to be a series, particularly when Chapter One was welcomed so warmly.

Sometimes your hobbies can run away with you, ending up so big that you can't imagine finishing them.  In such a situation myself, I was in need of turning my attention to something more manageable in an attempt to remind myself that finishing a project was possible, in the hope that completing something smaller would encourage me to return to something larger.

Having arrived into roleplaying from a wargaming background, modelling has always appealed to me, particularly if it was something that could accompany my collection of fantasy figures, and with my eager 5 year old son showing an interest in his collection of knights, it seemed only natural that I turned my attention to an old unfinished model of a mediaeval tavern I'd started a long time ago...

...so, above is pretty much how it started out.  Polyboard cut to shape, then selotaped together with the additional strength of pins (later substituded for cocktail sticks) holding it all together to aid the gluing process.  I'd also made a start on the roof, which was just thick cardboard, and thin balsa wood strips for the tudor styling.

Another week down the line and I had pretty much finished the balsa wood application and made a start on the roof tiling, which was made from small cut up squares from a cereal box glued from the bottom up so that they'd overlap each other.  Once finished ready for painting, the walls were painted with a textured paint that would later be dry brushed, and the balsa wood painted dark brown.  The roof was painted black then dry brushed in grey (after a failed attempt at painting the roof red which I'd decided didn't work), and the windows painted blue and having the criss cross affect applied with a black felt tip pen.  

I hope you'll agree the final outcome is quite good.  My son certainly thinks so!  The good news is it felt something of a relief to be able to say I'd finished another of my projects, which did indeed culminate in me opening the NWN toolset once more.  It was still daunting, but I have this very evening sorted out a major glitch with the opening cutscene which was threatening the entire module.  I have a day off tomorrow, so dare say I'll be tackling it some more. :)