Waiting for the final shot Jean
cheers
Seb

Hi Jean-Bernard,
I find not only your humour and honesty in this thread very entertaining!
The first thing that stood out with your figure during the sculpt and this hasn't been touched on so far, but it appears to me that he has been blinded by something...well, my interpretation anyway!
Is this your intention?
Cheers,
Shay

Hi Jean,

As I've been catching up with and posting into hundreds of threads this afternoon, I have been saying 'I have been away for a while'. Now I must tell you that I was on-board an old ship called the Doulos, sailing from Albany to Fremantle. In fact, the ship is so old that it is entered into Guinness World Record book as the oldest passenger ship afloat today. It was completed in 1914 and has since been registered and partially rebuilt a number of times. The ship operates throughout the Pacific area as a missionary vessel, crewed by ~350 volunteers from around the globe and housing the worlds largest floating bookshop. It also has a sister ship, the Logos which currently operates throughout European waters. Now the reason I'm telling you all of this is that, as friend and guest of the captain, I was allowed to spend a lot of time up on the bridge. I must say that your diorama went through my mind on more than one occasion, as I stared out the window with my hand up against the glass, looking towards the horizon. Although where you have built a gun, there is a compass, your ship's 'trolls head' bears a great resemblance to that of the Doulos!

Forgive my rambling, and I know I should be thinking of girls, not an old philosopher in his modelling 'dungeon'.

Take care
Chas

Hi Jan, well i am a terrible drawer actually, I used some transparent paper and outlined one of those small pics you are dooing for the buses cards you know. But once the outlines are there I don't have much problem so you see.. Maybe the trick to do those when you only paint some figs is to be really motivated by the effect you want to make on other people:)
I never tried the tile glue to do bases! i keep on with Plaster usually but i will give it a try thanks for the tip! Anyway, the bathroom is ready now

Thanks Shay, *entertainment* yes I was alwyas a 2 fold freek anyway. the real panzer or SF modeler überfreek thought I was a freek because I wasn't following their rules, and normal people thought I was a freek too because of model making, so to get above that huge handicap, I always had to be entertaining
The guy is not blinded, his eyes are closed, I guess he would not be too happy if he opened them actually. Either it's me that can't paint (likely) or my pics aren't good enough I think.
I took the head from Hornet's sleeping heads and put hair and beard on it..

Well Chas now you have some VERY good tastes as some trips! The Doulos is a very handsome boat, i must say you were lucky to get such a chance as traveling on such an historical item
Well at least she wasn't falling into pieces when you were on it
Take care you too, and now back to job!

Seb, you didn't have to wait for too long here's the pic!
yesterday i was feeling in a great mood and spent 2 hours to throw the fig together finally. It's not the best one I ever did but most of it except face, hand, and front of the light blue collar should be visible -as for the back of the fig, some if it will be kept in the shadows.
But for extra realism, I will definitely try to do those 3 white stripes on the light blue collar.
A ship modeler gave me a trick to do that one, so i will try during the week-end providing the oil paint dries enough..

thanks look really great the Figures
Cheers
Seb

Hey Seb, Still i am rather thankful the fig will be mostly hidden, it's okay but no more than that.
In the meantime here I was yesterday trying the "Jim Baumann trick" for my line on the collar problem.
You guys know Jim Baumann? He is the best at what he does: 1/700 ships. He doesn't even have to create dioramas around his ships for them to just shine. I mean, looking at his stuff you want to play classical music
Well da master told "you should use the ship modeller's trick: a very thin stretched sprue bit, you leave it under some glue for the fumes to tender it, and you fix it with matt varnish".
I tried, it worked!



Ah ah, of course if I were about to put the guy behind his window, I put the focus of the viewer on the windows themselves, and yep, I noticed something which was not so good -the way those are tied to the wood beneath was errr, pretty noticeable.
So I made a bit of sawdust, mixed it with water and a bit of paint, applied it on the windows themselves and *pushed back" the mix at the place of the joint.
then I applied a thin line of brown paint at the joint for extra depth, and now you just don't notice plastic edges anymore


Ah well, time to prepare pictures..
Outside, in the shadow, with a tripod and a piece of blue paper behind it


You notice that thanks to my way of doing the sea, i am left with some sort of handle on the bottom of the diorama, this is very practical to hold it!


So here I am, with both arms in front of the camera, trying to find the best angles..

i set the white balance of the camera and set the bracketing at its maximal value so that I can get one overexposed, one underexposed and one normal picture. I of course put 2 seconds delay on the clock to be sure that the pressure of my finger on the camera won't get the first pic blurred..

DIGITAL PROCESSING

i have been changing my mind a lot about digital processing of the pics. let's be honest, I consider myself as a very good Photoshop handler as i have been using it professionally for the last 10 years, i can spot a retouched picture from miles. I have been noticing some guys who posts pics in forums that wear so much make up they begin to look like stolen cars and are a downright lie considering their actual abilities. As those are very often poor digital pics handler, you can see their tricks for miles (in doubt, just open pics with Windows' Notepad and just have a good laugh)
Anyway, I think there's a law in texas (?) that allows you to wear a gun in the street if the gun is APPARENT. My opinion on digital processing is about that: if you add a background, digital fog or whatever no problem because you VISIBLY enhance the pic. Actually wht you show is not a MODEL anymore, but really a PICTURE, big difference). But i can't stand people that try to hide failures with digital imagery.
When i started sending Scott some pics 2 years ago, i was always adding some background to my dioramas, but I realized it was a very bad idea: indeed, I never travel with my dioramas and probably none of you guys will ever see Galilée live, so I have to make my best so that what you see is the real thing!
Moreover I work a lot the colour schemes and light directions, if I begin to mess with those too with adding some digital background, then I loose my effects.
So i have been working on some subtle effects that are actually some work on colour range, this is why I take 3 pics:




Now using some digital processing, I make ONE which could get the shadows of the first and great quality highlights of the last one: basically my picture looks like I had some 10000$ Nikon, while I have a 5 years old 400$ Panasonic (and that's not bad already )

So anyway, this closes the Galilée. I will have a bit of extra work to do on the painting of the guy some day because the matt varnish coat I put left one place a bit white!
Too bad about that, no problem I call it finished
Time to open the Champagne and to thanks all of you guys who supported me for those last 3 months from the heart, thanks really

Now I will go back on my own website with my big Masséna bit, kid sculpting and other joys..

Congratulations on a welldone piece - and nice photoes too - good work!

Cheers/Jan

Jean,
This is a typical outcome for a JBA diorama. Stunning craftsmanship, superb artistic ability and a storyline left up to the viewer. You are ahead of the curve at every level.
Thanks for the nice concluding photos....I will have something to study during my 'down time'
Congratulations,
C.

Voilà, c'est fini
On a tant ressassé les mêmes théories
On a tellement tiré chacun de nôtre côté
Que voilà c'est fini
Trouve un autre rocher petite huître perlée
Ne laisse pas trop couler de temps sous ton petit nez
Car c'est fini... c'est fini

Voilà, c'est fini
On va pas se dire au revoir comme sur le quai d'une gare
Je te dis seulement bonjours et fais gaffe à l'amour
Voilà, c'est fini
Aujourd'hui ou demain c'est le moment ou jamais
Peut être après demain je te retrouverai
Mais c'est fini... hum, c'est fini

J'ai fini par me dire qu'on éviterai le pire
Qu'il fallait mieux couper plutôt que déchirer...
J'ai fini par me dire que peut-être on va guérie
Et que même si c'est non, et que même si c'est con
Tous les deux nous savons que de toutes façons...

Voilà, c'est fini
Ne sois jamais amère, reste toujours sincère
T'as eu ce que t'as voulu, même si t'as pas voulu ce que t'as eu

Voilà, c'est fini
Nos deux mains se desserrent de s'être trop serrées
La foule nous emporte chacun de nôtre côté
C'est fini... hum c'est fini

Voilà, c'est fini
Je ne vois plus au loin que ta chevelure nuit
Même si je m'aperçois que c'est encore moi qui te suis

C'est fini... hum, c'est fini

A...dieu

Seb,
that is a nice one, but for a very limited audience i fear.

Jean Bernard, final congratulations from me on Galilée. I hope we can get it as some sort of feature on of these days because it would be a pity to see it disappear in the depths of the forum. There are so many useful tutorials in this dio, it would be worth it.

Salut
Claude

Amazing! i love it!

and the figure is amazing!

MArtyn

Very nice

Jean-Bernard your work is inspirational.

It is simply awe inspiring.

JB I am very impressed! I can't wait to see the feature article but I can't imagine I will learn much more than I already have throughout this thread! Thanks for tolerating me, 'the youngster' here, it has been a pleasure following your build.

Chas

Hi JB. Thanks for the guided journey ..... it was quite a trip. The end scene is worth every minute of effort. As always ... it may be finished but it wont fall into obscurity like so many normal dios .... this will stay in the memory for a long time. I got lots of little ideas and inspiration every time I checked in .. which is another measure of success in my books. Cheers.

JBA, thank you for taking care of such a fantastic topic. This is about true commitment to the people here. I'm sure thousands of people followed this adventure ! G.

Again her work is worthy of admiration.

You have a great imagination, and a perfect technical mastery of the pictorial arts are signing your work.

I have seen many dioramas that amazed by the quantity of figures, vehicles and buildings
to which the viewer is left astonished.
you get something much more difficult, you get
impact without having to fill spaces with plenty of accessories, alone with your art
mon ami, that this within reach of very few

congratulations

Domi

Hi Jean !
WELL DONE , my friend !!!!!!!! Thank you ever so much for posting this wonderful and inspirational piece of model making . I can't wait to see your next masterpiece . Cheers !
Kenneth .

Thank you guys for all the support!
Jan there will be more pics soonish!
Charles being ahead of the curve means you can fall down pretty quickly too Hoping to see you more here agin soon
Seb, isn't that JL Aubert? ever tried to make this listen to the Americans? Not sure they would like it! thanks a lot anyway! (tried Bashung?)
Claude, but that's the beauty of it! the fact that it will slowly disappear in the forums! i have been trying to say that to a common German friend that I liked it that way, but i don't think he saw what i meant last year I ran some statistics about the visits of my own articles here at Kitmaker: once they disappear from the first page nobody goes to see them anymore so you see, there is not much big difference in the end between forums and features -which does not mean I won't do one
Martyn i hope you finally got it right with all your numbers problems and I will watch your place too. beware of that model making capital sin: that your diorama threads become like big shopping lists and few modeling
Wijnad thanks!
Darren, I wait for your watery dioramas -there were enough good examples lately in the forums for you not to try to!
Same thing for you Thomo!
Chas, thanks for the great questions, you've got a great diorama mind, keep on this way, concentrate on the "spirit behind" as much as the actual historical fact and you'll get very far indeed.
Frank, the journey for my diorama is to end up deep in the sea I fear. Yours are great words and i hope they come true
Guy, 16338 persons right now watched that thread, that's not bad actually -or maybe these are the 50 same that connected 300 times?
Domi my friend, i hope one day I can show my dioramas next to yours
Kenneth thanks for your enthusiasm! The next diorama from me I cannot even see using some binoculars, such a big work!

jba - what a summer it has been. It was a pure joy to watch this one materialize and come to life. Splendid colors, great water, great detail. Great job.

I hope you plan on submitting photos for a feature.

Jean
Thanks for this summer trip to your imagination.
Yes it is Aubert song.
Now it is sad because Automn and Winter are striking back and they will be no more JBA creation.
I hope to see your creations in RL when i will be back to France
Who's know?
Thanks for your contribution to the community
Cheers
Seb

thanks Scott, happy you liked. Something will be written though i don't know what or when or where. Right now I am in a hurry to get the big Masséna on its rails again
yep Seb that was fun to do (not the diorama, but the blog). The truth is: you're never as well as home, so I will keep on with my blogs but on my own website and just pop up in the forums to comment or present stuff from time to time -doing those interactive builds is something very time demanding and I shall not do the experience again very often!
I am sure one day i will present my stuff somewhere in France and we'll meet for a beer or 3



In the meantime here's one of the "very big pictures"..

Kitmaker resizes images, so right click and select "show image"

Yo Jba,

Thanks for sharing this great work!

A great work and and a overwellming action...you're scratchwork is one of an kind...surrtenly the homemade PE....

This is art.

On to the next one...

Greetz Nico

Jean , stunning and eerie work as usual !!! All the elements came out beautifully.

Ok what's the next build ?
Have you given any thought to this , I know it's been awhile since I've bugged you about this , but I figured if I post the pics enough you'll build it. It's got all the JBA elements , water, desolate, eerie, half sunken fishing vessels , with a small wharf element or the half sunken bridgework?
Hey what the heck if I bug you enough about it maybe you'll build it just to shut me up !!! l.o.l.
I plan on using this type of visual in my work - but that may be years and years from now l.o.l.
You can even add your signature JBA figure in a row boat amid the sunken fleet.
Come on man this is your cup of tea.
Once again beautiful work !!!! Glenn