hello friends, this is the same building that you can see below, but with added a cardboard house. I hope that will be usseful for you.

a general wiew

house in the left are made in cardboard with a layer of latex paint. ornaments are made in cork



the rounded stones are made with two components putty

this is the rigth side, the wood is balsa wood
detail of the corniche: rounded bar is wood ,squares are cork

the roof of the house is made in carboard from a Tamiya box
cheers
Carlos

I'm getting really tempted to try scratchbuilding something like this.. It really is excellent!

This is the main purposse of these pics Murdo ,tempting others to take the way of scratchbuilding urban dioramas with autentic buildings
gereetings
CArlos

You, my friend, are amazing:) Really blockhaus, your builts are great, this one as well as your others, posted somewhere in this forum. I can't believe this was build using the cork technique and I'm spending so much time trying to create realistic, individual stones, when all I had to do was take some cork. Really top notch mate!!
Do you use some kind of wall spackle on that cork, or something else?? Maybe you already explained it somewhere, if so please post a link to guide me in the right direction.

Do you build those buildings for a living or is it just a hobby?? (I've asked Barv the same question lately:) ) You are really talented and could make some money by selling your incredible creations.

cheers,
dsc.

Hi Tom,

well your work with your medieval tower is also very convincing. your metod is more or less the same that mine, you uses plaster and I cork. may be can be usseflul for you see the previous treats about this tower here:

https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/45687&page=1
op=modload&name=SquawkBox&file=index&req=viewtopic&topic_id=53772&page=1

and you can see more information in my previous post, you can click at profile , my messajes

feel free for ask questions about this.
and no, I´m not a prfessional, but I sold some models to comapnies for mass prduction: VLS will released soon some models, Mig productions have some models also and Toro models ( not Polish, but a Spanish company with the same name have also some references that I made for him
And I have published a lot of works in dioramas in Xtreme modelling magazine and others, But I make only the houses other people make the tanks, figures,etc and paint all.
best whises
Carlos

As always, your work is absolutely outstanding and inspiring as well as incentive!
Since I saw one of your dios (the one with the Huge factory, the German soldiers and the StuG) in a German modelling magazine some time ago, I always wanted to try that method. I think now these pictures and some of your articles in which you described building with cork finally encouraged me to build some nice little 1/72-clones of your 1/35th masterpieces (well at least I will try )

Well I hope you "cork-building-god" will keep on creating those amazing models!
Best wishes,

ekke

Carlos, beautiful work as always, thats why you are my mentor. Your work is what made me try to create scratch built projects. It's fun and not too difficult and there are no limits, whatever you want to build you just create.
Cheyenne

Hi Carlos!

Your work is indeed very inspiring! Thanks for sharing...

The inside of the tower (in the real thing) was made of rubble is that right? By the way, do you use a precise photo to make those buildings or do you work with various references?

Jean-Luc

Outstanding work. The more I look at it, the better it gets. Keep the pictures coming...

Your work never seizes to amaze me Carlos.

An inspiration? Definitely yes. I've got a few sheets of cork, at home. I'll give it a try some day soon.

Thanks for sharing this wonderful work Carlos

Well done Carlos, very nice, great detail. I am amazed be your craftsmanship. Always apleasure to gaze upon great work. An inspiration you are to many of us. Thanks again for all of your help and suggestions with my dio.

Paul

Thanks to all for your kind words.

it is truly inspiring to see that there are so many colleagues interested in my work.

Jean Luc, I don't have a fixed rule to design these buildings, the only one is maybe to put in their context to the vehicle and the figures of the diorama. In fact design the scene using real elements, although combining them to my pleasure. It is the same method that Canaletto used to paint its celebrated landscapes of Venice, he changed to its pleasure the perspectives i eliminated or included buildings, etc, in its canvas, but for any observer of its works, those scenes are obviously Venice although in the scene appears a church or palace that in fact not this there.

I include a picture of the picture in which I have been inspired to make this piece

You are lucky you live in a region in the one that to be inspired alone it is necessary to leave to the street: -)
BTW I find your airplanes excellent, the French aviation is also a very interesting topic in which too many modellers doesn't work

I really have to buy some cork sheets and start a new project to see how it goes. I've read that you are using normal wall spackle to cover the cork, what about the kind of cork that you use? Is any kind good, or those it have to be a certain one.

dsc.

Hi Carlos!

Thanks for your answer. This explains a lot! I like your artistic approach of dioramas.

It's curious how on the picture the gate looks like a head!? Two eyes, a nose, a big mouth (the people are the teeth) and even hair on top!

About my region... well, I was born in Forbach and this town near the German border was one of the last place that saw combat in France during WW2. Almost half the town was destroyed during heavy fightings between the US troops and the Germans. Population had to grab shelters to escape the house to house fightings. Maybe on day I will make a diorama to remember that battle with the last remains of the "Schloßberg" castle...

Thanks again for your kind comments!

Jean-Luc

Your work is always so impressive. I so much enjoy looking at them..and wishing that someday my skills will develop into what you have accomplished.

Great Job as always.. (++)

Awesome work yet again the details you put into them is brilant.

Ron

Tom,
the cork this made up of small particles of the bark of the blended crushed cork oak with an agglutinant and pressed. there are different cork types, depending on the size of this particles. some can it turns at first sight, for other you need a glass magnifying.

The best cork to make scale models is the one that has the finest particles. SIe stas familiarized with the cars until years 70 this cork was used to seal the two parts of the motor ( sorrybut one doesn't eat to explain this part of the automobile better) :-(

Jean,
hopes to be able to see some day a diorama on this battle. The dioramas about France is usually located in their majority in Normandy and some in the North of France in 40 but there are very few works that show other fronts, and it is necessary to remember that in almost all France had warlike actions they are already among allies and German or these with the FFI: Nobody better than a French to make a diorama on this topic.

Mary the day that you want to begin to work with this material and need an advice it counts on me. Everything is practice question, of knowing like the material behaves, that tools to use: everything is learned when you practices it
cheers
Carlos

What can I say...WOW!!!

WOW is right.. Simply amazing what you can accomplish with some cork and cardboard.. Absolutelt stunning work blockhaus.. Always look forward to seeing your creations.

Dave

Carlos,

You simply never fail to amaze me, what an outstanding piece of work. You are truly an inspiration.

Cheers

Jay

Impressive job. Very well done. Its going to be a fantastic building when painted - but its still fantastic unpainted

Hola Carlos, Que tal...
I´m spanish speaking but my typing sux
I´m new at the sight but been vissiting it regularly the past year and stumbeld over your thread about the Cork/brick method and i´m hooked, what a wonderful material, i´m on several projekts that are based on the cork method i´m just loving it. Thank you for sharing your methods and not to say your wonderfull exquisite artworks, solamente marabillosos.
Your an inspiration for all of us.
Regarding you latest creation, extraordinary, i found a picture of a Sherman driving thru the precice gate. I´l try to post it...

Thank you once again

Here it is...
Dont know if you´ve seen it, seem to be some sort of text on the fasad.
Hope it helps in the house painting Stage

Hello Dan , thanks for your nice words.

Yes this is the gate that I´m inspired for my work, is a building from a duch city named Valkenburg. I make some modifications.

Is a great news that you know spanish :-) if you need some explanation I can do it in Spanish

cheers
CArlos