27 replies to this topic

[RampantDingo]

98b

 PTVII.JPG   43.13K   7 downloads

This is my entry for PTV2. It's a Bus/cart stop on the side of the road. The old castaway from Loot Island had to go get his dentures replaced as soon as he got back to civilization, so he's waiting for a cart to go to town. The redcoat officer is off to propose to the governor's daughter.

This will be my final revision and pictures till I think of something I can do to make it better. Thanks everybody for the suggestions that improve it so much.

Edited by SlyOwl, 02 December 2009 - 09:33 PM.

[Bricknave]

This is a very well-built and impressive MOC!  I love the pebble road and the horse-with-buggy stop!  
However, there are quite a few things that I dislike about this vignette (the list is very slim).
*The street-lamp.  I don't like the way the yellow transparent 1x1 round brick is positioned at all.  I think the brick should be positioned vertically.  Unless, this street-lamp is based on a real style I've never seen before.
*I like the flowers when they have the stud side facing up, but that is just my opinion.

Edited by Bricknave, 02 October 2009 - 12:54 AM.

[Tom Bricks]

I feel the same way about the lamp, I think it looks to modern. There are some good lamp designs here so maybe these will help. I would also relate the pic so the soldiers face is showing.

I'm not sure what you mean in the last part though I can see the pic fine.

Overall great job and welcome to Eurobricks.

[SirGoldenKnight]

Damn, the problems comes for me >.< I was the only small entry, now i have 2 and both are awesome... I liked the simplicity of this MOC, liked the idea and the stop... But the best for me was the lamp! So awesome!
I suggest you adding more flowers (maybe you dont have them, in this case, maybe a small tree) the floor, using 1x1 round bricks are awesome! I would like to do one of this, but i dont have enough pieces
Anyways, i dont liked this because it is going to be harder to me win  

[The Alchemyst]

Welcome to EB!  

Heh, the idea of a cart stop is cute.
I like how you did the ground, but I'm not sure if it's the brown base [Maybe a bley one would work better?] or the fact that they're studs, but the ground seems a little funny looking. =/ I like the colors of them though, so have you tried black and tan 1x1 tiles?

The solider with the flowers is nice and all but either the photo should be taken at a higher angle or the flower lowered because it obscures his face and makes it look slightly awkward. =/

On that note, I'd try to get a completely white background, either through GIMP/Photoshop or some white posterboard. The picture is overall a bit dark I feel, and if you got some light from an outside source to light up the inside of the shaded stop, that'd be great.

Also of note is the EB Reviewers' Academy. If you haven't joined I suggest you do; they have some very nice tutorials on photo taking in the forum.

The top of the stop could use some "oomph". The colors are kind of drab, and I think some vibrant reds or some blues [with another slightly contrasting color] could really help. That's because while most of the entire vignette has colors [the flowers, the soldier, the floor, and the light], that place just looks really barren, in terms of color. I'd also try getting a smooth clean cut with tiles also in the back, instead of studs. Or alternatively, you could add something there, maybe some ornamentation or a flag.

And I think a flag to signify this as a "cart stop" would be a very nice addition; it'd look great either on top of the stop or hanging from the streetlight [Also it's hard to fit so much inside an 8x8.   ]. In terms of the light, it looks really strange to be held like that. I really like how you used the black telescope, it looks very natural as a street light. But if you could make it more of an old lamp using some of these "Palm Tree Tops" in Black. and the Trans-yellow round brick inside, topped off with a Round 2x2 dish. I've seen it before and it looks nice, but relative size could be a problem. So overall a hanging outstretched streetlight [Something like this, by SlyOwl.] or a lamp-type streetlight would look better, because I have not seen a streetlight like the one in your MOC.  

The flower on the street is a nice touch, but I'm not sure I like the additional leaves on it; it seems very out of place. I think some sort of small pot [Squeeze in a Red Brown/Gray/Tan Minifig head], if it works.] would be fine.

Overall I really like this vignette. It's hard fitting in small details in such a small base, but you did well. I especially love the ground .

Best of luck in the voting!

EDIT: Doubled the signoff. :P

[-TA-]

Edited by The Alchemyst, 02 October 2009 - 02:06 AM.

[RampantDingo]

Thanks everybody for the ideas. Alchemyst, it's not so much the pictures are bad as that the pictures are bad now, I will take some nice photos tomorrow or Saturday. I would love to make a lamp like that, but I am extremely limited to parts as I have only really started getting system sets in the last year or so. I was mostly a technic and bionicle guy until I discovered how cool hordes of trolls and redcoats are.

[Tom Bricks]

I like the improvements and with better pictures tomorrow this is one top notch MOC.  

[The Alchemyst]

I like the angle this time, and I do hope for some better clean pictures in the upcoming days to really show off this MOC. This angle shows the soldier's face as well as the ground. It looks really good here, and I think I'll take back what I said about a bley base; this looks great.

The lamp seems a tad tall now, maybe cut down the round 1x1 brick at the bottom? Or is it too low then? It could also be that the proportions make it really tall with the long extending arm. If you have another black telescope, see how that works instead of the rod.

Once again, not too much of the obtrusiveness of the flowers on the bottom.

I'll be keeping tabs!

[-TA-]

[Francis Marion]

A nice little vignette, in my opinion, and a very nice adaptation of a modern concept to old technology. However, I do think that the size could be improved slightly so as to make room for more than one person waiting for the cart. The cobbled street is nice, but seems a bit too orderly for a period street.

[badboytje88]

Wow, nice creation. I like the way you used an official lego fig, and told his story about getting back to sivilisation (I probably miss-spelled that word)

Things I'd change:
- The lamp would look better if you put one of these parts on top of the trans yellow 1x1 round brick:
http://www.bricklink...Item.asp?P=4740
- The last thing I would change would be the 1x1 round plates on the floor. To me these look to structurised in colour. I've seen creations where the AFOL used brown, redish brown, tan, grey, dark grey, bley, dark bley and black on the floor of his moc, and it looked great.

~Badboy

[The Alchemyst]

The new picture is beautiful.

Only problem seems that the light looks a tad too low [watch the plume Mr. Soldier!]. I like the use of the Trans Yellow Round Brick though, it gives a lantern feel. I think you should work some way to raise it up a stud or two maybe.

I like the change from the leaves on the path. Much less glaring now.

But still, I'm digging the new photo  

[-TA-]

[RampantDingo]

I actually think it looks like that because of the angle. If I raise it up more, it feels disproportionate. His plume barely reaches it.

[MetroiD]

While I really enjoy this little vig and all the wonderful improvements you've made to it, I somehow don't understand how these two happy (?) souls' stories intertwine... It's a very enjoyable little street scene, but I was looking for some detail that would relate them to each other - and there was none. The flowers besides the cart stop totally threw me off - what were they doing there anyway!? At first, I thought that the pirate was off to ask that ol' fella for his daughter's hand (hence the sad look on his face), but now upon reading that they've got absolutely in common, I'm quite baffled. I love your idea about that cart stop, but if you could have somehow added some small detail as to remind viewers of its purpose, I think it would have turned out even better. Yeah, I know that bus... oops, cart   stops don't have glowing neon signs that say "Cart be stopping here", but still...

[RampantDingo]

I experimented with the sign from MVV with the horses on it, but couldn't find an unobtrusive place for it. As for the story, I really wasn't trying that hard for continuity. They don't have any relation to each other other than the fact that they happen to be on the same street at the moment. If it doesn't make sense, I'll have to think about it some more. I think the old guy looks sad cause he hasn't had anything but cabbage soup since his dentures wore out.

[The Alchemyst]

Hm, it doesn't work on the top of the stop?   That sucks.

Have you tried removing the flowers to add the Flag? Or does it lose some of its charm and color?

[-TA-]

[RampantDingo]

Picture didn't turn out great again, I will resolve the awful roof problems tonight and post a nicer picture when the light's good tomorrow

[MetroiD]

Ah, that's so much better now!!  A tiny change which goes a long way to refining this one, I really like the addition of the post! Have you considered adding an actual cart or would it get too cluttered?

[NewRight]

The tan looks great on your entry. Maye their is a little to much in the road, some dark bley or additional light bley could fix it, but right now it still looks fine. Tan is a favorite LEGO color of mine.

I get almost a castle vibe from this rather than Pirates, maybe it's just me, but the torso on the minifig and the center of attention to me really makes me think castle. I don't have a problem with it as Pirates and Castle are very similar to me. The sign post is well done and I may have to use that technique sometime.

Great work! And nice idea!

[The Alchemyst]

Mmm, digging the sign. Redcoat did get in the way I suppose.

You stated that the picture wasn't good, and you have time to take a better one anyway. :P The light of the previous picture on the ol' Pirate was great, hope you have the light to recreate that soon   .

Anyway it's really gorgeous, and the light looks great without the Redcoat in the way.

You've worked on this really quickly, and got a really nice, detailed Small Entry. I can't really say much more except for the "pot" for the flowers a couple of posts back [if it works/you have the pieces] and maybe some more checkerboarding with the Bley and Black up top. Or if you have enough 1x1s and Cheese slopes, a brighter color scheme for it completely.

I think this is a strong Small Entry for the contest.  Best of Luck!

[-TA-]

[Bricknave]

The updated version of this vignette looks absolutely marvelous!  The amount of detail is stunning!
Although, I agree with what previous comments had said.  There is too much tan on the pebble road.
Otherwise, this MOC has a high chance of winning a place in the small department.  No guarantees, but it is quite possible.  

[The Alchemyst]

Oh goody, the final version.

I'm liking it. The ground is much better and more natural with the light gray there. The cheese slopes all the way at the top seem a little unnecessary, but they're not detracting from anything.

Only problem I'd say is the lighting; you can barely see the Old Pirate with all that shadow.

This definitely has a chance at winning I'd say, and it's one of my favorite small entries.

[-TA-]

[Perfectionist]

I really like your lantern.   My favourite of the small entrys so far. All the details go together quite nicely.

[The Alchemyst]

Mmm, liking the color.

Angle is a bit funny since the white space on the left and right are uneven, so I'd just crop some of that out.

Lighting on the inside isn't the best, but it's fine.

Anyway, at your pace, I'll have to be checking this daily!  

[-TA-]

[badboytje88]

I like that you changed the 1x1 round plates into a more random order. It looks way better in my oppinion.

~Badboy

[Big Cam]

I think it's clever, and the cobble stone pathway is great, as stated, the randomness of it, makes it believable.