Elostirion Posted January 7, 2016 Since their arrival in the new world the Fontonajo family has found their home in and around the settlement of Nova Terreli on the island of Nellisa. The Fontonajo's played a big role in the MCTC's effort to gain the monopoly on cotton and still make a very good annual income from their cotton plantations to this very day. Not far off the town of Nova Terreli you can find one of their major cotton plantations, where plants are grown in a set pattern of rows - Corrington science can be a great help, even for agriculture. A small hut provides space for storage, for tools and chests especially. In harvest season additional workers are hired on the fields, but the men of the family themselves take care of things. Juan Alfonso Fontonajo, the eldest son of Román Esteban Fontonajo, is inspecting the workers at the Fontonajo Cotton Plantation in the hinterland of Nova Terreli. It's harvest-season, and as one of the major sources of income of the family, a successfull cotton-harvest is critical to their advantage in the new world. The cotton is stored in big chests and then transported to the factories in the town of Nova Terreli. Fieldworkers are harvesting the cotton and carrying big bags around all day. As the heir of the Fontonajo family Juan Alfonso is eager to inspect the workers. Harvesting cotton all day is no easy business, many workers, though decently paid by the family, show grim faces. Looking at the fields from the top (just like the eagle flies) clearly shows the use of Corrington's scientific insight into aggriculture. -------- I hope you guys like this build. It was quite some effort (also about photography with decent lighting in front of a bluescreen and then some postproduction; looking forward to master Gideon's feedback on that one) but also huge fun building it, I guess I might do further plantations in the future... Also credit to Simon_S for his sugar cane plantation which definitely inspired me to start this building. Looking forward to some feedback, and have a nice evening everyone. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Capt Wolf Posted January 7, 2016 I like it! The shack, the path leading away, and the rider on horseback all give it a sense of something larger. And you're taking advantage of the MCTC's cotton monopoly. Smart! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kabel Posted January 7, 2016 I would have never thought of using the white flowers as cotton plants but in contrast to the dark tan ground it makes perfect sense. Well done plantation scene and welcome to Nova Terreli! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Captain Genaro Posted January 7, 2016 I love it. The side of the shack is fantastic with the gaps between planks. Cotton can be a difficult crop to replicate in Lego, but I think the flowers do a fairly good job of it. The only part I might change is the telescopes with the gold tile on top. I'm assuming the represent a fence, but it looks odd to me. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TitusV Posted January 7, 2016 Great job! You can clearly see IT is cotton, but the best part for me are the Colors! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kai NRG Posted January 7, 2016 Great idea with the white flowers as cotton! The little shack is well done too! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blackdeathgr Posted January 7, 2016 Everything is awesome! More than awesome really! Great job Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
halixon Posted January 7, 2016 That shack is Amazing! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gideon Posted January 8, 2016 (edited) Nice scene overall, especially the shack The minifigs are also great. As I've commented on some other build, if you edit the background to "perfect white" make sure to correct the white balance of the photo as well since otherwise you have two different kinds of white (compare the horse or the flowers to the background) in the same picture. In this case it was not that far off, but you can see that the bricks have a more yellowish hue as photographed. Edited January 8, 2016 by Gideon Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Captain Braunsfeld Posted January 8, 2016 Fine build! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Elostirion Posted January 9, 2016 Thanks for the kind words. About using white flowers: I played around quite a lot before getting started and gave my cotton plants various tries with other white and brown elements I had, but basically everything I built was too clumpy, too big and did not look like cotton at all. While the white flowers are not perfect (especially with the green in it, brown grass stems would have worked a lot better, but buying them for like 3€ a piece at bricklink... no thanks), I think they were the best I could do - however I am looking forward to other people's attempts at cotton plants in this game. :-) What I also tried was putting two petals on one flower stem (the lower turned around and the upper the right way), to make them look more like a ball and a bit thicker. While you could not really fix them, it would at least have been possible to losely lay them on top after all was done, but I quite ran out of white flower petals at the end. Anyways, thanks for the kind words, I am looking forward to other cotton plantations and also to people utilizing the Fontonajo cotton in their factories or trade. :-) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gedren_y Posted January 9, 2016 If you simply add white 1x1 round plates to the tops of the flowers, they will look more like cotton. As for the stems, if you are willing to go non-purist, you could get altBricks stems that come in two tan colors and two colors of green at the moment. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Matthias Posted January 9, 2016 Very cool build. I like the feeling of the moc. The color of the leaves are 100% right for this fealing. Great! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Elostirion Posted January 9, 2016 If you simply add white 1x1 round plates to the tops of the flowers, they will look more like cotton. Why didn't I think of that? Gave it a quick try and it worked out quite well. Not that I had nearly enough of those white 1x1 round plates, but there is bricklink after all... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blackdeathgr Posted January 9, 2016 If you simply add white 1x1 round plates to the tops of the flowers, they will look more like cotton. This idea is even better! GJ Gedren_y! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Garmadon Posted January 11, 2016 Very nice cotton plantation Elostirion! The sideways board technique works very well on the shack, and the cotton rows are excellent as well - although I do agree that it looks much better with the studs on top Also, the pic you have with the studs on has a good deal better white balance than the main ones... but you've already heard about that Keep it up! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Capt Wolf Posted January 12, 2016 If you simply add white 1x1 round plates to the tops of the flowers, they will look more like cotton. Wow! That makes a big difference. I thought it would be hard to improve, but that has a real effect. Good suggestion! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bregir Posted January 12, 2016 Really nice plantation! And I'm glad to see that our Corrington science is put to good use. I think the overall composition is great, and you have put in the right amount of action to make it come alive but still retain a peaceful, rural atmosphere. The white flowers for cotton is brilliant, especially with gedren's suggestion. Perhaps adding white studs to some of the flowers would work without requiring too many? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Elostirion Posted January 12, 2016 I have added all I have and only need another ~200 (I have counted). I look to add them to my next BL order and will surely post an update afterwards. :-) Thanks for all the kind words, glad you like it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Captain Dee Posted January 15, 2016 Beautiful plantation. The revised cotton plants look much better but the overall composition is really good regardless. I like the exposed, tilled ground and the tidy rows are neat. The shed looks great too, although perhaps a bit small - I assume they store tools there? Showing the workers harvesting the cotton is an excellent idea, as well as the overseer on horseback. Good work. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vedauwoo Posted January 16, 2016 That looks like a Cotton-pickin' good time! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Captain Green Hair Posted January 17, 2016 The white flowers indeed work well, and I like the shoddy cabin for the workers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
