beelzibus Posted April 14, 2016 Castle Number 2, that's a strange title for a thread, well yes, a bit I guess, but I didn't really know what else to put. A few years ago I built a castle, I posted it here: http://www.eurobrick...11&hl=beelzibus It was pretty well received I think, and here is the 2nd castle. Some 4 years later. It actually was built over a one year period and has been finished about 2 years now, it's just taken this long to get some half decent pictures and post it up for all to see. So First off a couple of overall pictures to show you the general lay of the land. SAM_0032 by Andy, on Flickr SAM_0024 by Andy, on Flickr SAM_0036 by Andy, on Flickr OK so overall size is 132 studs long by 100 studs deep. Top of the highest tower is 70 bricks tall. As with my first tower, every room is fully furnished, and you can gain access either by lifting a roof off or removing a wall panel. Also all rooms correctly lead off another room, stairs or corridor, there are no strange situations where a room couldn't actually be accessed if it were real. The portcullis and draw bridge are remote controlled using PF components, there's a gearbox in the room above the gatehouse, one motor controls both, and functions are switched by moving the flagpole on the inner wall. I think the rest is probably self explanatory. SAM_0046 by Andy, on Flickr SAM_0045 by Andy, on Flickr Castle Fleet (43 of 43) by Andy, on Flickr Castle Fleet (42 of 43) by Andy, on Flickr Castle Fleet (41 of 43) by Andy, on Flickr SAM_0021 by Andy, on Flickr Castle Fleet (19 of 43) by Andy, on Flickr Castle Fleet (9 of 43) by Andy, on FlickrCastle Fleet (8 of 43) by Andy, on Flickr Castle Fleet (6 of 43) by Andy, on Flickr Castle Fleet (11 of 43) by Andy, on Flickr Castle Fleet (12 of 43) by Andy, on Flickr Castle Fleet (22 of 43) by Andy, on Flickr I have some more pics of other details I'll post up in a bit. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
beelzibus Posted April 15, 2016 Wow! 201 views and not a single reply. Good job I build for myself and not to score points on a forum. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Magma Posted April 15, 2016 (edited) I think it looks really good. It might have been nighttime in Europe, so not as many people online... I like the stained glass windows. And the timbered section is really nice as well. If you want some feedback, I think the first couple of photos in your post don't do it justice though - the lighting is pretty dull. The ones in the middle look a lot better. You might want to think about what the first thing people will see is when the click on the link. Those first few overview photos should be your best. This is feedback I've been given myself and have taken to heart. Edited April 15, 2016 by Magma Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MiloNelsiano Posted April 15, 2016 (edited) Wow! 201 views and not a single reply. Good job I build for myself and not to score points on a forum. I know how you feel, and sometimes I post a small basic MOC and get 4 times as many comments as when I post a larger MOC I'm really proud of. I also build for myself, but also find it frustrating when I don't receive feedback (I would rather hear negative feedback that's constructive rather than hear no feedback). All that being said, I really like this MOC. I've actually taken quite a bit of inspiration from this and am thinking about trying a similar lighthouse kind of build for my next big project. The many little details including the interiors are especially impressive. I'll be waiting for castle number 3! Edited April 15, 2016 by MiloNelsiano Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
songwm Posted April 15, 2016 What a majestic looking castle! Also love the round tower in front and the plants around the castle. Great work! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
soccerkid6 Posted April 15, 2016 Quite a massive castle layout! The lighthouse with wooden window, and hanging cage is magnificent Lovely bridge design with the ladders, droid arms, and bars too Great smoke effect coming out of the chimney Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheJiral Posted April 15, 2016 I agree with the comment above, presentation makes a big difference. The brighter pictures do the model much more justice in my humble opinion. I like the flat perspective from afar, where you can see the rocks, water and the whole castle complex. The wooden parts create some lovely contrast to the rather stern look of the stone parts. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jreacher Posted April 15, 2016 Wow! 201 views and not a single reply. Good job I build for myself and not to score points on a forum. Good thing. Cause people who are looking to score points and looking for praise are lame. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vorkosigan Posted April 16, 2016 Nice build. The tower, the overall layout, and the fact that the buildings have detailed interiors is all great. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nagol of Fortfield Posted April 16, 2016 The coast, the light house, the skeleton the the cage, the crenelations, all awesome!! I really like the beach fading into vegetation though Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Master_Data Posted April 22, 2016 Wow. There's so much here, it's incredible! The tower, the water, the foliage, and I love that rope bridge (LEGO has a mold for that, but this is so much better). Great job! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LEGO Runner Posted April 24, 2016 Looks great! I like the coastline and the small ridge. Good work on the general landscape that the castle is built on and around! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
beelzibus Posted April 24, 2016 Hi, many thanks for all the kind comments. I'm glad people like what I've done. Regarding the photography, what you see here is a mix of two lots of pictures, some taken by me with just a basic point and shoot small digital camera in normal daylight, and some taken by a friend of mine with expensive fancy kit, lighting, silver umbrellas and heaven knows what else. I also don't know what if anything he did after taking the pics before sending them to me. It took me 18 months before someone was able and willing to come to mine and take some 'decent' pictures, much of the reason that although finished over 2 years ago, this creation has only just been made public. I will never be able to take such high quality pictures myself, I just don't have the kit, nor do I have the money to get such kit. I suspect I'm not alone in this situation. Yes I realise that such lovely presentation really does help, but I do question whether as a hobby we're starting to worry more about the presentation and photography than the actual Lego. Also I think it's worth pointing out that those of us that build big, further compound the issue, it's relatively simple to take really good pictures of small vignettes and groups of figures, quite another thing when the build is as substantial as this. Personally a bunch of figures on a 16x16 and surrounded by a few dozen bricks, rocks of some foliage does nothing for me. Such things can be turned out in minutes, and IMO show little of the builders skill, should we not as a hobby be encouraging those who really 'build', rather than criticising their lack of photography skills or equipment? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
soccerkid6 Posted April 26, 2016 I think the number of positive comments does show significant appreciation for your build. Suggestions concerning photography are meant to be helpful, and seeing as your pictures are all that we can use to view your creation, they are quite important. Larger builds are definitely more difficult to photograph, but also more deserving of photography effort. When someone offers photography tips they probably just want to be able to see your model better If you prefer to spend time building rather than photographing/editing that's totally fine. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
