HSS Agriculture: A Kaliphlin Farm?!? (UoP DoH)

[SarahJoy]

Some years ago . . .

When Mateus first tried to farm, things did not go well. It turns out, Kaliphlin sand is not particularly fertile, and nothing grew. After a lot of trial and error and blood and sweat and tears, he finally came up with a solution. By adding a mix of eastern Avalonian soil and chobo droppings imported from Muninn, Mateus finally managed to get crops to grow in the hostile Kaliphlin environment. (Thank you mccoyed for the droppings!)

I like the organic build shape and the way the ground texturing and changes in elevation came out. I struggled with creating a visually pleasing base that worked with the shape, though. The pattern of 1x2 palisade bricks and 1x1 round bricks works best of the the options I tried, but . . . it just doesn't look as polished as I would like.

Comments and constructive criticism are always welcome!

I would like to claim the following UoP DoH credits:

- General Building (Other Techniques): Forced Perspective (edit: withdrawn)

- Agriculture and Zoology: Crop Farming

- Anthropology: Life in Kaliphlin

Edited August 21, 2014 by SarahJoy

[Lord Vladivus]

Interesting way of doing an irregular base, nice! I like that you've referenced other builders in the build as well!

[Gideon]

Very nice field and surroundings! Great to see a new approach to Kaliphlin landscaping

UoP +1 for crop farming and life in Kaliphlin, but I'm not sure if it qualifies as FP as the build seems to be in the same scale as the foreground?

[SarahJoy]

I'm not sure if it qualifies as FP as the build seems to be in the same scale as the foreground?

That's an interesting point, and I appreciate the feedback. I suppose it's a matter of perspective, really. I was viewing the UoP credit as, "plausibly present a small-scale build as a much larger-scale expansive space," and if that's the case, I'd like to offer persuasive argument in favor of my build. If the UoP credit specifically involves creating an otherwise disproportionate build in order to create forced perspective, then I humbly withdraw my request for credit.

So, here's why I submitted this build for Forced Perspective credit:

I've used three standard methods of creating perspective in the first photo of this post:

1. One Point Perspective: The rows of crops all taper in width, and would eventually converge on a single point, far off on the horizon.
   
2. Scale: the same objects (reddish brown cheese slopes, and tan studs), circled here, get noticeably smaller in the distance
   
3. Focus: Close objects are in sharp focus, while objects far away, near the horizon line, get blurrier.
   

Ultimately, for me, it's a matter of effectiveness: does the photo effectively imply a far greater expanse of space than the actual build?

AsI said, I most humbly yield to the judgement of Kaliphlin's far more experienced builders.

Interesting way of doing an irregular base, nice! I like that you've referenced other builders in the build as well!

Very nice field and surroundings! Great to see a new approach to Kaliphlin landscaping

UoP +1 for crop farming and life in Kaliphlin, but I'm not sure if it qualifies as FP as the build seems to be in the same scale as the foreground?

Thank you!

Edited August 21, 2014 by SarahJoy

[robuko]

SarahJoy, it's very nice perspective and photography, but forced perspective is a different concept that creates the illusion of distance, typically by building different depth levels at different scale as well as through photographic focus.

I really like your use of texture and shape on the ground here.

[SarahJoy]

SarahJoy, it's very nice perspective and photography, but forced perspective is a different concept that creates the illusion of distance, typically by building different depth levels at different scale as well as through photographic focus.

I really like your use of texture and shape on the ground here.

Thank you for your compliments and constructive feedback.

I'll plan to revisit forced perspective (edit: as a UoP credit, specifically) on a future build.

Edited August 21, 2014 by SarahJoy

[grum64]

Nicely done

[gedren_y]

UoP DoH on both your claims.

[TheRedViper]

Nice work!

[Gideon]

Ok, with those arguments and that first picture I would almost second the fp credit claim if you choose to keep it

With your photography skills I'm sure that you can create an awesome fp build some other time anyways!

[MKJoshA]

Your irregular base is amazing! I love the texture it adds to the build!

[Yzalirk]

It's a very nice little build and I especially like the fact that you inclused the parts with Avalonian dirt and Chobo feces.

But where's the water for these crops? Is the farm run by magic to water it every-so-often?

[Kai NRG]

Excellent build, I really like the base shape and the you did a great job with the texture! +1 for crop farming and life in Kali.

As far as the perspective (besides the fact that you've already taken the claim back), generally Forced Perspective means a perspective that's forced because you haven't really built what the viewer is seeing (provided they don't look too closely, or they'll probably be able to tell it's miniature based on their knowledge of LEGO brick sizes - but someone who didn't know relative brick sizes wouldn't be able to tell). That can be something that's farther away than it looks, closer up than it looks, or straight up and down instead of having it's own depth. So the perspective on this build is really great, but I don't know that we can call it forced perspective just because of the depth of field, if you know what I mean (it's all really there, in that size, etc.). Here are some good examples of Forced Perspective (some by me and some by others). (You can see the set up behind some of those.)

[Mike S]

Nice! I like the logical order you have done your builds in. Food is neccesary for the growth of the town!

[Scaevola]

Nice farmstead, very detailed land and crops . UoP DoH +1 for both claims

[SarahJoy]

Nicely done

UoP DoH on both your claims.

Nice work!

Thanks, y'all!

Ok, with those arguments and that first picture I would almost second the fp credit claim if you choose to keep it

With your photography skills I'm sure that you can create an awesome fp build some other time anyways!

Thanks, Gideon, but with two "nopes", I think it best that I withdraw the claim. I may have achieved similar goals as forced perspective, but in doing so, unintentionally circumvented the building requirement of the credit. Not a big deal -- I'm here to learn, and UoP DoH is about demonstrating mastery.

Your irregular base is amazing! I love the texture it adds to the build!

Thank you!

It's a very nice little build and I especially like the fact that you inclused the parts with Avalonian dirt and Chobo feces.

But where's the water for these crops? Is the farm run by magic to water it every-so-often?

Thanks. Mccoyed was kind enough to give me permission to use his chobos as a part of the story. As for watering, Ruadh is dotted with small springs, which provide for all our water needs. They're not pictured here, but are already part of my build schedule.

Excellent build, I really like the base shape and the you did a great job with the texture! +1 for crop farming and life in Kali.

As far as the perspective (besides the fact that you've already taken the claim back), generally Forced Perspective means a perspective that's forced because you haven't really built what the viewer is seeing (provided they don't look too closely, or they'll probably be able to tell it's miniature based on their knowledge of LEGO brick sizes - but someone who didn't know relative brick sizes wouldn't be able to tell). That can be something that's farther away than it looks, closer up than it looks, or straight up and down instead of having it's own depth. So the perspective on this build is really great, but I don't know that we can call it forced perspective just because of the depth of field, if you know what I mean (it's all really there, in that size, etc.). Here are some good examples of Forced Perspective (some by me and some by others). (You can see the set up behind some of those.)

Thanks, Kai! There are some really great examples in those builds! Lots of food for thought.

Nice! I like the logical order you have done your builds in. Food is neccesary for the growth of the town!

Thanks Mike! I'm afraid I can't take much credit for the logical order -- working towards HSS recognition forces me to be more practical!

Nice farmstead, very detailed land and crops . UoP DoH +1 for both claims

Thank you!

[de Gothia]

Such a clean and nice moc! Your photos are really great!

The hair on the minifig looks very waxy!! ;)

[Gunman]

Beautiful moc SarahJoy. I really like the random terrain... Nice one

[Simon_S]

Very nice build Sarah! The terrain looks great and the irregular base looks also nice. I like how you took the first pic, so it looks like sand dunes in the background.

[soccerkid6]

Lovely sand landscape and I really like the irregular base design using log bricks and brick rounds for the edges Nice rows of crops too

[Maxim I]

I really like the irregular base and the story behind it! :)

[BrickCurve]

Who knows maybe this is the beginning of farming in Kaliphlin.

[mccoyed]

Great build, SarahJoy and glad you found a use for the chobo droppings. Captain Rangvald was suspicious about the order, initially, but Eidrin was able to convince him that they'd be put to harmless use. Mitgardian garrisons have standing orders to carefully watch imports and exports, though. The times we live in...

And heeeeey do I recall correctly that originally the poop was meant for paint? Did your Ruadhic buyer pull a fast one on Muninn?! :P

The hair on the minifig looks very waxy!! ;)

Pig (camel) fat!

[SarahJoy]

Great build, SarahJoy and glad you found a use for the chobo droppings. Captain Rangvald was suspicious about the order, initially, but Eidrin was able to convince him that they'd be put to harmless use. Mitgardian garrisons have standing orders to carefully watch imports and exports, though. The times we live in...

Shocking, isn't it, that Ruadh wanted fertilizer to . . fertilize?

We're a peaceful/lazy settlement, more interested in making art and drinking ale than war. Speaking of ale . . .

And heeeeey do I recall correctly that originally the poop was meant for paint? Did your Ruadhic buyer pull a fast one on Muninn?! :P

Our trader can't help that one sergeant got lost in his cups, and took our barroom jokes about "organic" pigments a bit too seriously! His soldiers (with admirable constitutions for ale, by the way,) explained that the poor sergeant was still recovering from unusual illness.