Captain Dee
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Everything posted by Captain Dee
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This is a unique subject and makes excellent use of what is otherwise a very limited-use part - the stud shooters. I don't like them for their intended purpose but they're just about perfect for the statues in this scale. The ship is pretty good too, especially the chest lid and backpack, but I think the statues are the best part. The water could have been more creative but it would have distracted from the rest of the scene and it looks fine as it is. Good work!
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You could just build up the forecastle behind the prow rather than using another of those bow elements to give the vessel that distinct 1600s look, albeit in a small scale. If it weren't for the pronounced stern I wouldn't recommend building it up anyway. These small vessels can be challenging so I'm curious to see what you come up with. Changing the rigging will transform it too.
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This was posted during my time as a lurker but I remember it plainly, picture or no. As always vitreolum impressed with his innovative techniques, like the masonry brick road and that roof. Too bad the photos are down because this, like all his projects, should be saved as reference material for aspiring builders!
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Todd McFarlane tries to make "construction" toys.
Captain Dee replied to legoman19892's topic in Community
TLG is probably secretly smirking over the free publicity he's giving them. I doubt if they're shaking in their boots. He comes across as a bit of a jerk in those quotations; however I don't want to stoop to name-calling and insults, and he's just exercising his freedom in the world of commerce. Good luck, buddy. You're gonna need it. It sounds like his big gripe is the lack of realistic detail in Lego. But that's purely intentional, because of the one important thing he doesn't seem to understand: Lego is a child's toy first and foremost. The AFOL world is just one small part of the Lego experience. He speaks from his adult perspective about something designed for single-digit ages. Does he really think we don't already know these things? I don't think the average 6-10 year old cares one bit about the lack of realism. They just want something fun to play with. Besides, his poor scaling is no more realistic than, say, the arm-length Lego banana (unless you figure the minifigs are all really small children!) I just think he's preaching a very conflicted message, and I think the marketplace will react accordingly. Sure, he'll sell a few sets but it won't register on TLG's radar. -
As usual the story is well-written and the accompanying photos illustrate it well. The base is quite recognizable as your own unique style and it looks great. The leaning, crumbling ruins are wonderful and the road is cool. My favorite part might just be the trees and the fresh look they offer. And the close-up photography is nice as always. Good work! EDIT: I just realized you posted in my "new member" thread. One down, nine to go! No, actually I'm not keeping score but I'm working on something... unusual that you might like. Might be a little while until I get it posted though. It's very technical and involves a LOT of writing (true stuff, btw). Anyway, thanks for dropping a note!
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The Algus Saga - Defending the North
Captain Dee replied to Captain Braunsfeld's topic in Guilds of Historica
Another fine creation, Captain Braunsfeld. The arches, windows in relief and doorway are all nicely done - even if the one arch doesn't match, which I see you've explained. I really like that snowscape even if you didn't invent the technique. The elevated defenses and barrel of boiling oil are pretty good, and the posing really sells the story well. The invaders look ferocious and the use of the white warg is fitting. Overall I think the aforementioned term "aesthetically pleasing" suits the whole build very well. Good work. -
The Algus Saga - Southern Comfort
Captain Dee replied to Captain Braunsfeld's topic in Guilds of Historica
Those tents are nice - especially the tan one and its lovely flaps. The snow looks good throughout the scene and yes, I immediately noticed that the fire had melted all the close white stuff. Those boots look great - why not use them on a fig as part of full custom legs, eh? Despite being a frosty scene it has a certain cozy feel. Good work. -
I really like the different techniques in use here. The geometric base is far more interesting built to follow the terrain and the snow looks great as usual. The roof of the tower is brilliant and overall I like the planking of the walls, although the placement of some of the dark brown could have been a little less distracting. Once more the half open / half enclosed design is wonderfully neat and tidy and I like all the furnishings and other details. Good work!
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Teacher - Given by Phred, who said "you are a smartypants, but in a good, mentor kind of way" after I suggested that he must think I am a "know-it-all smartypants."
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Quick question: is there a way to report from the mobile version of the site? I've encountered 2 or 3 spam topics and wanted to report but couldn't figure out how on my phone. I realize that junk gets deleted, which brings up another question: what about copycat posts that just disappear? On at least 2 ocassions I've written a thoughtful response to someone's topic only to have someone copy part of a statement word for word (not a standard quote, just copied) that could stand as a legitimate statement on its own. One time the copycat post was deleted after a few days - would that have been a type of spammer or just an admin or moderator weeding out plagiarism? Either way, I'm sure glad this site has these controls in place. And I apologize for going slightly off-topic but this seemed like the best time and place for it.
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Caribbean Brig MOC (6274 Caribbean Clipper)
Captain Dee replied to PeroTheLegoman's topic in Pirate MOCs
As much as I always liked the old Caribbean Clipper, it just never was big enough or detailed enough to challenge the BSB. This isn't huge and still isn't heavily armed but overall it looks more balanced than the Clipper - especially that fully-rigged second mast. You've done a pretty good job of building something familiar that could easily substitute for the official set. The white stripe surrounded by black always looks good and the collection of treasure chests should make Gov. Broadsides happy. The cabin might benefit from a little more external polish, but other than that, good work! -
The question of excessive posting is mostly a matter of whether you're offering meaningful input or just a few common buzzwords. If you're writing paragraphs offering useful critiques, go for it! If you're mostly saying things like "Neat build!" then you're really just using up page space, to put it bluntly. I've posted way more than 150 in a single month - but every single time I had something to offer the builder (or author, if it wasn't about a MOC, like this topic). Usually I try to point out what I like about a MOC (everyone likes being built up a little, right?) and if there's something I think could be better I'll say it. Exposure on this forum is gained by posting, be it your own topic or a reply to someone else. I wouldn't worry about the number unless you feel pressured to achieve ranks, at which point I'd scale it back drastically. I want to be known but I simply couldn't care less about the ranks. Shoot, I don't even like the names for most of them. I'm currently a Knight and it's my favorite title. So post what you want - if it's truly useful or meaningful in some way. Otherwise take your finger off that trigger!
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That's a cute little scene and the story is cool. I like the rocky base in particular but the rest of the landscape is nice too. It has a quiet tranquil feel about it... which is a good break from all the violence that's been going on here the last few months. And the vacation scene is quite appropriate as well. Nice work.
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You've become quite a master of these half open / half enclosed builds. It's a really cool technique for several reasons: you don't need as many pieces, you can detail and access the interior easily, and photography doesn't require dismantling and/or crazy camera angles to show everything. Oh, and I really like your cabin too! It's wonderfully realistic and the sparse accomodations still look sufficient. I especially like the stove and the doorway. Good work!
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That's a very nice scene under any light, but as shown it's simply beautiful. You've created a very realistic atmosphere considering the available lighting methods from that general time period. The architecture and various details are lovely. It definitely looks like a proper library and "feels" like one too. Good work!
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I think the overall look could be improved considerably by removing the sterncastle and building up the entire hull by at least one brick. As it is, the bulky stern somewhat overwhelms the rest of the hull. I really question whether you need it on a vessel this size. If the sterncastle must stay intact, try curving the decks from bow to stern for a smoother transition to lessen the visual impact. I also think the masts could be taller but the yardarms seem too long for the narrow width of the hull. As much as I like square-rigged vessels, I think something this small would benefit from fore-and-aft rigging, like a schooner, or a combination of the two, like a schooner bark or a topsail schooner. A brigantine wouldn't be bad either. But that's all up to you! Hope I've been helpful and good luck building.
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The diva has interesting taste in vehicles. That looks like one thumpin' ride. What's up front - a blown 582 or something? Bugatti 16-cylinder? Whatever it is it shouldn't lack power, although it looks more like an off-roading dune buggy than a speedster. I get the feeling the cockpit is a bit loud with such close proximity to those straight pipes. Anyway, I hope they find that lost head. I'm assuming the rest of the body was recovered...
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I agree that the overall shot is nice but I think the mountains loom up a bit too suddenly from the hills, which are almost lost behind the minifigs. Foothills usually climb slowly as you approach mountains (with some exceptions, like Mt. McKinley) and adding more height and possibly more depth (another layer in a different color green) would improve the hills in my opinion. But if you want the mountains to seem abrupt then don't change it. Adjusting the camera focus to really blur the background - or blurring it with photoshop, as I think you've mentioned using it - would be helpful regardless of any other changes; actually it could be all that's needed to make the scene more convincing. All the different minifigs make a nice crowd in the photo and the lighting on the close central fig is excellent. Changing the text color would also noticeably improve the presentation - as it is, the word "we" is lost amid the similar color of the fig, really forcing viewers to focus hard to read it. You could change the color of just that one word to something lighter - but not too light or it will look emphasized, unless that's what you want. The other option is to increase the height of the image by adding more white space at the bottom to allow room to print the full title underneath the fig. It's a neat little scene as is, but a few minor changes would improve it considerably. Nice work and keep us posted if you change anything.
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No title needed for this one! That face is unmistakable - and about as close to perfection as can possibly be accomplished with Lego. Usually I don't pay much attention to mosaics but this one probably has far greater appeal overall due to his enduring popularity. (It's hard to believe he's been gone 21 years now...) This is one of the best Lego creations I've ever seen due to the incredible realism of the illustration. I also think working in black and white was a good idea as it probably would've been much harder to replicate that picture using the full range of somewhat limited colors. Good job selecting that contemplative expression from the 3-time World Champ as well. Excellent work!
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Battle of Waterloo: "Steady lads!"
Captain Dee replied to Gary The Procrastinator's topic in Pirate MOCs
This scene (and others like it) reminds me of the lines from Tennyson's "Charge of the Light Brigade." Specifically the words "Theirs not to question why / Theirs but to do, and die / Forward the light brigade." I know it was from the Crimean War but the thought applies so hauntingly to battlefields the world over. I'm anxious to see the rest. Gary, I'm glad you took your time. Rushing it probably wouldn't have been nearly as good. We know what you're capable of doing, so I take it this particular scene is just the appetizer! -
With regards to the crew, you have an excellent start with that decidedly non-pirate fig who is currently onboard. When I got several of those torso pieces trade and commerce were the first things to come to mind. Some of the pirates over the years have been useful as merchant figs but several of the licensed minifigs work too, as you've shown. I'm sure you'll do fine and I'm anxious to see that galleon.
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Just when I thought our resident monkey expert had gotten lost at sea he sails forth with another tale of monkey business. The scene is well built and nicely posed and as usual the monkey statues look great. The beach is nice and the water looks cool - and definitely more movable than loose round tiles. As for forced perspective, I think it would look better if it was slightly elevated so as not to be lost in the background. I assume the crabs are dancing too? Good work!
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Argh!! And here I had my heart set on a free kiddy bicorne and stickers! Who can I sue?!
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Another beautiful creation, Legonardo! The round tower is your typical style, nicely textured and weathered. The overhanging rooms are nice and those colorful roofs look great. I think that's the first time I've ever seen a cannon used as a chimney and the sextant weather vane is also neat. The rocks are beautiful too and while it looks nice I'm wondering what the blue represents. My favorite part is the massive telescope. It makes good use of those parts and should allow ol' Wallace to stair deep into the heavens - assuming his beard doesn't get in the way and he doesn't smoke the place up too badly with his pipe-weed. Excellent work and good luck at the show!
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Nice schooner! She looks very good overall. The bow design is slightly blocky - not as smooth as the prefabs - but the fact that you went with a brickbuilt hull is great. Likewise tumblehome sides would be nice but for smaller vessels like this it's not a big deal. You may hear some criticism for making so much of the hull black but I think it looks pretty good that way and the tan deck provides a nice soft contrast. The cabin is good the way it is, but I won't complain if you detail it a little more. I like the view of the cargo hold and those custom guns are lovely. She's certainly not lacking swivels either! You've built for a sail plan rarely seen in these waters - any chance of seeing her under sail? I wouldn't worry about any pic limit for something like this and I'm sure more would be fine. It's good to see someone addressing the shortage of good merchant vessels. Good work!