My first oc!

[mysticallyenchanting]

My first oc (no need for the m, I’ve already said it’s mine )

After much deliberation I decided to build a model of a real building for my first castle. So I decided to build Micklegate Bar, one of the four gates (or bars as they are known) to the city of York.

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Sir-P ... re_010.jpg

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Sir-P ... re_014.jpg

Being the southern bar it is the most elaborate and imposing. Why? This road comes from London and the King must pass through here to get to the city (so it’s a bit of a status symbol as well as defensive).
Speaking of the devil, here he is!

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Sir-P ... re_018.jpg
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Sir-P ... re_019.jpg

Before the King can pass through the bar, he must meet the Lord Mayor, who gives him The Sword of York.

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Sir-P ... re_020.jpg
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Sir-P ... re_022.jpg

This is metaphorical to the Lord Mayor submitting his power to the King whilst he's in the city.

And, as in all the classic sets, just how are we meant to fit our horses with their flags through the tiny gates? Your guess is as good as mine!

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Sir-P ... re_023.jpg

This ritual has been going on for hundreds of years and every English monarch coming into York has done it (the most recent being for the Queen's jubilee). There is one exception though, Henry VIII once sneaked through another gate in the shroud of darkness during his controversial dissolution of the monastries.

Anyway, enough of the history lecture. The gate is also part of a CCC sort of arrangment (but I ran out of bricks to build some wall):

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Sir-P ... re_016.jpg

Apologies for the very ameteurish photos. Any feedback and constructive critism is most welcome!!

ps the real life gate is my little pic under my name.

[Scnicker]

Nice little background, but folder not yet public. Must...have...deeplinks...

[mysticallyenchanting]

Sorry, what's a deeplink and how do I get them? kk I've sorted it now. Soz bout that (and thanks for telling me how to do it Bruce!)

[Bruce N H]

Brickshelf galleries must be moderated before they are visible to the general public. This is to prevent someone from posting inappropriate images (e.g. pornography). This can happen in a few minutes or sometimes 24 hours, but usually will happen in the first hour or so after posting something. In the meantime you can post a "deep link". That is, when you are looking at an image in your Brickshelf gallery, click it a couple of times until you only see the image with a white border, with no "Brickshelf" banner and light blue border (i.e. this rather than this or this). That url is publicly viewable immediately and can be posted as a "deep link".

Bruce

[wunztwice]

Looks great! I like the varied wall 'depths' (using slopes to make some parts stick out more).

It looks alot like the real thing and is a great MOC in it's own rights. I've seen some real aswome structures that just don't look good in LEGO, but this one really does!

Good job all around, I'd love to see it with mroe wall sometime.

[smcginnis]

I like this a lot, even thought it's a little simple. To echo wunztwice, I would love to see more walls, and maybe some interiors. Oh, BTW, the folder's public now, here a link:
http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=178321

~smcginnis

[LEGOFREAK]

Very cool! I can tell you have been following this site, as there are lots of interesting aspects to this castle.
What a great first creation!

[J_Chartowich]

good job, hope to see more great works!

[mysticallyenchanting]

Cheers guys (and gals?).
I've just got up and your kind comments have cheered me up!

Very cool! I can tell you have been following this site, as there are lots of interesting aspects to this castle

Yes, although I haven't posted much I come on here most days to keep updated, and thanks to the advice of some helpful members (notably Glencaer and Bruce NH) I was able to use the snot technique for some arrow slits.

So to modify:
interior
extend walls
anything else?

Just one more question - if I want to build something else with my bricks and maybe rebuild this in a few months, are a few photos sufficient to be able to do that. i.e. have I taken enough photos to be able to dismantle and rebuild? How do you overcome this problem?

Thanks for all the comments!
Paul

[Lord Felix]

Wow! Great first MOC... or OC as you call it. I wish I had that many gray bricks Great use of SNOT, I wish I knew that technique (I am new here enough not to really know much common SNOT techs) Great!

I like it, but a little "big grey wall" on the sides.

[mysticallyenchanting]

Hi Felix,
thanks for the comments. (If you think the sides are big grey wall syndrome, you haven't seen the back! *joke*. No seriously, I was gonna put in some arrow slits but ran out of plates, but when my next BL order arrives that'll be rectified).
As for the snot technique:
viewtopic.php?t=6901
(hope that works, if not its on page three of this forum and entitled "SNOT Technique?"

ps I really like you first moc too. Far better than mine b/c you obvously had fewer pieces AND there's more action in it. Oh well, I'm sure we'll both improve