The White Tower

[architect]

I would like to introduce my latest castle moc: The White Tower. This seaside outpost rises from the rocks below. Some interesting features are the medium light blue sea (at high tide), door and windows with protruding stone surrounds, sweet crusader flag (thanks fryslayer) on a flextube pole, white plaster/whitewash tower walls, and my new corbel technique under the crenelations (without using jumper plates). Please let me know what you think of the moc. Thanks!

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=1990188

I will link to more brickfest tower pictures of the moc once they become available. My camera was taking lousy photos. I also had to disassemble the moc on the way home because the original flight shattered it

Ben

[Shurtugal]

Hmmm, nice MOC, I really like the windows that stick out, and the colour scheme, it really seems like something abandoned and desolate. This image, however is shunted askew by the presence of the bright flag and the colourful soldiers. I don't think the flag belongs on this MOC, and the minifigs look out-of-placedly joyful, contrary to the feeling of the building. You should build the tower with a little more "life", maybe a garden or cart or a few horses outside, maybe the tower should be a little less blocky.

[Remyth]

I also had to disassemble the moc on the way home because the original flight shattered it

Ben

Oh...unfortunate .

Anyway, great MOC, Ben! I really like the flag(fry_slayer's done it agian .) I like tower in general, but Shurtugal is right, it seems a little lifeless(other than the guards)Perhaps there is a lockdown of the shores, or this is in a desolate spot?

Back to the building. I like the door and window frames. L like hot they are not all pretty and even. I think that this is the first MOC like this that I have seen(a tower-by-the-sea MOC). It is a good idea, especially if you are up agianst vikings(which were renouned for their ships as I have heard).

Thanks for sharing,

[JoshWedin]

Very nice tower, Ben! The color scheme is quite nice and the corbel design is sweet. FrySlayer's flag is a very nice touch (I will be using one at NWBrickCon ) and I like the sea life at the edge of the water. The window and door design is also very cool. Overall, its a great MOC!

Josh

[dJOLe_sk8]

Realistic look describes this tower...
Those windows are very nice, and water works really good in that light blue (more realistic again)...
I think the wall will be much more intersting if you put one more color (some gray, even bley)...
Landscape should remain like it is now, it's a seaside after all

Overall nice tower, even if I was little disappointed'cause when I saw the title I thought it's about some Minas Tirith MOC of you.

Greetings from Serbia

[The dark tide]

Absolutely stunning. The way the top comes out of the rest of the tower gives it a real feel to it as does the windows. I took a peek at your other MOCs and I was utterly stunned. Your attantion to detail is amazing.[/quote]

[E of Alshire]

It's always nice to see an admin's MOC!

I like the windows and doors a lot.

[architect]

Hmmm, nice MOC, I really like the windows that stick out, and the colour scheme, it really seems like something abandoned and desolate. This image, however is shunted askew by the presence of the bright flag and the colourful soldiers. I don't think the flag belongs on this MOC, and the minifigs look out-of-placedly joyful, contrary to the feeling of the building. You should build the tower with a little more "life", maybe a garden or cart or a few horses outside, maybe the tower should be a little less blocky.

It is a beach scene which was meant to be somewhat desolate. A fishing boat and some driftwood could be added but I think a garden wouldn't be appropriate. The figures actually were placed by my younger brother so I left them that way for his sake.

Back to the building. I like the door and window frames. L like hot they are not all pretty and even.

Thanks, I tried to make a few different variations of the window surrounds. I need to work a bit on the window placement to spread them out more vertically.

Very nice tower, Ben! The color scheme is quite nice and the corbel design is sweet. FrySlayer's flag is a very nice touch (I will be using one at NWBrickCon Smile) and I like the sea life at the edge of the water. The window and door design is also very cool. Overall, its a great MOC!

Thanks Josh. The corbels each stick out 1/5th of a stud. I will post my brickfest article about the technique in a few days. This year I was finally able to get more sea life which definitely adds to sea mocs.

Realistic look describes this tower...
Those windows are very nice, and water works really good in that light blue (more realistic again)... I think the wall will be much more intersting if you put one more color (some gray, even bley)...Landscape should remain like it is now, it's a seaside after all Wink

I was trying for a realistic look. Hopefully LEGO will release more light blue plates for mocs (or a 32x32 baseplate - how cool would that be?) Actually some of the grey in the moc is bley (can you spot it?) I like the simplicity of the mostly two tone scheme over dark grey rocks below. Tower stone should match the local stone color. I would like to add texture to the plaster where rocks would stick out and be offset by 1/5, 2/5, or 1/2 stud widths. That was my original plan which I ran out of time to try before fest.

Absolutely stunning. The way the top comes out of the rest of the tower gives it a real feel to it as does the windows. I took a peek at your other MOCs and I was utterly stunned. Your attantion to detail is amazing.

Thank you for the compliments. Actually that folder has mocs by many people. My brickshelf folder is here: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/galle ... =BenjaminE

Ben

[dJOLe_sk8]

Realistic look describes this tower...

I was trying for a realistic look.

Yes, I said over that as a good point

Actually some of the grey in the moc is bley (can you spot it?) I like the simplicity of the mostly two tone scheme over dark grey rocks below. Tower stone should match the local stone color.

No I can't spot it, where is it?
I've just said it would be better if those walls are specked a lil'bit with bley/grey, without mentioning the rocks below... (specked - I think that's the right word )

Greetings from Serbia

[Mike Viper]

I'll bet your detail comes from your architectual knowledge, which gets me more excited, since that's what I'm taking this year, actually it's drafting, which branches off into archtitecture, which means I probly will be able to plan my mocs better.

The tower is awsome.I really can't think of much more to say. My only peeve is i can't figure out how you made the macholiations jut out in a stair-like shapw.

Is there a shorter word for macholiations?

[architect]

No I can't spot it, where is it?

The stepped corbels under the parapet are made of bley. Since the bley and grey bricks are near a neutral color (white) it is hard to tell the difference.

I'll bet your detail comes from your architectural knowledge, which gets me more excited, since that's what I'm taking this year, actually it's drafting, which branches off into architecture, which means I probably will be able to plan my mocs better.

My interest in historic military architect definitely is an influence. Good luck with your drafting classes.

The tower is awesome. I really can't think of much more to say. My only peeve is i can't figure out how you made the macholiations jut out in a stair-like shape.

Thank you. The steps are called corbels. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corbel These were used in a variety of ancient and medieval masonry buildings including parapets. My parapet does not have gaps to drop stones, boiling oil, etc. These openings are the machicolations. http://www.atruerose.com/n/html/modules ... tent&tid=7

I need to convert my brickfest presentation to web format first. Then everyone will learn how to build their own corbels and windows!

Ben

[Bruce N H]

Hey Ben,

The final tower looks outstanding. I particularly like the windows, and of course your corbel technique is uber-cool. Looking forward to the article.

Bruce

[smcginnis]

Nice MOC, Ben E. I like the way the windows stick out a little bit, and the way the parts under the battlements (corbels?) are ridged like that. The plainness of the beach and tower is nicely done, it feels slightly lonely and foggy, like it'd be up north someplace, like Norway, or the Orkney Islands (too many commas >_<).

~smcginnis

Edit: When I started to post, you hadn't replied yet about the corbels.

[Recluce]

Having seen this in person I can say it is WAY cool. I love this new design technique with the panels, just sad I don't have a pic of the tower. I don't know how I missed it... perhaps it wasn't out when I was looking around? I'll ask around and see if I can find one for ya.

[Shurtugal]

but I think a garden wouldn't be appropriate.

True. I'm not saying your MOC isn't good, in fact, it's awesome, I'm just a little iffy on the flag, though the flag is cool, too, and should definately be used on another MOC. Your White Tower just seems like a UCS type dealy, with a bunch of awesome details and no figs. I didn't really convey that very well in my first post.

Woah! I didn't realize the corbels(didn't know they have a name) were stepped like that! I thought they were just these flipped upside-down. That's awesome!

Quote:
I'll bet your detail comes from your architectural knowledge, which gets me more excited, since that's what I'm taking this year, actually it's drafting, which branches off into architecture, which means I probably will be able to plan my mocs better.

My interest in historic military architect definitely is an influence. Good luck with your drafting classes.

Cool. I'm taking an architectural path as well, though I'm only in grade 10 now. I'm excited, too! I love that kind of stuff!