Continuing the siege theme from my last two posts, this afternoon I decided to make some quick English earthworks using upholstery foam. These will be useful for playing out some smaller siege actions set during the English Civil War. I have purchased the ebook “English Civil War fortifications 1642–51” from Osprey for ideas and some inspiration.
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| The completed earthworks. |
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| Current reading. |
The steps used to create the earthwork...
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| 1) The foam is measured up using a couple of bases. |
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| 2) The foam is cut out and the ramparts shaped. |
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| 3) The foam is cut in half and an area removed to create the parapet of the earthworks. |
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| 4) Scissors are used to help shape the ramparts and cut little divots to make the ramparts a bit uneven. |
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| 5) A brown wash is liberally applied to the shaped foam. |
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| 6) Additional colours are added. |
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| 7) Dark brown dashes of paint are used to give the impression of wood supports on the parapet. |
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| 8) Painted toothpicks are pushed into the foam to create the spikes. |
By having the earthworks cut in half, they can be placed along the table edge as part of a larger defensive position, or set up as a small standalone fortification.
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| Set up as a fortified position. |
After looking over the photos and seeing how they dried, the earthworks appear a little lighter than I intended, so tomorrow I will be applying another brown wash to darken them down and give them a more earthy look.
Good tutorial Peter. They look the part.
ReplyDeleteThanks. They are also very light and can be easily stored on the top of shelves.
DeleteBrilliant.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I just need to give them another brown wash, then they will be complete.
DeleteNice modelling tutorial, they look great and will be very handy for your siege games.
ReplyDeleteI will need to make another couple of pieces, then I should be ready to plan for a smaller scale ECW siege scenario.
DeleteThat is fantastic
ReplyDeletePete
Glad you like it. It was a well spent Sunday afternoon.
DeleteSimple, but effective - plus if they fall on the floor they won't break.
ReplyDeleteYes, they rate very high on the bounce factor :-)
DeleteThis looks a suitable redoubt.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I am reading the book for some more inspiration for earthworks.
DeleteGreat work Peter and very sensible having the model in two sections.
ReplyDeleteIt provides multiple uses and also makes it easier to cut and shape the foam.
DeleteFantastic result Peter! A great way to build something nice that may only be used a few times.
ReplyDeleteThanks very much for the tutorial as well.
Thanks. They will be easy to store away.
DeleteThat's pretty clever way to create simple defensive works Peter - yes, I agree, they could probably do with being a bit darker!
ReplyDeleteThe earthworks have been darkened and now look more earthy.
DeleteNeat! And, being foam they won't / can't warp so lie flat on the table top; they'll even conform to small irregularities and won't slip on a cloth. So may good reasons to use foam, not to mention weight and indestructibility (is that a word?).
ReplyDeleteThe foam works well for hills and earthworks for all the reasons you mentioned.
DeleteVery nice 👏👏
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteVey nice tutorial. This is soft foam, right? -If so, doesn't it soak water and take ages to dry when washing it??
ReplyDeleteYes, it takes a while to dry. Wringing it out helps. I generally take one of three options: 1) just sit it in a sunny spot, 2) put in the airing cupboard to dry, or 3) use the wife’s hairdryer.
DeleteA very good idea to use foam, for all the reasons given above, and the result speaks for itself. It occurs to me that storm poles or palisades mounted on pins could simply be stuck into the foam without causing permanent damage, and be easily removed when destroyed by artillery fire.
ReplyDeleteAfter having fitted carpets installed at home, I've discovered that the offcuts of good quality underlay make perfect stepped hills by cutting a piece to conform to each level, then fixing them together with ordinary dressmaker's pins for the duration of the game. The pieces can be rearranged to create different shapes or heights of hills for other games. Trees and other scenic items can be pinned in place too. The underlay is quite easy to cut with large scissors or a sharp craft knife.
Being able to stick and pin on items is useful and makes them quite versatile. The carpet underlay for hills is a neat idea.
DeleteLooks very effective. Great idea!
ReplyDeleteThanks. It all worked out, including darkening the look. So I now need to make a few more fortifications.
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