PlaymoFriends
Creative => Customs Gallery => Dioramas & Buildings => Topic started by: mi-chi on February 16, 2006, 12:03:20
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I would like to share the first pictures of a miniature version on a Loire castle. It wasn't until last September when the new fairytale sets were released when I finally fell in love with System-X. Strange it took me so long.
Unfortunately I have to admit I have three problems.
- my photographic skills are not existing :-[
- my camera is just a 2.0 (so no pics with high definition) :-[
- due to limited space the whole thing is hard to photograph anyway
Still one can see that there is quite some potential in System-X (if only the "new" medieval castle would be as versatile as the fairytale one)
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That is really cool, Michael! ... :wow: ... :wow: ... :wow:
I have always preferred the old Steck System to SystemX. But, after looking at your beautiful "Chateau de Loire en Miniature," you have made me realize that perhaps I should take another serious look at this Playmobil building system.
Thank you very much for the "under construction" photos. It was great fun to be able watch your chateau "grow."
Thanks again, Michael, for sharing your remarkable model!
All the best,
Richard
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That's very nice indeed, Michael. And no problems with either photographic skills or definition. :)
Space, however - yes, you do have a problem. ;D
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Thank you all for the encouraging words. System-X is really worth another look even though possibilities are limited e.g. there is no inner curve for the roof section available so I have to compromise. May I dare to show you my inspiration as well (if you haven't recognized it anyway).
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I'm having trouble enlarging the pic, but I can certainly see how it ties in with your great custom.
Ah, tried again and it worked ok. I think maybe Zonealarm was running an update on my machine when I tried before.
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Thanks, for the photo of Chambord Castle (http://www.lvo.com/GB/MAG/CHATEAUX/CHAM/CHAM1.HTML), Michael ...
It is amazing how much your Playmobil "chateau" resembles the original Chambord Chateau! I had always thought that the Playmobil "palace" was designed for a failed Arabian Nights Theme. But, now after seeing your beautiful rendition of Chambord, I am beginning to wonder if Chambord was also the inspiration for Playmobil's Fantasy Palace ???
Chambord itself is quite interesting ...
"Chambord was never a place for living. Upkeep, and especially heating, was so difficult that the Kings of France and its different owners only came in the summer, to hunt or for large receptions."
Thanks again, Michael, for a great custom with SystemX and an introduction to Chambord.
All the best,
Richard
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I am very impressed with your building.
It looks like a castle in the European model.
It is very nice
meg
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Thats a great castle Michael and great pictures too :-)
Congratulations my friend
Panos
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That's really impressive. You've done a fantastic job of getting the spirit of the place.
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Wow :omg: that looks cool 8-)
Never got an idea that with the new castle such nice results would be possible. I especially like the blue roof top.
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I had always thought that the Playmobil "palace" was designed for a failed Arabian Nights Theme. But, now after seeing your beautiful rendition of Chambord, I am beginning to wonder if Chambord was also the inspiration for Playmobil's Fantasy Palace ???
My thought. It is maybe ten years ago when I first started thinking about how nice it would be for geobra to create a Playmo version of a Loire castle and when they offered us the fairytale castle I thought "What a miss!". But at a closer look (some years later) it has the feel of the Loire castles.
I also considered creating Chateau Chenonceaux but found the bridge too difficult to recreate.
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Michael, your castle is awesome. My mouth literally fell open when I saw it! :)9
Not only does it look great, but the scale of it is amazing. Thank you for sharing the photos.
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Spectacular! :D
That's one of the prettiest custom Playmobil buildings I've seen, and all the smaller details such as the flowering arbours in the garden complement it perfectly. 8-)
I've been tempted on and off to buy the fairytale castle, and after seeing what can be done if you extend it with some extra pieces (quite an understatement ;D), my interest in it is most definitely renewed.
Thanks for showing us your chateau, Michael! :)
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VERY impressive castle!!!!!!! All I can say is WOW!!! :D
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I would never of thought that you could create such a magnificent building using the the new system X parts. You are obviously a very talented architect to imagine and then construct such a masterpiece from such limited parts.
Garry.
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Wow.. what an awesome structure! Do you have any interior photos?
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Hello Mi-Chi :)
This is amazing !! I really appreciate the work you have put into this. It would be great to see some pictures of the inside.
Kindest Regards Tim :wave:
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Hi,
actually I took some photos of the interior but there are numerous problems (again!). One is that there isn't much space left behind the castle to move - I have to lay down - still impossible. And then it is pretty dark even though there is a larger window right over the castle but it is still in the shadow so I have to use a flash. Now - all of the white walls and mirrors reflect the flash perfectly. I plan to take new pictures but for that I have to turn the whole thing around. :0
A little teaser - there is a mirror gallery, state rooms with secret hallways leading to private apartments of the king and the queen. An apartment for each the princess, the prince, the king's mother and the king's mistress. Some official salons, a council, a greenery with parrots and more. I currently plan a little theatre - inspired by the fairy tale books who make nice backdrops for a play.
You are obviously a very talented architect to imagine and then construct such a masterpiece from such limited parts.
:-[ Thank you very much - I always though it is rather obvious.
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Here are some pics of the interior that support the problems I currently have. It is either too dark or too much flash. BTW - the strange structure of the mirrors isn't because of me - the part where the mirror sticker is glued on is actually a window with an extra layer of (way too) thin plastic and a frame around. I hope they will improve this bad situation.
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Bu despite your problems with taking the pics, what we see is impressive. :)
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As Gordon said, very impressive indeed, Michael !!!
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From what you've shown of the interior, it is just as beautiful as I had imagined it would be. :love:
Everything is nicely symmetrical in the bedroom, right down to matching busts on the tables beside the bed! Is that one of those rare, white Playmobil "Color" hats on the male bust or did you paint a black one? :o
I've had difficulty too when taking photos of pale-coloured or shiny things with a flash. The light tends to bounce off all the surfaces. :( I know you haven't got much room at the back of your chateau, but if you can get some free standing lamps with high wattage bulbs and direct them into the rooms you're trying to photograph, you may be able to take pics without a flash. Other than that, just keep doing what you are doing because I am really keen to see some more of the rooms you mentioned in your "teaser"! ;)
Thanks for giving us a glimpse of the inside, Michael, and please don't worry about picture quality. These ones look just fine! :)
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Is that one of those rare, white Playmobil "Color" hats on the male bust or did you paint a black one? :o
It's not painted - it was part of the colour merchant's train - a set from the early 80's.
Here are some impressions of the back side.
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And some more pics.
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Erm - I hope you are not getting tired.
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Things are getting a bit repetitive so here is the last one.
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:wow: :omg::wow: :omg: :wow: :omg:
Certainly not getting bored!
Fantastic, amazing, incredible!
The layout and detail (I especially like the suit of armour in the alcoive and the pic of the king dressing with his pages holding the mirrors up) are quite out of this world.
Speechless, sums it up!
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All I can say is WOW! That is a magnificent castle. I am in awe. :wow: :wow: :wow:
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People - I am really flattered now. Currently I am playing around with the shape of a garden. It surely needs some improvement but I prefer the general idea of version 1. Maybe I combine both versions and extend version 1 by adding version 2 at both ends
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Why not version 2 leading into version 1? The arcade of roses would then lead onto an open area with the balustrade where the lords and ladies could promenade and flirt or conspirators conspire. It was quite common to have something like this in palaces and great houses. Often it was used to give the impression that the owner owned more land than they did with a balustrade or hedge having a drop beyond it where another person's land started but giving the impression that everything beyond the balustrade or hedge actually belonged to the owner of the house. In England it actually had a name, a ha-ha, meaning a sunken fence bounding a garden.
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Sounds very interesting - this way the garden would stretch along the complete castle. I think I need to get me more arches and rose "hedges" that come with the rose gardener. But I better order them through parts as I don't need that many children and rose gardeners. On the other hand I could use more of those fountains and golden dragons. I have mounted the dragons along the roof railing to pretend gargoyles. People were still a bit superstitious these days.
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The outside looks very impressive, but the inside makes me jealous :-X
I love you guests inside the palace !!!
And I'm glad I ordered some more clown's scarfs than I really needed, because I'm sure I can use them now ;)
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Dear Michael,
it have to be you BEAUTIFULL castle to leave my first post after saying hello.
I am totally speechless!
*and that don´t happens very often, ask my friends ;D*
It´s outstanding, it´s incredible it´s wonderful!!
It´s simply A DREAM!!!!
Thanks a lot for showing, I still want to spend the next hours with your pictures, but unfortunately I must leave to work now! :(
:wave:
Daniela
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I love your photos!! Thanks for posting :)
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Now that the new pink Fairy-Tale Castle has been released, Michael's beautiful Loire Castle probably deserves another look. Especially by any potential castle customizers here at PF ... :)
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FANTASTIC YOUR CHATEAU!!!! :wow:
Vive la Renaissance!! ;)