Tempus Fugit - Pete Insole's workbench oddities and other things

[geoff_nicholls]

that bridge looks very like one I saw on the stand of Tim Horn's laser cutting service.
do you ever make mistakes when scribing? and how do you recover from them? Eventually I hope to model the frontage of a GER station, such as Audley End, in gauge 3. It would be too expensive to have laser cut, scribing seems the best option, but very hard work.

 

[BrushType4]

It is Tim Horns bridge.

 

[Peter Insole]

Sorry it has taken a while to reply Geoff - It's my day job silly season as well as some other rather interesting distractions that have been keeping me busy!!

In answer to your first question; yes it is Tim's - and a superb piece of work too. He has set a very high benchmark with this one!

And the second; I try very, very hard not to when scribing, but yes again - it happens! There is rarely any escape, it usually has to be scrapped and started over! Not so bad on small parts, but when doing a large area I always lightly draw the brickwork first, then double check it before picking up the tool...!

It still manages to go wrong though!

Admittedly, I just about got away with an error on "Bagshot" and used some filler on that occasion. Being 1:32nd, the size of the bricks allowed a tiny bit of freedom? I fear that in a larger scale like gauge 3 the surface texture change might be a bit more difficult to hide - whereas in 7mm or less; repairing the weeny bricks would be just too damn fiddly to even contemplate?!

Audley End...? Wow! That has been my "local" station since 1968 - so I'm rather familiar with it, and am therefore slightly biased in suggesting that it would be a superb - and very worthy challenge...!

If you need any reference - I go right past it on the way to "Love Lane" on most Wednesday mornings...?!

Anyway, while on the subject of bridges and fiddly bricks....:



Some of the distractions having been sorted or laid aside, I'm back at the Wold!

I cut and trimmed a template to fill the gap at the back and set the infill dimensions...



Then cut the first few courses with thin card inserts for the mortar joints in between. Subsequent layers would be stepped down and shaped to form a slope.



I nearly forgot to cut the brick joints across the top edge of the first layer before gluing it in place... That saved a bit of bother!



Down, down, down we go!

Each of the previous layers were gradually opened out to represent the collapsing effect, but would now need to be even more irregular towards the dug out end. The layers in the above picture were cut minus an upright brick depth.

From that point, individually laid bricks would be the only way...?!



At least Mountboard is nice and easy to cut quick and clean, so chopping and gluing this lot did not take quite as long as many would think?!

It was a bit of fun deciding how far to angle each one - with only the vaguest notion of what the whole thing might look like in the end? I hoped that the slightly random result might therefore be reasonably natural?



Getting there....!

Finally, a few more scattered ones near the edge of the outer wall were carefully placed this time to make it look even more random!

That might sound strange - but it does make sense to me...!!



I have a syringe lurking about somewhere that will be useful for applying a squirt of PVA into the gaps here and there, then I'll drizzle some sawdust over for the washed out mixture of mortar and soil.

Until I find it, there is the other (slightly easier?) end to do....

Pete.

 

[geoff_nicholls]

It's my day job silly season as well as some other rather interesting distractions that have been keeping me busy!!

and you have a beard, and make toys... surely not! But just in case, I've been very good, and would really like one of those G. W. Models rivetting tools.

I may well be contacting you sometime next year about obscure features of Audley End...

 

[unklian]

Going back to unwanted scribe lines on wood, have you tried the old cabinet makers trick for getting rid of marks and 'bruises' by soaking the affected area with water. The water makes the wood swell and fluff up. It works well along the grain, but not so well if the damage has cut across the grain. Just use a small paint brush in this instance, to apply the water and leave it to dry.

 

[Tom Insole]

and you have a beard, and make toys... surely not! But just in case, I've been very good, and would really like one of those G. W. Models rivetting tools.

I knew it!! I've been good too Dad..... (the great thing is my dad know's what kind of toys I want too!).

 

[Peter Insole]

Thanks for the hint unklian, I didn't know about that...! I presume it would work - with some care - on plywood? It will certainly be worth an experiment!

Meanwhile, I've found the aforementioned syringe - with some Resin W still in it from the last usage (goodness knows how long ago that was?) Remarkably though, the stuff is still perfectly "live".

How have I got away with being such naughty boy again? By rights, and as a penalty for my laziness I should now be slaving away at the sink trying to extract a solid, rubbery slug of glue from inside the tube and cannula with lots of finger shrivelling, scalding water!

You can tell I have done it before eh...?!!

Pete.

 

[Peter Insole]

Here are the pics to bring this tale up to date:

Trimming bricks out of the salvaged original section of deck was relatively easy as I only needed to follow the laser cut joints and snip through with the scalpel!



After temporarily taping the deck back in place I was able to mark out sufficient strips of card to match the pattern...



Then glue them in the right order...?...

...and the deck could be re fitted.

Although the surface is likely to be covered in grass and other foliage later, I will still tidy up the join after the first undercoat of "mortar" paint is applied and dried!

You might not think that I like things to be nice and tidy if you looked at me or my work area...?...!



Then I forgot to take a photo of the separate bricks installed...

...so a quick jump over to today:-



I solemnly promise that no teddy bears were harmed in any way during the following operation...

...but apologise to those of a sensitive disposition for not issuing an advance warning of the potentially distressing image above!



After a break to allow the Resin W to dry it was time to get the paints out...

...At long last!



I wanted a fairly dark mortar mix to start with - in order to create some depth, especially in the eroded areas...

The colours were the ones I usually use for this; mostly Matt 29 Dark Earth, Matt 33 Black and Matt 103 Cream in more or less equal quantities. A whiff or two of Matt 98 Chocolate was added for some variety of tone...!

I will mix a much lighter version with 64 Light Grey (or anything similar will do) and dry-brush / pick out highlights later.



The work does look a bit gooey, but I deliberately slapped it on thick, and then took these cruel close-ups while the paint was still wet this evening! I'm banking on the assumption that it should have shrunk down and hardened well enough by the time I get back from "Love Lane" on the morrow...?

Then will be able to do a bit of tweaking and cleaning before the next batch of "arty" colours are mixed.

Pete.

 

[Peter Insole]

Rather than carry on hijacking Colin's superb Bow Creek Wharf thread, I thought I'd post my Woolwich Ferry reply here!

After crashing around this morning I finally managed to extract this from the "files":

I'm sorry that the pics were rushed and are therefore rather grotty, but hope that they will give some idea of what I was aiming at?


I had started with this very rough sketch.

The idea was to try and arrive at a view that would capture as much, or as many key features of the vessel and it's operation as possible. It very quickly dawned that the task would be almost impossible without resorting to some extremely awkward wide angles and perspectives...!

After an awful lot of fiddling about, running around on research trips to London, (more on that later perhaps) and all sorts of fun I settled in the end on the following drawing:



This would be a big one for my medium at almost three feet across! It was not just complicated; with a whole lot going on in it, but the wide angles only seemed to be acceptable if you have to actually "scan" when standing reasonably close to the finished picture?!

Too big to fit on the usual maximum size of Mi-teints paper available here in the UK; I had to obtain a special order from a company in Belgium!

Notwithstanding a load of problems, some related to this subject, I made a start on the picture proper.

Unfortunately I only got as far as completing the top left quarter section of the chosen sky:



For the life of me, I cannot remember why I stopped? It was almost ten years ago, so I guess that something or someone was bothering me and I was clearly very unhappy about it...!

A bit of a shame really after spending a tad over £300 on materials and reference, plus 260 hours worth of work up to that point?

More anon if anyone is interested...?

Pete.

 

[geoff_nicholls]

I know nothing about art, but I think that stands up quite well as a completed picture in its own right. Is it my imagination, or is there one small figure dead centre, staring into the distance?

 

[Osgood]

There was me beginning to suspect you were slowly dismantling the bridge brick by brick and flogging 7mm reclaims to Colin for his Bow Creek buildings!

 

[oldravendale]

I understand your reservations about going further with this as a non-railway thread, Pete, but for me it's just fascinating. Personally I'd love to see more.

Brian

 

[Peter Insole]

Sorry to you all my friends, but I have been off in some far, far away place for too long! Although I have tried to maintain the deception of a
cheery disposition at Love Lane or indeed in any other pleasant company, and have even been able to enjoy some lighter moments at that, overall it has been generally a rather dark time. I do not cope very well under stress.

I'm afraid that the tendency toward depressive episodes is very much in my nature.

It was perhaps therefore not such a good idea to take on a special commission. Even more so considering that I had been waiting for that particular opportunity to come around for just a tad shy of thirty years!

So here begins a salutary tale:

With no wish to be in any way disrespectful of insulting to anyone, I fear that it is necessary to be candid in setting out the scene.

Many moons ago, when I first abandoned my old career in commercial art and was determined to "go it alone" as a railway artist, I built myself a garden studio. One of the first new jobs in it was for a chap who was quite well known as a book dealer. He had decided to publish a book of his own, and invited me to do the jacket illustration.

The subject was a London General Omnibus Company, B Type bus.

Very nice. How fondly I recall studying B340 at the British Transport Museum, Clapham; listening to my Nan telling tales of trips in them; and I still possessed the wrecked remains of a delightful old Airfix kit as well!

I reasoned that this could of course be an excellent introduction to the public, as well as providing a perfect antidote to so many years worth of work producing art that was only used once for some advertising campaign or whatever and then thrown away and forgotten?! There is some satisfaction in knowing that a dusty old book, with my efforts displayed thereon might be extracted from some library or other collection from time to time, thus briefly bringing it and me to light again, perhaps many generations after I have shuffled!?

Mindful that there was an almost impossible print deadline imposed, and that I was not so naive in expecting this gentleman to pay anything approaching a proper, commercial hourly rate that I had previously been accustomed to, I gleefully presented him with a proposal for a sensibly straightforward, reasonably quick, but unique and eye-catching image.

Unfortunately, he utterly rejected my design. He was instead absolutely insistent that he wanted a full and crowded street scene, complete with multiple examples of the bus, as well as Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament thrown in for good measure!

I complained.

"It's my book, and I'm paying you for it..."

"Yes, but all that for eighty quid...???" I protested.

"Well, I have to pay for all my advertising, and I'm going to print a testimonial with your details on the fly-leaf, so why should you get it for free?" He argued.

I should have walked out of his shop at that point?!

Fool that I am!

I worked frantically right through that Christmas holiday to get it done on time.

When the book was published, I discovered that he had indeed included my address - but it was all wrong! The testimonial was a wonderful example of journalistic embellishment, but worst of all; he had declared himself the full copyright owner of the picture.

Trouble was; I had accepted and received that paltry payment, so there was precious little I could legally do about that latter point.

Strange thing is, he seemed to be genuinely surprised when I showed a distinct disinclination to get involved with any further or forthcoming commissions!!

Around about the same time that all this was going on; there was a newly established publisher that I greatly admired. They were clearly shaking up the whole business with unprecedented production quality! Oh for the chance, and privilege to do some work for those guys?

They had their own regular illustrators and artists though; including one that I subsequently met and got to know. Dear Peter Green, sadly now passed away, was such a nice person. I really had no desire to even hint that I coveted his position, or that I might unintentionally find myself stealing any crumbs from his table! There is just the possibility that he might have been pleased or greatly relieved to hand over the baton? I was too timid to raise the subject then, nor even to be seen rushing in soon after his demise either!

The publisher soon found someone else; so that was that!

Imagine my astonishment and utter delight when, right out of the blue, I was invited to do a cover illustration for this very illustrious company...?!

The book promises to be the most comprehensive history of the Metropolitan District Railway published to date!

I may be struggling at the moment, but how on earth could I refuse such a golden opportunity to bring all the years of unwitting error, crass misjudgement, disappointments, etc., full circle. A chance to start over again, or if you will pardon me the pun; at least finally draw a very satisfying line under the sorry affair before moving on to pastures new?

Ahem...!

...Ah!

What's that old saying?

"The road to ruin is paved with good intent"?

Pete.

 

[phileakins]

Is it also not written that 'nothing ventured nothing gained'?

Good luck - and get them pencils sharpened!

Phil

 

[Oz7mm]

Having seen Peter's paintings for these two books I can state that they are nothing short of stunning.

I hope members of this forum will get to see the originals at some stage as overwritten as they will be with the title etc on a book cover hardly does them justice.

Cheer up Pete. Love Lave loves you.

John

 

[Scale7JB]

I think we are the same Peter, too nice for our own good and income.

Unfortunately one needs to be a bit brutal in the creative industries.

Did you specifically sign a document handing over the copyright to the publisher for the £80 job?

JB.

 

[3 LINK]

As for seeing some of your splendid and talented work, please do not sell yourself cheap, you deserve more much more.

I have been in a similar position many years ago, once bitten twice shy.....

All the best,

Martyn.

 

[Peter Insole]

Thank you all for your kindness.

In answer to your question JB, I have unfortunately had a direct and rather distressing personal experience with copyright law!

Several years ago, I had an agent. She received a writ from an extremely wealthy and quite famous person (now deceased), naming me as being in breach of copyright and demanding hefty compensation! I have no idea how much it cost her, she wouldn't tell me, but she found a lawyer to successfully challenge it on my behalf! I learned a fearful lesson, and that is why I am now so sensitive about the subject!

Perhaps not quite so though, for after some deliberation, I have decided to show the image (I hasten to add; NOT the one mentioned above!) of the old book jacket here:



Anyway, back to the present...

…or more recent history at least?!

I felt that it would not be right to post progress until the new book (with finished cover illustration) was publicly announced.

Now that it is online, here is the tale:

I feel that it is important to make a clear disclaimer that NONE OF THE FOLLOWING IS ANYONE ELSE'S FAULT BUT MY OWN!

To be honest, neither party could be expected to have had any dealings with someone like me before; or at least one with quite so much excess baggage?!

During the first conversation with the publisher, he said that his author would send me a photograph for me to copy...!

"Oh no, no, no!... sorry, but I do not copy photo's... under any circumstances...!" I replied! (Note: That was the subject of yet another unpleasant run-in... but that's yet another long story!)

I offered instead to send some proposal sketches for approval, and that I would then appreciate the supply of any suitable reference material and advice from them to suit their choice.

That was my first serious error, now here is the second:

I emailed three ideas...! One was a design that I expected them to go for, another was a picture that I would have liked to do, but was perhaps a tad esoteric, and then finally, a more highly worked up one that I really fancied getting my teeth into!

The sketches were not rejected outright, but weeks turned to months, with no decision made - and with a deadline looming - I emailed them.

I received a swift reply;

"Here is the photograph the author wants you to copy..."



"Can you put more track in the foreground as the picture format will need to be portrait rather than landscape?...."

My heart sank!

Third major error coming up...:




Compromise.

Not really my style at all.

For many years I have not done, nor do I have any desire to do "three quarter views" now or at any time in the future.

Indeed, I was so upset by the prospect of painting the above that I actually considered asking the publisher if I could remain anonymous?!

Unfortunately, my clients said "Go for it"!



Deeply dejected, and with a growing sense of panic, I started work.

It was during this part of the job that I received an enormous amount of practical help and encouragement from my friends, with particular mention of Messrs John Birch and Ken de Groome! (The latter being the unequalled expert in all things Metropolitan Railway)!

Eventually, after a great many hours worth of fussing and faffing, the fully detailed draw-up was finished...

...and emailed over for final approval...

They didn't like it!

….


Oh well, I would not have to deal with that issue of inventing a pseudonym to hide behind?!

Then I had another idea....

Pete.

 

[Simon]

Oh I do so love a good yarn, especially one with good pictures....

Seriously Pete, I hope it all goes well for you and that you enjoy the process too.

You are one hugely talented fellow.

And great to hear from you on here again, you really illuminate the place, as you would anywhere that you were I think.

Best Wishes

Simon

 

[Peter Insole]

Thank you Simon, you are too kind!

It is nice to be back, and rest assured that there are bits that are enjoyable indeed. What I am hoping for in this thread is not just to be entertaining, but to reveal some of the pitfalls and pain encountered on the way too!!

How many of us have felt like burying our face in a pillow and screaming from time to time - and has the odd model (that some might regard as perfect) suddenly made an unscheduled trip across a room toward a very hard surface...?!

I chuckle sometimes when listening to tour guides in a gallery, or reading the "blurb" about some masterpiece or other. I wonder, if the artist were still alive, would he or she be crying out?

"Oh no, I didn't have that in mind at all. I completely messed that one up - utter rubbish" or "Blast, I'd always intended to re-use that wretched canvas, but never got round to it!"

Pete.