Model Hogwarts
- Thread starter Gryffindor1991
- Start date
icanbuildthat
Jr Member
I think the story is that this match stick Hogwarts took something like 602,000 match sticks, 15 gallons of glue and three years to build. What a feat. But then I gotta wonder why? I mean because no-one else would do it? Want to be the only one who would tackle such a build? But holy cow!!! I cannot imagine what would motivate someone to go to that extreme. I mean it's a great looking piece but far beyond what I'd be bothered doing I can tell ya that. Still an amazing build but just don't understand I guess - nor does it matter that I do. Accept it for what it is and move on. And this as I understand it, is not the only thing he's done with match sticks. I think there are some other things he's done too - something like 60 other models out of match sticks. NOT sure what but yeah, guy must have some time on his hands OR nothing else to do in his life. But it is an accomplishment I guess. Just not sure what for or WHAT. He evidently has a museum where he has it all displayed. Amazing. Still incredibly impressive.
Check out his site - http://www.matchstickmarvels.com/models.html
icanbuildthat
Check out his site - http://www.matchstickmarvels.com/models.html
icanbuildthat
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darthvader073
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the compliments! Sorry I haven't replied earlier...
cgraham: I used foam to make the castle, and some sort of plaster to make the cliffs. Rest of the model is made out of wood. Well, it's not heavy, but I'm not sure it can leave my room
Soundtracks I used: Platform 9 3/4 (for the opening, it also includes vocal part), Fawkes the phoenix, Harry's wonderful world, Buckbeak's flight, and Leaving.
icanbuildthat: Dimensions of the whole model are 4 X 3.3 feet. Grand stairwell tower is 14 inches tall, and cliffs are 10 inches tall. Don't worry, I'm sure you model will look great too.
Now, for behind the scenes:
While I was watching all those photos of Hogwarts, I found that they can be really confusing sometimes. So I thought: If I wanted to make my model, I'm going to need a model for the reference. The one that is being sold in Noble Collection is pretty much overpriced, so I needed something more simple. And then I came up with an idea. I downloaded Hogwarts 3D model from the 3D Warehouse for Google SketchUp. That allowed me not only to see Hogwarts in 3D, but I could take measures for my model, so the scale would be perfect, and it's also free. And I did it. It took me 3 weeks to draw blueprints. Then I bought some foam blocks and started carving. I was finished with carving in 10 days. Then I used styrofoam to make the cliff base, and then I made cliffs from plaster. When the plaster was still wet, I put the Covered bridge I made from wood, and the Viaduct. After I did paintwork on the cliffs and grass, I started finishing paintwork of the castle. And that was a bit complicated. First of all, you need to make base color that will look great after dry-brushing. Color I used is a bit darker from the human skin (for the walls) and gray for the roofs. Then I used brown and black for the dry-brushing. Trees are made out of wood and foam dust, pumpkins and Whoomping willow are made out FIMO (I also used cooper wires for Whoomping willow).
Total cost was half a prize of the castle from Noble Collection!!!
And that's it.
Photos:
3D model, and blueprints. To simplify my work, I disassembled 3D model into groups of buildings. Here is Grand stairwell tower and the Great Hall
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Making the castle out of the foam
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Protective layer of paint (on the Quidditch towers). It makes the foam more durable
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Base color
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Covered bridge (unfinished)
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Dry-brushing
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Styrofoam base
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Plasterwork
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Greenhouses (every greenhouse has a small table with "plants" on it, but they are not not visible when you look at them)
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Castle on the base
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Quidditch pitch
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-darthvader073
cgraham: I used foam to make the castle, and some sort of plaster to make the cliffs. Rest of the model is made out of wood. Well, it's not heavy, but I'm not sure it can leave my room
Soundtracks I used: Platform 9 3/4 (for the opening, it also includes vocal part), Fawkes the phoenix, Harry's wonderful world, Buckbeak's flight, and Leaving.
icanbuildthat: Dimensions of the whole model are 4 X 3.3 feet. Grand stairwell tower is 14 inches tall, and cliffs are 10 inches tall. Don't worry, I'm sure you model will look great too.
Now, for behind the scenes:
While I was watching all those photos of Hogwarts, I found that they can be really confusing sometimes. So I thought: If I wanted to make my model, I'm going to need a model for the reference. The one that is being sold in Noble Collection is pretty much overpriced, so I needed something more simple. And then I came up with an idea. I downloaded Hogwarts 3D model from the 3D Warehouse for Google SketchUp. That allowed me not only to see Hogwarts in 3D, but I could take measures for my model, so the scale would be perfect, and it's also free. And I did it. It took me 3 weeks to draw blueprints. Then I bought some foam blocks and started carving. I was finished with carving in 10 days. Then I used styrofoam to make the cliff base, and then I made cliffs from plaster. When the plaster was still wet, I put the Covered bridge I made from wood, and the Viaduct. After I did paintwork on the cliffs and grass, I started finishing paintwork of the castle. And that was a bit complicated. First of all, you need to make base color that will look great after dry-brushing. Color I used is a bit darker from the human skin (for the walls) and gray for the roofs. Then I used brown and black for the dry-brushing. Trees are made out of wood and foam dust, pumpkins and Whoomping willow are made out FIMO (I also used cooper wires for Whoomping willow).
Total cost was half a prize of the castle from Noble Collection!!!
And that's it.
Photos:
3D model, and blueprints. To simplify my work, I disassembled 3D model into groups of buildings. Here is Grand stairwell tower and the Great Hall
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Making the castle out of the foam
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Protective layer of paint (on the Quidditch towers). It makes the foam more durable
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Base color
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Covered bridge (unfinished)
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Dry-brushing
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Styrofoam base
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Plasterwork
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Greenhouses (every greenhouse has a small table with "plants" on it, but they are not not visible when you look at them)
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Castle on the base
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Quidditch pitch
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
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Uploaded with ImageShack.us
-darthvader073
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icanbuildthat
Jr Member
Great photo spread Darthvader. And what an amazing project to do. Very cool ideas with the foam understructure. Basic it's a commonly used substructure with plaster overlay to do rocks, mountains etc., used a lot by railroad folks who do these big layouts. My old boss used to have his entire basement done with a huge layout then cleared it all out and wound up with shelves and shelves of NASCAR model cars. Crazy - one extreme to another.
Anyway your build is awesome. Nicely detailed. Thanks for the dimensions. Was just trying to gauge how big it was in comparison to what I have space/intentions for and mine is just about double the size of yours. I have like 6' W X 7'-8' L so that's almost double the size of yours. Actually since I'm leaving off Hagrid's hut and the Quidditch pitch, I'll have a little more room for the actual footprint. AND I'm using the exact layout that is on display in the UK which does not have that building at the back corner and some differences to the Astronomy Tower location and a few other minor detail differences - namely the main hall which has 13 spires on each side (well almost on the inside side) and a couple other minor things that might be a little different. I DO intend to light mine - and will soon be ordering about 3,000 feet of fiberoptic cable and the proper light sources for the various parts to illuminate. But I love your examples and intended for this to be foam substructure as well - it's lightweight, cheap and takes a wide variety of top surface finishes nicely...as well as carving some preliminary shape of the overall footprint and hillside geography.
But thanks for the information and for posting all these great photos. Really a remarkable model and just hope mine can look this good. Thanks again for the dimensions - gives me a great idea for sizing mine. NEED to really figure the actual SCALE since yours is noted originally on your video - have to do the math on mine too I guess to get it right. But if it's twice the size of yours more or less and yours is 1:186 then mine would likely be half of that (is that the right math?) So 1 to about 93-100 or so? NOT a strong math person. But it really doesn't matter only in design and as long as I can draw it up reasonably well I should be ok. Appreciate your effort on this. Fun stuff.
icanbuildthat
Anyway your build is awesome. Nicely detailed. Thanks for the dimensions. Was just trying to gauge how big it was in comparison to what I have space/intentions for and mine is just about double the size of yours. I have like 6' W X 7'-8' L so that's almost double the size of yours. Actually since I'm leaving off Hagrid's hut and the Quidditch pitch, I'll have a little more room for the actual footprint. AND I'm using the exact layout that is on display in the UK which does not have that building at the back corner and some differences to the Astronomy Tower location and a few other minor detail differences - namely the main hall which has 13 spires on each side (well almost on the inside side) and a couple other minor things that might be a little different. I DO intend to light mine - and will soon be ordering about 3,000 feet of fiberoptic cable and the proper light sources for the various parts to illuminate. But I love your examples and intended for this to be foam substructure as well - it's lightweight, cheap and takes a wide variety of top surface finishes nicely...as well as carving some preliminary shape of the overall footprint and hillside geography.
But thanks for the information and for posting all these great photos. Really a remarkable model and just hope mine can look this good. Thanks again for the dimensions - gives me a great idea for sizing mine. NEED to really figure the actual SCALE since yours is noted originally on your video - have to do the math on mine too I guess to get it right. But if it's twice the size of yours more or less and yours is 1:186 then mine would likely be half of that (is that the right math?) So 1 to about 93-100 or so? NOT a strong math person. But it really doesn't matter only in design and as long as I can draw it up reasonably well I should be ok. Appreciate your effort on this. Fun stuff.
icanbuildthat
Quite right, but model railroad folks are just crazy obsessive.
- and Darth: Very impressive work.
icanbuildthat
Jr Member
HAHA!! No kidding cgraham. I cannot begin to tell you what kind of layout my old boss had - took up like 4-6 rooms in his basement - it went from one room to the next, to the next, to the next - and then was replaced with NASCAR models on storeroom shelves. He had a FORTUNE tied up in NASCAR model cars and other related stuff. Obsessive - you bet. I understand how easily that can happen. I have similar obsessions but different ya know.
THANKS
icanbuildthat
THANKS
icanbuildthat
Shortsonfire79
New Member
Oh my gosh! I was looking around here for Tantive IV projects and found this. I'm thrilled (and slightly bummed)! I'm making a model of Hogwarts myself, this is a thread chocked full of great work!
Giving this thread a quick skim, I have a ton of reading up to do! Darth's foam castle looks phenomenal! And I haven't read enough to figure out whats going on, but Cgraham's photos are quite nice! I'm so bummed that the one I'm making won't look nearly as nice.
I've only just started on mine. Actually just finished the two platforms that I'll be using for the cliffs. I was originally eyeballing what buildings went where and guessing and checking. I love how this thread has grounds plans and wonderful pictures!
Giving this thread a quick skim, I have a ton of reading up to do! Darth's foam castle looks phenomenal! And I haven't read enough to figure out whats going on, but Cgraham's photos are quite nice! I'm so bummed that the one I'm making won't look nearly as nice.
I've only just started on mine. Actually just finished the two platforms that I'll be using for the cliffs. I was originally eyeballing what buildings went where and guessing and checking. I love how this thread has grounds plans and wonderful pictures!
icanbuildthat
Jr Member
Well best to keep an eye on this thread - as soon as I can get rid of the stinking pool table that's taking up the space I AM going to start mine too. Like yours, I'm going to begin with a "foot print" of the space, eliminate a few things (Quidditch, Hagrid's hut - no need for these) and hopefully this will begin. I'll be retired after the first of the year and after February (have another project to attend to first) then the build will begin thereafter. I MAY build a Quidditch area and Hagrid's as separate "modules" so they can be added as well as build the whole thing modularly so it can be transported, assembled, disassembled, etc. And then I'll likely keep it a while and finally sell it off to someone who wants it. Can't wait to get started. If there is anything I can assist with let me know - I've got TONS of reference material and so forth. And good luck with yours. POST PHOTOS so we can watch yours take place too - as I will once I get it started...!!
icanbuildthat
icanbuildthat
Jr Member
Great photos POBBRETT. Thanks for posting these. Have most of these photos but a few are going to prove to be invaluable for my build. Plans are darn hard to come by but these will help. As you may have noted earlier, I redrew several things and have more to do - working on those now. But soon enough I hope to get started on this thing. These will help but as I said, I've got a LOT of stuff - something like nearly 400+ screen captures, about 300+ photos of the model on display in the UK, several videos, and lots of other materials I've gathered to study and work with. But again these will help add to that reference material. Lots to do to get ready but can't wait. Are you building one too? Fun project - love the architecture and the layout. Fun stuff.
Thanks again for the photos. Will be put to good use.
icanbuildthat
MEANT to also ask that if you DO have hi-res photos, real closeups on the detailed plans I'd sure love to see those - can post or send to my E-Mail - if you will?? Just checking.
Thanks again for the photos. Will be put to good use.
icanbuildthat
MEANT to also ask that if you DO have hi-res photos, real closeups on the detailed plans I'd sure love to see those - can post or send to my E-Mail - if you will?? Just checking.
Shortsonfire79
New Member
Thanks.
After taking the time to read the full thread, this isn't the place for my Hogwarts. Unlike many of the ones here, my deadline is next October for my sister's wedding, so this isn't going to be 100% studio model because I'm not ready to tackle something like that yet. I'll frequent this thread because I've already pulled so many great tips and ideas from it, but I'll refrain from posting pictures beyond this point. Keep up the great work fellas! Good luck ican as well, you have a long journey ahead of you.I've only just finished the mountain platform (yesterday) and I know it looks nothing like the actual cliff face.:facepalm I'm just hoping that the buildings resemble the castle enough that the people at the wedding who aren't Harrypotter buffs don't realize. :rolleyes
Good luck all!!
Edit: Oh, and that matchstick Hogwarts its by the Matchstick Marvels guy. http://matchstickmarvels.com/index.php/the-models/hogwarts 2 years, 600,000 matchsticks.
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icanbuildthat
Jr Member
Hey SHORTS,
Pretty cool overall. I LOVE that you're using boxes to indicate some of the buildings. And again you say it's not good - what's good anyway? ALL in the execution and the viewer's eye. I think it's pretty cool. Creative, innovative, inexpensive, and if you're having fun doing it - who is going to criticize? No-one should unless YOU ask for it. But I think it's pretty cool. And the bases don't look bad either. They look like rocks - maybe not the actual landscape they used in the films but it's indicative and looks fine to me. And for the fun of it - what the heck eh? I think it's fun. Hope you post more as you progress with it - I'm sure your sister will appreciate the efforts - no doubt.
Pretty cool. Again post photos as you go along - I'd love to see where this goes.
icanbuildthat
Pretty cool overall. I LOVE that you're using boxes to indicate some of the buildings. And again you say it's not good - what's good anyway? ALL in the execution and the viewer's eye. I think it's pretty cool. Creative, innovative, inexpensive, and if you're having fun doing it - who is going to criticize? No-one should unless YOU ask for it. But I think it's pretty cool. And the bases don't look bad either. They look like rocks - maybe not the actual landscape they used in the films but it's indicative and looks fine to me. And for the fun of it - what the heck eh? I think it's fun. Hope you post more as you progress with it - I'm sure your sister will appreciate the efforts - no doubt.
Pretty cool. Again post photos as you go along - I'd love to see where this goes.
icanbuildthat
Pobbrett
Sr Member
hi sorry i didn't see the question posted earlier but just had a request for pics and put together a gallery of uncompressed photo's i took of those blueprints
Hogwarts - Minus
Hogwarts - Minus
icanbuildthat
Jr Member
Thanks Pobbrett - appreciate these shots. They'll come in handy for sure. JUST SOLD THE POOL TABLE so I can begin thinking about layout and space for the base of this entire thing. Gonna try to do it logically so it can come apart in sections that will easily move, store, adjust, shift whatever it takes to utilize the space and have it as I really want it. But these photos will be a real help - adding to the nearly 1,000 other files I've amassed of this thing to help in building it once I can get started on it. PLUS I'm retired as of Jan 1 so now maybe I can make some headway on it - fully documented so I can keep a running record of how it goes. Thanks again for the help. It IS appreciated.
icanbuildthat
Shortsonfire79
New Member
Oh wow, thanks Pobbrett! There's some shots in there that will surely be useful for me. Congrats on the retirement as well, icanbuildthat.
I'm still shooting from the hip. I took this picture a couple weeks ago but haven't made too much progress on it. I've moved on to work on the building across the bridge, though. I've been scratching my head for about an hour trying to figure out how to do the multiangled roof. I keep thinking I have a suitable plan, but then find something wrong with it. I hope I can get the roof done before bed...and its already 2AM. :/
Congrats on the retirement as well, icanbuildthat. I'm still shooting from the hip. I took this picture a couple weeks ago but haven't made too much progress on it. I've moved on to work on the building across the bridge, though. I've been scratching my head for about an hour trying to figure out how to do the multiangled roof. I keep thinking I have a suitable plan, but then find something wrong with it. I hope I can get the roof done before bed...and its already 2AM. :/
CaptainMarvel
Well-Known Member
Shortsonfire79 . . .
You may have mentioned this previously ... but what material are you using to construct this project?
Personally, I think the base framework is looking great thus far.
Thanks !!
You may have mentioned this previously ... but what material are you using to construct this project?
Personally, I think the base framework is looking great thus far.
Thanks !!
Thanks.
I've only just finished the mountain platform (yesterday) and I know it looks nothing like the actual cliff face.:facepalm I'm just hoping that the buildings resemble the castle enough that the people at the wedding who aren't Harrypotter buffs don't realize. :rolleyes
Nice start!
Good luck all!!
Edit: Oh, and that matchstick Hogwarts its by the Matchstick Marvels guy. Hogwarts 2 years, 600,000 matchsticks.
Thats a really nice start
