The Unseen University

kenw · 05-14-2007, 08:05 AM

The Unseen University Cut-out book
ISBN 0385609442
ISBN 9780385606448

For anyone who is not a Terry Pratchett - Discworld fan, I should perhaps explain that the Unseen University is a fantasy place in a fantasy world.
The book is in fact a card replica of a series of models carved by sculpter Bernard Pearson.
Photographs of the originals can be seen at The Cunning Artificer's Discworld Emporium http://www.artificer.co.uk/
The card version is a beautiful collection of buildings, and before I had finished making it, it was decided it needed to be seen complete with gardens and the river etc.
The problem was - we do not have the room to have it on display all the time, so it had to be a 'take-apart' model.
(This, by the way, was my first piece of card modelling for decades! And my first attempt at landscape modelling!)

The photographs attached show the finished base which measures 80 x 60 cm, and a few of the completed model. The scale is about 1:100.

**Lex** · 05-14-2007, 08:14 AM

Wow, nice!!!

eatcrow2 · 05-14-2007, 08:20 AM

Wonderful!!!!!!! Amazing diorama work. I really like how all your materials look in scale with the buildings. Will be looking forward to seeing how the ABC village takes shape..

Kaz · 05-14-2007, 08:41 AM

This is superb, a river, too thick to swim in, but not thick enough to plough!

Art Decko · 05-14-2007, 08:50 AM

Beautiful work! Nice colors and finishes, very realistic and appropriate for subject and scale. Bravo!

rockpaperscissor · 05-14-2007, 09:01 AM

Wow kenw that is fantastic! Very realistic water. The grass and trees really set it off as well. Truly a masterful job. Can't wait to see more of your work.
Regards,
Don

**Mark_1984** · 05-14-2007, 09:11 AM

Wow - really impressed by the water - a great diorama

SCEtoAux · 05-14-2007, 09:12 AM

That's a really good looking display you have there. I have seen some others working on the UU. All of the models look good. Your base is one of the best looking ones so far.

**cgutzmer** · 05-14-2007, 09:19 AM

You did an awesome job on that! You must be a model RR'er too

thanks so much for the great pics.
Chris

Clashster · 05-14-2007, 10:38 AM

Beautiful!

Chthulhu · 05-14-2007, 12:02 PM

Ken, that is simply magnificent! I haven't done any sort of base layout for my build, mainly because I don't have any place to display it. :-/

Plastic Bonsai · 05-14-2007, 05:23 PM

What an inspiring model! Card modelling is an excellent medium for buildings.The base really sets this model off. It would make for an excellent display in a bookshop or library. I did browse the book and it didn't feel it would be a good model but this shows otherwise. I shall have to get a copy. Could I hope for the Patricians Palace and grounds with B S Johnson's lake and ho-ho,? Pseudopolis yard?, the Alchemist Guild with easily blown off roof?

My Ghiblis were raised on Discworld novels - you can only read so much Dr Suess. We now have an annual trip to see a local semi professional theatre group do a Discworld play. This year it's Carpe Jugulum with 3 excellent witches.

RacerX · 05-14-2007, 05:41 PM

Nice! I cant wait to make mine. I actualy got 2 copies of the book so i can keep one and make the other

mike.stamper · 05-14-2007, 05:44 PM

I'm totally new to forums - or should that be fora ? so please bear with me 'till I find my feet!

Ken, that's a great model of the UU. You may already know this, but the Terrry Prattchet people have their own forum and one of the trreads is.
http://www.discworldstamps.co.uk/for...=asc&start=225.

There are a few pictures of mine at
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/...0733&members=1

One of the buildings is an extra - The Bridge of Sighs. I made this by copying various kit parts and resizing them to be in scale with the rest.
Cheers
MikeS

rlwhitt · 05-14-2007, 07:24 PM

OMG, this is just amazingly awesome! Are those bushes and trees made of paper?

Rick

05-14-2007, 08:05 AM	#1 (permalink)
kenw Junior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Norwich, England Posts: 28	The Unseen University The Unseen University Cut-out book ISBN 0385609442 ISBN 9780385606448 For anyone who is not a Terry Pratchett - Discworld fan, I should perhaps explain that the Unseen University is a fantasy place in a fantasy world. The book is in fact a card replica of a series of models carved by sculpter Bernard Pearson. Photographs of the originals can be seen at The Cunning Artificer's Discworld Emporium http://www.artificer.co.uk/ The card version is a beautiful collection of buildings, and before I had finished making it, it was decided it needed to be seen complete with gardens and the river etc. The problem was - we do not have the room to have it on display all the time, so it had to be a 'take-apart' model. (This, by the way, was my first piece of card modelling for decades! And my first attempt at landscape modelling!) The photographs attached show the finished base which measures 80 x 60 cm, and a few of the completed model. The scale is about 1:100.

05-14-2007, 08:14 AM	#2 (permalink)
Lex Dollmaker Card Models Moderator Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Beijing -- 1400m from the Olympic Stadium! Posts: 2,193	Wow, nice!!! __________________ Model design isn't hard, finding reference is! Recent works: Hanzel/Gretel, De Havilland Comet-4B, F-25, Meirin and the White Knight

05-14-2007, 08:20 AM	#3 (permalink)
eatcrow2 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Santa Monica, Calif. Posts: 430	Wonderful!!!!!!! Amazing diorama work. I really like how all your materials look in scale with the buildings. Will be looking forward to seeing how the ABC village takes shape.. __________________ Peter Crow Santa Monica, Calif. http://www.picturetrail.com/eatcrow2

05-14-2007, 08:41 AM	#4 (permalink)
Kaz Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Cambridge Posts: 523	This is superb, a river, too thick to swim in, but not thick enough to plough! __________________ Warning, this product may contain nuts

05-14-2007, 09:01 AM	#6 (permalink)
rockpaperscissor Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: A little Southeast of "Po'town" - New York State Posts: 366	Wow kenw that is fantastic! Very realistic water. The grass and trees really set it off as well. Truly a masterful job. Can't wait to see more of your work. Regards, Don __________________ I just drank WHAT??!! - Socrates Currently building: Fatima Ieatta, Catapult mech, Terra Branford (Final Fantasy VI)

05-14-2007, 08:50 AM	#5 (permalink)
Art Decko Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Shanghai, P.R.C. Posts: 347	Beautiful work! Nice colors and finishes, very realistic and appropriate for subject and scale. Bravo!

05-14-2007, 09:11 AM	#7 (permalink)
Mark_1984 Moderators are people too Card Models Moderator Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Brit living in South Korea Posts: 912	Wow - really impressed by the water - a great diorama __________________ Cheers Mark Free Model 3 Competition entry http://forum.zealot.com/t156826/#post799486

05-14-2007, 09:12 AM	#8 (permalink)
SCEtoAux Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: USA Posts: 706	That's a really good looking display you have there. I have seen some others working on the UU. All of the models look good. Your base is one of the best looking ones so far. __________________ ~Doug~ AC006299 Project Gutenberg

05-14-2007, 09:19 AM	#9 (permalink)
cgutzmer Reserves Librarian Card Models Administrator Join Date: May 2006 Location: Sun Prairie WI Posts: 4,660	You did an awesome job on that! You must be a model RR'er too thanks so much for the great pics. Chris __________________ Looking for models - try the Zealot WIKI! Click here -> http://wiki.zealot.com/index.php/Free_Models

05-14-2007, 10:38 AM	#10 (permalink)
Clashster Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: The Conch Republic Posts: 806	Beautiful! __________________ I swear I won't buy anymore models until I finish one!

05-14-2007, 12:02 PM	#11 (permalink)
Chthulhu Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Escondido, California Posts: 35	Ken, that is simply magnificent! I haven't done any sort of base layout for my build, mainly because I don't have any place to display it. :-/ __________________ Mike Hungerford http://users.sdccu.net.chthulhu2/models.html "My God, it's full of Twinkies." -- Greg Bear

05-14-2007, 05:23 PM	#12 (permalink)
Plastic Bonsai Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Fareham UK Posts: 149	What an inspiring model! Card modelling is an excellent medium for buildings.The base really sets this model off. It would make for an excellent display in a bookshop or library. I did browse the book and it didn't feel it would be a good model but this shows otherwise. I shall have to get a copy. Could I hope for the Patricians Palace and grounds with B S Johnson's lake and ho-ho,? Pseudopolis yard?, the Alchemist Guild with easily blown off roof? My Ghiblis were raised on Discworld novels - you can only read so much Dr Suess. We now have an annual trip to see a local semi professional theatre group do a Discworld play. This year it's Carpe Jugulum with 3 excellent witches.

05-14-2007, 05:41 PM	#13 (permalink)
RacerX Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Warren, OH, USA Posts: 36	Nice! I cant wait to make mine. I actualy got 2 copies of the book so i can keep one and make the other

05-14-2007, 05:44 PM	#14 (permalink)
mike.stamper Junior Member Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 5	I'm totally new to forums - or should that be fora ? so please bear with me 'till I find my feet! Ken, that's a great model of the UU. You may already know this, but the Terrry Prattchet people have their own forum and one of the trreads is. http://www.discworldstamps.co.uk/for...=asc&start=225. There are a few pictures of mine at http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/...0733&members=1 One of the buildings is an extra - The Bridge of Sighs. I made this by copying various kit parts and resizing them to be in scale with the rest. Cheers MikeS

05-14-2007, 07:24 PM	#15 (permalink)
rlwhitt Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Clemmons, NC, USA Posts: 1,316	OMG, this is just amazingly awesome! Are those bushes and trees made of paper? Rick __________________ Current Build: Wright Flyer I, Orlik, 1:25 - Build Thread Here... Recently Completed: Shloss Neuschwanstein (Schreiber)

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