How To Build A Fantasy Peasant House

Ana Polanšćak, 6th August 2020

This article will be depicting the design and build process of one of the types of terrain I made - scratch-built peasant houses.

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Materials:
• polystyrene
• balsa wood (1mm, 2mm)
• DAS clay
• MDF base
• pelt of a teddy bear
• masking tape
• PVA glue
• superglue
• pins
• wooden toothpicks
• wire
• blister pack
• insect net
• water-based acrylic paint

Tools:
• hobby knife
• clippers
• brushes
• sculpting tools
• ruler

The core shape of the house was assembled from polystyrene and toothpicks, and covered with masking tape. It all stands on a flat MDF base. This underlying construction is sturdy and easy to build upon, so it's a good choice if the house is closed, with no built and playable interior. It is deliberately slightly crooked and irregular, with a sagging roof, which all gives character to a fantasy building.

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Next, I grabbed 2mm balsa and got started on the wood of the roof. Only the parts of the wooden roof structure that would be visible are important. No need to bother with the rest since it will be covered with thatch. This way you save on both time and material.

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Next came the wooden framework of the walls. Also made of 2mm balsa, glued with PVA. This piece represents a house built with wattle and daub method. The framework of the walls is made of wood, and the empty spaces are filled with a woven lattice of wooden stakes and twigs called wattle, which is then daubed with a wet mix of dirt, clay, dung and straw. This is quite good quality and much more affordable than a fully wooden structure. The house can finally be whitewashed to get this neater look.

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A house needs windows. These are an opportunity to add points of interest on the model. Leaded windows are commonly seen on fantasy houses, and they are really not that difficult to make. Insect net, blister pack plastic. I cut the square shapes with scissors, glued net to plastic and then the whole thing to the wall. Built the window frames around the glass because it's easier to make it fit that way. A trick for the window frame pieces to fit better is by cutting them one on top of the other. The angle will then be exactly the same without measuring. Again, to get this crooked feel avoid perfect right angles, and the windows can slightly differ in size. The building process is relaxed, without much measuring and precise cutting. This is how the finished windows look. Other windows will have shutters to add variety.

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The space between the wooden beams was then filled with DAS clay to represent the wattle and daub. I normally do this with my fingers and leave it uneven and messy. Only always make sure not to leave fingerprints behind - having those showing is on the same immersion-killing level as having mould lines on a painted miniature. Simple water helps smooth things out. Before applying the clay, I smear some PVA on the surface for DAS to adhere better. I learnt early on that if your polystyrene has a textured surface, do sand it smooth first. The texture be visible in the overlaying clay after it cures because it shrinks a bit. You can still fix that with another layer of DAS on top, but it's better to prevent it from happening at all.

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While the clay was still wet I added more detail to the overhang of the roof. It's just toothpicks, cut in half, with the pointy end dipped in PVA and pushed into the wall just where it meets the roof. This represents supporting structure.

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Doors and shutters are done the same way. First, basic shape and size is cut from 1mm balsa. Then it was marked and cut into vertical planks. Each plank got wood grain engraved with a pointy sculpting tool, and each was distressed around the edges with a knife. Then, the planks are glued into place in the door frame/over the window. The 'empty space' behind the door/shutter was painted black before that, since it would otherwise have been hard to reach. Thinking ahead saves you from frustration later...

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Metal details give the doors and shutters character and interest. Cut up blister packaging, pins, metal rings... These are best fixed with superglue.

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After this I just added texture on the house's base, and it was ready for painting. The whole thing can be primed white, but I did not find that necessary. The walls were already the right colour, and balsa was to be painted darker than its natural colour. I only undercoated the door and windows because they were made of a variety of different-coloured and even transparent materials. Painting it white first offers an equal base, and maybe more importantly it makes it more clearly visible what you've made. You need that when you're painting.

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The painting on this was very loose and fun. A succession of grey and brown glazes on the wood and a bit of light staining on the whitewashed walls. Special attention is given to the doors and windows, as they usually attract the eye. After glazes, they got a lighter overbrush, but only in the direction of the wood grain (so, vertically). This is followed by a layer of mat black on the metal, which is finally rusted up.

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I intended from the start to include a little porch, but I left it off until the time the door was painted, since it would have been difficult to reach otherwise. Same goes for the charming henhouse that leans on the side of the house. Porch has decoratively carved pillars and roof. All this was done just with a hobby knife and a modeller's file. The henhouse was constructed fully from balsa. As visible in the pictures, some parts were partly painted while it was still being built, again to avoid leaving those difficult to reach areas unpainted.

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After the messiest part of painting is done, the teddy fur thatch can be glued into place. I prefer to do it in this order to avoid fur getting in the way when painting the underlying wood. The fur itself was already the right colour, so did not need to be fully repainted, just fixed a bit. You don't necessarily need to flay a teddy to get your fur; they sell fur by the yard for teddy makers. But that is a more expensive option. The fur thatch is best done by cutting horizontal strips with scissors and pasting them onto the roof, starting from the bottom and with strips slightly overlapping. I used pins to fix it all in place until the glue set. They need to be pulled out afterwards.

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You will notice it looks very fuzzy and not exactly like thatch yet. To make it more like straw, I applied a mix of water, PVA and light brown paint. Used a large stiff brush and brushed this mix on. I only pulled my brush in the downward direction, following the flow of the hairs. This is also how water would normally go down the roof during rainfall.

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After this, the roof will be pretty drenched and it will take some time for it to dry. Best leave it overnight. When it was completely dry, I added the chimney, the wooden ridge, and some planks nailed to the roof. The latter are mostly an aesthetic choice, since they help break up the large, relatively bland surface.

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It's the little extra details that really help sell the scenery piece as a house someone inhabits. An everyday object, such as a simple, rickety ladder can be made from balsa and cut up toothpicks. Or what I put on this house: protective objects nailed to the roof. One is an animal skull, the other an effigy of the household spirit. The skull is a plaster copy of a skull I had previously sculpted in green stuff. The house patron was sculpted directly onto the house with DAS clay, a crude representation of a homunculus shape. The image is framed by a shape of a house, hinting at the spirit's function. One doesn't need to be adept at sculpting to make this happen. Bits leftover from kits, or bits designed for dioramas and basing are a good solution, too.

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The final step is adding some flock and static grass to the base.

Building this kind of house is not complicated and it doesn't require expensive materials nor tools. The more time is spent on it and the more thought and attention given to details, the more spectacular it will be.

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Latest articles

  • Back to Basics Workshops in Library Medvescak
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    In April 2026 we held our Back To Basics miniature painting workshops for the youngest in Medveščak Library.

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    The workshops were completely FREE for all participants!

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    The Back to Basics method is a method of making models and miniatures that focuses on a fun process intended for younger ages, but everyone is welcome! In three separate sessions on Thursdays, participants (aged 7+) painted miniatures of their choice (knight, princess, king, wizard and barbarian). 

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    1st session: Painting miniatures of choice, Thursday, 09.04. - from 18:00 to 19:00

    2nd session: Painting a miniature of your choice, Thursday, 16.04. - from 18:00 to 19:00

    3rd session: Painting a miniature of your choice, Thursday, 23.04. - from 18:00 to 19:00

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    U travnju 2026. održali smo naše Back To Basics radionice za najmlađe u Knjižnici Medveščak.

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    Radionice su bile BESPLATNE za sve polaznike!

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    Back to Basics metoda je metoda izrade maketa i minijatura kojoj je fokus na zabavnom procesu namjenjenom mlađim uzrastima, ali svi su dobrodošli! U tri zasebna termina četvrtkom, polaznici (od 7+) su bojali minijature po izboru (vitez, princeza, kralj, čarobnjak i barbarin).

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    1. termin: Bojenje minijature po izboru, četvrtak, 09.04. - od 18:00 do 19:00

    2. termin: Bojenje minijature po izboru, četvrtak, 16.04. - od 18:00 do 19:00

    3. termin: Bojenje minijature po izboru, četvrtak, 23.04. - od 18:00 do 19:00

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    " ["created"]=> string(19) "2026-04-24 08:13:42" ["modified"]=> string(19) "2026-04-24 08:13:42" } ["Member"]=> array(10) { ["id"]=> string(2) "64" ["group_id"]=> string(1) "1" ["first_name"]=> string(9) "Krunoslav" ["last_name"]=> string(8) "Belinić" ["first_name_mask"]=> string(9) "krunoslav" ["last_name_mask"]=> string(7) "belinic" ["username"]=> string(5) "Kruno" ["password"]=> string(40) "eb3fda45fbec0258e90d809803b10491c548b22f" ["born"]=> string(19) "2015-01-18 09:19:00" ["created"]=> string(19) "2015-01-18 09:20:39" } }
    Krunoslav Belinić, 24th April 2026
  • Freehand for Sons of Horus Spartana
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    This week, our Miha is working on the "Freehand" technique on Spartan for Sons of Horus for the game Horus Heresy.

    I'll explain my process a bit and give some tips if you're interested in trying this technique yourself.

    The first step is to find some references, something that we will use as inspiration and a guide for the colors later. It is important to emphasize that we are not trying to copy the drawing 1:1, but rather use it as a starting point and then add our own details.

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    I used a drawing by Richard Bagnall as inspiration, of course you can use your own sketches.   

    The second step is to define the space and create guides. I recommend using white paint as we will cover these guidelines later. It is important to define the surface we are working with and the important parts of the drawing through the guidelines.

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    Then we move from the background colors to the foreground colors, in this case reds, then blacks, then golds. Don't worry too much about making it perfect at first, just mark where each color goes and start building a blend from darker to lighter.

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    After that, the process of adding details where needed and marking the edges of zones to create light begins. Here I started working on the face, which I later changed the most with more detailed eyes and I tried to make the nose stand out more.

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    The last step is very long and requires a lot of effort. It's about fixing and adding more details where needed, when painting something detailed in such a small area mistakes will happen, just let it dry a bit and fix it. In the picture you can see how the red has transferred to my face, I fixed that later. I also added more details by using lighter shades of paint in certain areas.

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    This was the final result, I still tried to add some things, but every time I changed something intentionally, something would change by accident. It's important to know when to accept that a freehand is finished. Your first one won't be perfect, but through practice you will get better and better.

    One tip I will give you is to always have an object in your photo that can serve to show the viewer the size of your drawing. Most people I have shown the final image to thought it was a much larger drawing. I like to use coins.

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    Now, to show you how easy it is to start freehand and what can be achieved through practice, I'll give you two pictures, one of the brushes and paints I used for this project, and the other of some of my other freehands. I'm sure you'll notice the progress over time.

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    Thank you for reading, I hope I have encouraged you to try the freehand technique on your models.

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    Naš Miha se ovoga tjedna bavi „Freehand“ tehnikom na Spartanu za Sons of Horus za igru Horus Heresy.

    Malo ću objasniti moji proces i dati neke savjete ako ste zainteresirani sami probati ovu tehniku.

    Prvi korak je pronaći neki reference, nešto što ćemo koristiti kao inspiraciju i voditelj za boje kasnije. Važno je naglasiti da ne pokušavamo prekopirati crtež 1:1, nego ga koristimo kao početak pa dalje nadodajemo svoje detalje.

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    Koristio sam crtež od Richard Bagnall-a kao inspiraciju, naravno možete i svoje sketcheve koristiti. 

    Drugi korak je odrediti prostor i napraviti vodilice. Savjetujem korištenje bijele boje kako ćemo ove vodilice prekriti kasnije. Važno da odredimo površinu s kojom radimo i važne dijelove crteža kroz vodilice.

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    Nakon toga krećemo od boja u pozadini prema bojama naprijed, u ovom slučaju to su crvene, pa crne, pa zlato. U početku se nemojte previše brinuti da ispadne savršeno, nego samo da označite gdje koje boje idu i da počnete graditi blend od tamnije prema svjetlijoj.

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    Nakon toga počinje proces dodavanja detalja gdje su potrebni i označavanje rubova zona kako bi stvorili svjetlost. Ovdje sam započeo raditi na licu, koje sam najviše kasnije mijenjao s detaljnijim očima i pokušavao sam više istaknuti nos.

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    Zadnji korak je jako dugačak i zahtjeva dosta truda. To je popravljanje i dodavanje još detalje gdje je potrebno, kada bojate nešto detaljno na ovako malom prostoru dogodit će se greške, jednostavno pustite da se malo osuši i popravite. U slici možete vidjeti kako mi je crvena prešla na lice, to sam kasnije popravio. Također sam dodao još detalja koristeći svjetlije nijanse boja na određenim dijelovima.

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    Ovo je bio finalni rezultat, još sam pokušao nadodati neke stvari, ali svaki put kad bi nešto mijenjao namjerno, nešto bi se promijenilo slučajno. Važno je znati kada treba prihvatiti da je freehand gotov. Prvi vam neće biti savršen, ali kroz vježbu ćete postati sve bolji i bolji.

    Jedan savjet koji ću vam dati je da uvijek imate neki objekt u fotografiji koji može služiti da se gledatelju prikaže veličina vašeg crteža. Većina kojoj sam pokazao finalu sliku su mislili da je to dosta veći crtež. Ja volim koristiti kovanice.

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    Sada, da prikažem koliko je lagano krenuti s freehandom i što se može postići kroz vježbu, ću vam dati dvije slike, jedna su kistovi i boje koje sam koristio za ovaj projekt, a druga su neki drugi moji freehandovi. Siguran sam da ćete primjetiti napredak s vremenom.

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    Hvala vam na čitanju, nadam se da sam vas potaknuo da probate freehand tehniku na svojim modelima.

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    Marko Paunović, 20th April 2026
  • Miniature Painting Workshop in Bjelovar
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    At the end of March and beginning of April, we held our first miniature painting workshop in Bjelovar. We held them in cooperation with the "Petar Preradović" National Library from Bjelovar, to which we would like to once again thank for the opportunity to demonstrate our hobby to young people in this city.

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    The first, introductory workshop was led by our Dalibor Čavić, the original creator of this series of workshops. He showed the attendees some of his work and explained the theory behind basic miniature painting in an interesting one-hour lecture.

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    Due to Dalibor's illness, our Dean Vuković stepped in to lead the second workshop. The second session was reserved for the practical application of the acquired knowledge.

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    Eight participants had the opportunity to paint miniatures provided by the Association, but some decided to paint their own miniatures, which Dean naturally made possible.

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    See you soon again in Bjelovar!

    " ["content_hrv"]=> string(6737) "

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    Krajem ožujka i početkom travnja održali smo prve radionice bojanja minijatura u Bjelovaru. Održali smo ih u suradnji sa Narodnom knjižnicom "Petar Preradović" iz Bjelovara kojoj se ovim putem još jednom zahvaljujemo na prilici da demonstriramo naš hobi mladima u ovom nama bliskom gradu.

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    Prvu, uvodnu radionicu je vodio naš Dalibor Čavić, idejni začetnik ovog serijala radionica. Prisutnima je pokazao neke od svojih radova i objasnio teoriju iza osnovnog bojanja minijatura u zanimljivom jednosatnom predavanju.

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    Za vođenje druge radionice, uskočio je naš Dean Vuković zbog bolesti Dalibora. Drugi termin bio je rezerviran za praktičnu primjenu stečenih znanja.

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    Osam polaznika imalo je priliku bojati minijature koje je Udruga osigurala, ali neki su odlučili bojati i vlastite minijature što im je voditelj naravno omogućio.

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    Vidimo se uskoro opet u Bjelovaru!

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    Dalibor Čavić, 14th April 2026
  • Hobby Stores in Japan
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    Last year our Ili went to Japan and was kind enough to write a short story about the hobby stores she visited while there.

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    I was 3 weeks in Japan and being a geeky (and admittedly an Otaku), of course I spent most of my time there at the famous Akihabara.

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    Akihabara Electric Town or simply Akihabara is a district in central Tokyo that is famous for its many electronics shops and has also gained recognition as the center of Japan's otaku culture. You can find everything ranging from practical electronics models or parts to gaming and anime merchandise and of course model kits and miniatures.

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    What my partner and I didn’t expect is that all stores here are at least 5 floors and the most I know have even 10 floors! Above is probably the most famous building in Akihabara, the Akihabara Radio Kaikan. The building is 46.5 m high, is ten levels from the ground floor and has two basement levels. The current building primarily hosts stores selling otaku goods.

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    While above photos are inside Akihabara Radio Kaikan, but these are how most buildings/stores in Akhabara look like.

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    Since we are about building and painting miniature models, the place you MUST visit is VOLKS AKIHABARA HOBBY PARADISE 2 (Hobby Paradise 2) - it is a dream destination for every hobbyist. This massive seven-floor store is filled with everything from character goods and figures to model kits, tools, paints, and more.

    On the topic of Volks, it began as a small hobby shop in 1972. In the late 1990s they produced the first Dollfie dolls, and in 1999 the first Super Dollfie doll was created by Akihiro Enku. In November 2005, Volks USA opened their first American Tenshi no Sumika store in Los Angeles, California.

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    We are going to talk a bit about Dollfie. Dollfie dolls were customization tools such as pre-rooted hair and stick-on eye decals. Later, complete dolls were released. There are various body types, male and female, with several forms and skin tones for both as well as a line of child-sized dolls. The company also produces tools and materials to customize and maintain dolls.

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    Basically they are almost like customising and painting miniature but on a bigger scale. This is a hobby I have had since 2005 (but only become very active in 2017).

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    Volks store in Osaka - Volks Osaka Showroom.

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    One place you need to visit if you're into retro gaming is SUPER POTATO! They have 6 stores total, one is in Akihabara, Tokyo and the one in Nipponbashi, Osaka is a lot bigger and has more things to offer. All the photos I shared above are from the Osaka branch. Super Potato had been referred by many as "a museum as much as a shop" based on how visitors serendipitously interact with the games on display.

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    And a cliche as they say, you always leave Japan with more luggage (or bags). We came to Japan with just one piece of luggage and 2 backpacks on us.

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    Prošle godine naša Ili je bila u Japanu i bila je toliko ljubazna da je napisala kratku priču o hobby trgovinama koje je posjetila dok je bila tamo.

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    Bila sam 3 tjedna u Japanu i, budući da sam geeky (i priznajem otaku), naravno da sam većinu vremena provela tamo u poznatoj Akihabari.

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    Akihabara Electric Town ili jednostavno Akihabara je četvrt u središnjem Tokiju poznata po brojnim trgovinama elektronikom, a stekla je i priznanje kao središte japanske otaku kulture. Možete pronaći sve, od praktičnih modela ili dijelova elektronike do igraće i anime robe, pa sve do kompleta modela i minijatura.

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    Ono što moj partner i ja nismo očekivali jest da sve trgovine ovdje imaju barem 5 katova, a većina koje poznajem ima čak 10 katova! Iznad je vjerojatno najpoznatija zgrada u Akihabari, Akihabara Radio Kaikan. Zgrada je visoka 46,5 m, nalazi se na deset katova od prizemlja i ima dva podrumska kata. U sadašnjoj zgradi se uglavnom nalaze trgovine koje prodaju otaku robu.

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    Iako su gornje fotografije unutar Akihabara Radio Kaikana, ovako izgleda većina zgrada/trgovina u Akhabari.

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    Budući da se bavimo izradom i bojanjem minijaturnih modela, mjesto koje MORATE posjetiti je VOLKS AKIHABARA HOBBY PARADISE 2 (Hobby Paradise 2) - to je destinacija iz snova za svakog hobista. Ova ogromna trgovina na sedam katova puna je svega, od robe s likovima i figurama do maketa, alata, boja i još mnogo toga.

    Što se tiče Volksa, započeo je kao mala hobi trgovina 1972. Krajem 1990-ih proizveli su prve Dollfie lutke, a 1999. Akihiro Enku stvorio je prvu Super Dollfie lutku. U studenom 2005. Volks USA otvorio je svoju prvu američku trgovinu Tenshi no Sumika u Los Angelesu u Kaliforniji.

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    Pisat ću malo o Dollfieju. Dollfie lutke bile su alati za prilagodbu poput unaprijed ukorijenjene kose i naljepnica za oči koje se samoljepe. Kasnije su izdane i gotove lutke. Postoje različiti tipovi tijela, muški i ženski, s nekoliko oblika i tonova kože za oboje, kao i linija lutaka dječje veličine. Tvrtka također proizvodi alate i materijale za prilagodbu i održavanje lutaka.

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    U osnovi su gotovo kao prilagodba i bojanje minijatura, ali u većoj skali. Ovo je hobi koji prakticiram od 2005. (ali sam postala vrlo aktivna tek 2017.).

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    Volks trgovina u Osaki - Volks Osaka Showroom.

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    Jedno mjesto koje morate posjetiti ako volite retro igre je SUPER POTATO! Imaju ukupno 6 trgovina, jedna je u Akihabari u Tokiju, a ona u Nipponbashiju u Osaki je puno veća i ima više toga za ponuditi. Sve fotografije koje sam podijelila gore su iz podružnice u Osaki. Super Potato su mnogi nazivali "muzejem koliko i trgovinom" na temelju načina na koji posjetitelji slučajno komuniciraju s izloženim igrama.

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    I klišej kako kažu, uvijek napuštaš Japan s više prtljage (ili torbi). Mi smo u Japan došli samo s jednim komadom prtljage i dva ruksaka.

    " ["created"]=> string(19) "2026-04-08 08:51:21" ["modified"]=> string(19) "2026-04-08 08:51:21" } ["Member"]=> array(10) { ["id"]=> string(2) "35" ["group_id"]=> string(1) "1" ["first_name"]=> string(5) "Marko" ["last_name"]=> string(9) "Paunović" ["first_name_mask"]=> string(5) "marko" ["last_name_mask"]=> string(8) "paunovic" ["username"]=> string(5) "marko" ["password"]=> string(40) "3bd37b326d19d1880d3b93a4b32e8fb3a90fa122" ["born"]=> string(19) "2033-03-07 20:35:00" ["created"]=> string(19) "2009-06-02 20:37:03" } }
    Marko Paunović, 8th April 2026
  • Red Temple of Light - Board for Necropolis28 campaign
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        ["id"]=>
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        ["member_id"]=>
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        ["title_eng"]=>
        string(53) "Red Temple of Light - Board for Necropolis28 campaign"
        ["title_hrv"]=>
        string(51) "Tabla Red Temple of Light za Necropolis28 Kampanju "
        ["mask_eng"]=>
        string(53) "red_temple_of_light_-_board_for_necropolis28_campaign"
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        string(50) "tabla_red_temple_of_light_za_necropolis28_kampanju"
        ["content_eng"]=>
        string(7425) "

    This year, Agram Arena – an international tabletop strategy game competition – was back on the schedule. The team decided to organize a two-day campaign for Necropolis 28. It is an interesting game that has a very good hobby aspect, as it also involves making a gaming board. So I decided to join in and make one. This article follows my work on the board whose working title was Red Temple of Light…

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    I imagined the terrain as a temple made of brick towers, connected by bridges. Aesthetically, I wanted it to look like it was in the process of being demolished or built.

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    I made the towers from cardboard rolls for holding blueprints from local newspapers and for rolls of foil.

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    The decision to texture the bricks fell on cutting individual bricks from XPS, since that way I could get the most realistic joints between the towers and bridges.

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    Since it seemed too tall for practical use in the game, I decided to magnetize the towers and separate them from the base – that way I can store everything more easily and the players can remove the tower for easier play.

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    I painted the building red, and the terrain is a textured paste in the color of “mud” with a few reddish colors added using the drybrush technique.

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    " ["content_hrv"]=> string(7301) "

    Ove godine, na raspored se vratila Agram Arena – međunarodno natjecanje u stolnim strateškim igrama. Ekipa je odlučila organizirati dvodnevnu kampanju za Necropolis 28. Zanimljiva je to igra u koju je jako dobro ukomponiran hobby aspekt jer pretpostavlja i izradu igraće table. Ovaj članak prati moj rad na tabli radnog naziva Red Temple of Light…

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    Teren sam zamislio kao hram načinjen od ciglenih tornjeva, povezanih mostovima. Estetski sam htio da izgleda kao da je u procesu rušenja ili gradnje.

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    Tornjeve sam radio od kartonskih valjaka za držanje nacrta iz narodnih novina i za role folije.

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    Odluka za teksturu cigli je pala na rezanje zasebnih ciglica od XPS-a, s obzirom da bih tako mogao dobiti najrealnije spojeve između tornjeva i mostova.

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    Kako mi se činilo previsoko za praktičnu uporabu u igri, odlučio sam magnetizirati tornjeve i odvojiti ih od baze – tako mogu sve lakše spremiti i igrači mogu maknuti toranj za lakšu igru.

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    Obojao sam zgradu crveno, a teren je teksturirana pasta boje „blata“ sa drybrush tehnikom dodanih par crvenkastih boja.

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    Mario Grgurev, 1nd April 2026

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