A Tudor style tavern.

This isn't going to be a quick project, I've already spent some time making experimental test pieces to find the best method (for me) of making this building.

What follows is an account of how I'm going about it. 

I usually build the complete shell - sans roof - before painting the brickwork, but this time I decided to complete one side  before proceeding with the others

Here is the front elevation of the tavern marked out and ready to paint. I'll let you into a secret, I've been here before, and painted it using the logical method, The black woodwork followed by filling in the white wattle & daub panels then the brickwork. Hmmm, doesn't really look very good, and it's really difficult for me to keep the white paint off the black - touch up the black... Hmmm, it's really difficult for me to keep the black paint off the white... Still not good enough - Start again

Next attempt, I decided to cut out completely all the white panels, but first I sprayed the whole side with powder grey acrylic. Once properly dry, I tickled out the white squares and windows with a scalpel - It's easier than it sounds - Then after marking them on the back, so I'd know where they came from, I painted the woodwork part of the remaining fret a nice dark brown/almost black. The most humane way to do this is with an airbrush.

I left the door in at this point to retain some strength in the foam fret.

Here is the foam fret with the white panels removed, sprayed black and a first dry brushing of some brick colour

The next step was to replace all the white panels in their correct places leaving out the window positions of course. To hold them in position, I backed up the whole side with black card. This serves two purposes, it stiffens up the whole side and as I`m going to fit the building with lighting, it makes the side light tight.

Below is the side with all panels replaced and a start made on making and fitting the windows.

One of the great advantages of wooden framed buildings is that they are generally both ancient and organic. This means that they move and settle over time with the result that frames are often not parallel and windows and doors are rarely square. Some of these old buildings twist and lean alarmingly, so if, during marking out or cutting, things get a bit squiffy, it doesn't matter so much.

The windows are made using a variant of my usual method. A card frame stuck to OHP film using banner tape. The film is printed with a diamond pattern to represent the cames of the leaded glass. A second frame is added on top of the card to give the window a little more depth.

More to follow.

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