Lazy Sunday - From the World of House of Seasons (New pics added 11/21)

Sometimes, Sunday are just about staying in and nursing a hangover from the night before.  It helps to have someone to spend it with.



























































Really, this photo series is about showcasing a bunch of small props I've been working on lately.  I'll be trying something new and adding to this thread, but for starters, I wanted to show off some of the printables I've either acquired or been working on, my customized Barbie fridge, and my 1/6 manga collection I've been building.

you never fail to impress, or inspire... you are the master of 1/6 body language

The level of detail is amazing! Overwhelming! Everything looks so real!

The number of hours spent making and finding everything must be almost countless. But once you have all the stuff, how long does a photo-shoot like this take you? I mean, there are so many poses with the figures, so many angles, and everything looks spot-on!

And where do you find the eyeglasses your figures wear?

And... did you make that extremely realistic sofa?

So that's where the selfie came in! Great new stuff -- and scenes, posing, and photography. I love the attention to detail and the realistic, lived-in, slightly-chaotic look. And you manage to make even stylized characters come across with nearly flawless realism. The drinking from the carton while the kitten looks on photo is probably my favorite, but they are all so good.

the picture i like best is the shot where she opened the fridge and checking inside!

what a nice place to hang out during off days!

HOLY COW! What am amazing setup. And the poses/narrative... I was right there with them.
Beautiful.

As the others have said Rev, simply awesome! The fridge looks fantastic, and full of goodies! Just like in real life the pets come to greet their owner! then after a night on the town and a mouth like the bottom of a bird cage, she gets a drink! Great too see her friend too who has come to the rescue with a hot coffee, what a great friend .
All the details are fantastic, just so much to look at and admire. Excellent stuff Rev! Loved it

I honestly never have enough of that diorama, it's just fascinating, every little bit, each tiny detail and accessory, that's a breathtaking world you created, and as pointed by others, your mastery at posing and recreating human interactions is outstanding too!

I don’t know how I missed this. Awesome stuff as usual, Adam. This is one of my favorite sets that you’ve created. So many amazing details. Love the Manga collection.

Yeah agree with what most others said: The posing is another level here, just so real. When they hang on on the couch. Do you have this in your head already or look on some example pics of girls hangig out on the couch before posing the scenes?

Second thing that springs to your mind: All all all of these great little things and details. Very nice! Excellent done and the real glowing lamps etc are just the icing.

Valiarde wrote:Very nice! Excellent done and the real glowing lamps etc are just the icing.

Oh, right, I meant to ask: source for those miniature industrial style ceiling lamps? They are a sudden neeeeed!!!

Once again, I find that the amount of super-detailing that went into this is just totally mind-blowing. I am in awe.

Just wow, Rev! This is seriously one of your best photo sequences yet. While obviously I adore all your characters, sets, and storylines, there's something just so precious about this one. Perhaps it's the incredibly life-like poses, or maybe it's the tiny little details that keep standing out to me each time I look at it. Either way, this one is just so delightful.

And even though it's the same dio that you've used for other worlds and scenes, it still felt very much like the House of Seasons world. The decor especially. Everything from Delia's bed, to the shelf full of knick-knacks, to that amazing chair with the blue 'upholstery' (did you paint that yourself?!). All the little accessories scattered around give the whole thing such a lived-in feel. The random items on the coffee table, and the photos on the fridge. Not to mention fridge itself is just incredible!!! The repainting alone is wonderful, and it must have taken you ages to collect and/or make all the food items inside. The kittens and the little bowls in the corner lend the whole thing an extra level of realism and familiarity (especially for anyone who is a pet owner). The kitten watching Delia drinking the milk is adorable. :')

The poses in this photo series are really impressive. Might seem strange to say since it is just a 'mundane' scene, rather than some complicated action sequence, but it's true. These poses seem especially natural. You are good at having your characters interact with convincing body language. I think a lot of people don't take full advantage of the tbleague bodies when it comes to this sort of thing.  (Not that I blame them, posing can be difficult and time-consuming.) I also know some people don't like the ankle joints showing on tbleague bodies, but for some reason in these pics it's hardly noticeable. I think the petite tbleague bodies seem to have nicer ankle area, perhaps. Though of course you also are very good at mimicking actual human body language, which helps a great deal. Honestly, your attention to detail with posing is something that has always made your work stand out to me. Especially cause I still rather suck at posing myself and am nowhere near at that level. Something I'm trying to overcome, and in the meantime your legendary posing skills will continue to be an inspiration. :3

Speaking of poses.... the moment when Thornapple just appears out of nowhere is hilarious. I can't tell if she just snuck in through the door and Delia was too hungover to notice, or if she appeared out of thin air via witch magic, hot drinks in hand. Either way, it's perfectly executed. The way she holds up the coffees, you can just feel the delight.

Finally, I'd be remiss if I did not mention the shelf full of manga!! (Complete with yet another 'admiring the butt' moment as Delia picks some out, lmao.) That is such a brilliant touch, and can only imagine it must have taken ages to assemble. Though it must have also been a hell of a lot of fun to put that 'collection' together! :')

So great! Love the details in the manga collection and all the other bits and pieces.

GregT wrote:you never fail to impress, or inspire... you are the master of 1/6 body language

Thank you so much Greg!!!!  That is truly what I aspire to.  There's so much I want to convey in this medium, character wise, and that's the main thing I have to work with.  So I'm thrilled to hear when it comes across.  

davidd wrote:The level of detail is amazing! Overwhelming! Everything looks so real!

The number of hours spent making and finding everything must be almost countless. But once you have all the stuff, how long does a photo-shoot like this take you? I mean, there are so many poses with the figures, so many angles, and everything looks spot-on!

And where do you find the eyeglasses your figures wear?

And... did you make that extremely realistic sofa?

Thank you Davidd!!!  And you're totally right, it's been such a long time in the making.  Like I think a lot of other obsessives her in the hobby, I am just constantly on the look out for anything that works in 1/6, as well as just general miniature making tricks and tutorials.  Like, I think I saw someone posting on pinterest how to make a spiral staircase for a 1/12 dollhouse, and I was like, "I need to drop everything and try to make that in 1/6."  And man, my photo shoots are SLOOOW.  I always joke about it, but for me, photo shoots are where I get to just play with my toys.  Ideally, it's hours of just playing around with stuff, seeing what works, experimenting with poses and angles.  I can easily just spend the whole day shooting, and be blissfully happy.

Thornapple's glasses are actually by Original Effect (as are most of the House of Seasons heads).  But I've recently picked up a couple of those metal framed foldable glasses you see on ebay a lot, and they actually look really nice.  

I wish I could take credit for the sofa, but it's actually from this etsy seller: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MiniPlacesStudio It looks like they've been MIA for a bit, which is a real shame.  The did a lot of beautiful furniture.

GubernatorFan wrote:So that's where the selfie came in! Great new stuff -- and scenes, posing, and photography. I love the attention to detail and the realistic, lived-in, slightly-chaotic look. And you manage to make even stylized characters come across with nearly flawless realism. The drinking from the carton while the kitten looks on photo is probably my favorite, but they are all so good.

Thank you Guv!!!  And so happy that lived-in quality comes across.  I feel like that's a big part of creating a sense of realism, and I'm always kinda chasing that.  And I was so happy with how those milk shots came out too!  I also snapped off this one.  I'd been wanting to do a photo like this ever since I added the light to the fridge, and even though it didn't fit into the narrative of the shoot, I loved how it came out, and wanted to share it.

brassco wrote:the picture i like best is the shot where she opened the fridge and checking inside!

what a nice place to hang out during off days!

Thank you Brassco!!!!  So glad you enjoyed that shot.  Yeah, I always imagine Delia's place being a super cozy hang out spot.  

AerynDiana wrote:HOLY COW! What am amazing setup. And the poses/narrative... I was right there with them.
Beautiful.

Thanks much AerynDiana!!!  If It took you there, I definitely accomplished what I set out to.  So glad I could share a bit of their world.

BAMComix wrote:As the others have said Rev, simply awesome! The fridge looks fantastic, and full of goodies! Just like in real life the pets come to greet their owner! then after a night on the town and a mouth like the bottom of a bird cage, she gets a drink! Great too see her friend too who has come to the rescue with a hot coffee, what a great friend .
All the details are fantastic, just so much to look at and admire. Excellent stuff Rev! Loved it

God, right?!  It sound's like you're as familiar with that feeling as I am. And there are no better friends than the ones who show up in those moments with coffee.  Ecstatic that you enjoyed!  Thanks so much BAMComix!

blackpool wrote:I honestly  never have enough of that diorama, it's just fascinating, every little bit, each tiny detail and accessory, that's a breathtaking world you created, and as pointed by others, your mastery at posing and recreating human interactions is outstanding too!

Thank you Blackpool!!!  So thrilled you enjoyed.  I had so much fun with this shoot, and I'm so happy it came across!

Stryker2011 wrote:I don’t know how I missed this. Awesome stuff as usual, Adam. This is one of my favorite sets that you’ve created. So many amazing details. Love the Manga collection.

Thanks so much Stryker!!!  It's always a relief to hear no one's gotten tired of seeing, and I try to keep adding details to keep it fresh.  Means so much that you enjoyed, especially the manga!  Check out below, I get into my slightly obsessive approach to making them all.

Valiarde wrote:Yeah agree with what most others said: The posing is another level here, just so real. When they hang on on the couch. Do you have this in your head already or look on some example pics of girls hangig  out on the couch before posing the scenes?

Second thing that springs to your mind: All all all of these great little things and details. Very nice! Excellent done and the real glowing lamps etc are just the icing.

Thank you Valiarde!!!  I play around a lot with poses, but (And I hope this doesn't sound terribly creepy) I think I really just like body language a lot.  I think how people move and interact with the world is so fascinating, all what it conveys.  I look at any art I have a reaction to, photography, comics, and I'm always picking apart why it hits me the way it does.  Why a pose makes me feel a certain way when I see it.  So when it comes time to work on shoots, I think I have a lot of really specific feeling I want to show, like how close or comfortable characters are together, sense of a relationship, that sort of thing.  

davidd wrote:

Valiarde wrote:Very nice! Excellent done and the real glowing lamps etc are just the icing.

Oh, right, I meant to ask: source for those miniature industrial style ceiling lamps? They are a sudden neeeeed!!!

And I KNOW I did something right when you come back for more!  Aren't those lights great?  They're actually string lights, I think from either Michael's or Target.  Those are some of the best ones I've found, but I've seen some really cool stuff at both stores that would really well in 1/6 dios.

ThePhotogsBlog wrote:Once again, I find that the amount of super-detailing that went into this is just totally mind-blowing. I am in awe.  

Thanks much PhotogsBlog!!!  I'm always trying to tweek and add, and so glad you dig!

skywalkersaga wrote:Just wow, Rev! This is seriously one of your best photo sequences yet. While obviously I adore all your characters, sets, and storylines, there's something just so precious about this one. Perhaps it's the incredibly life-like poses, or maybe it's the tiny little details that keep standing out to me each time I look at it. Either way, this one is just so delightful.

And even though it's the same dio that you've used for other worlds and scenes, it still felt very much like the House of Seasons world. The decor especially. Everything from Delia's bed, to the shelf full of knick-knacks, to that amazing chair with the blue 'upholstery' (did you paint that yourself?!). All the little accessories scattered around give the whole thing such a lived-in feel. The random items on the coffee table, and the photos on the fridge. Not to mention fridge itself is just incredible!!! The repainting alone is wonderful, and it must have taken you ages to collect and/or make all the food items inside. The kittens and the little bowls in the corner lend the whole thing an extra level of realism and familiarity (especially for anyone who is a pet owner). The kitten watching Delia drinking the milk is adorable. :')

The poses in this photo series are really impressive. Might seem strange to say since it is just a 'mundane' scene, rather than some complicated action sequence, but it's true. These poses seem especially natural. You are good at having your characters interact with convincing body language. I think a lot of people don't take full advantage of the tbleague bodies when it comes to this sort of thing.  (Not that I blame them, posing can be difficult and time-consuming.) I also know some people don't like the ankle joints showing on tbleague bodies, but for some reason in these pics it's hardly noticeable. I think the petite tbleague bodies seem to have nicer ankle area, perhaps. Though of course you also are very good at mimicking actual human body language, which helps a great deal. Honestly, your attention to detail with posing is something that has always made your work stand out to me. Especially cause I still rather suck at posing myself and am nowhere near at that level. Something I'm trying to overcome, and in the meantime your legendary posing skills will continue to be an inspiration. :3

Speaking of poses.... the moment when Thornapple just appears out of nowhere is hilarious. I can't tell if she just snuck in through the door and Delia was too hungover to notice, or if she appeared out of thin air via witch magic, hot drinks in hand. Either way, it's perfectly executed. The way she holds up the coffees, you can just feel the delight.

Finally, I'd be remiss if I did not mention the shelf full of manga!! (Complete with yet another 'admiring the butt' moment as Delia picks some out, lmao.) That is such a brilliant touch, and can only imagine it must have taken ages to assemble. Though it must have also been a hell of a lot of fun to put that 'collection' together! :')

Thank you so much Skywalkersaga!!!!  Your thorough and thoughtful response means the absolute world to me.  I'll be honest, it's the mundane shoots that always make me the most nervous to share.  Without any big action, I always wonder if these quiet little moments will hold anyone's interest, even though it's these types of interactions that are some of my favorite stuff to shoot.  There's so much in my head about these characters relationships, and it always feels a bit like a genuine miracle when I can convey that, and it actually comes through.  I can't say enough how much I love TBLeague for being able to actually capture these really human gestures.  

I really do have 2 sets of props for Crow's and Delia's version of the loft to try to distinguish between them, and I'm still refining each look as I go.  Definitely some overlap between them, but I so want each one to feel rooted in its own world, and it's awesome when that works.  I'm so glad you like how that chair came out, as it was a recent paint job, and I was feeling good about the results, especially with the fabric effect.  I got 3 different solid black resin highly ornate chairs that are perfectly scaled to 1/6, and I've been slowly working up the nerve to paint all of them.  The fridge mod was another recent project I was so excited to share.  I recently ordered a PILE of printed foodstuffs from an ebay seller with an extensive selection.  The print quality was a lot lower resolution than I wanted it to be, but they seem to photograph ok, so I'm at peace with it.  Although the milk Delia is drinking, I did myself, with some files I found online, after a bit of resizing and tweeking, and I'm MUCH happier with.  The Chinese containers were all custom, right down to the logo, and Fat Dragon is officially House of Seasons canon.  

Pets really are one of those things that truly make a house feel like a home.  And a witch definitely needs some cats!  And for a couple of the cheap craft store mini animals, I thought they brought a lot of fun too, and have so much personality.  

You know, I totally thought about making a door, and doing a whole at-the-door thing.  Then I thought, "To hell with all of that, that's a whole lot of extra work, and I want to get shooting!"     I'm glad it didn't completely break things.  Thornapple definitely has her own key for just this reason.  And that joy for coffee is 100% me channeling my own feelings.  

And man, what is with me and butts?!  Should I start to worry about reputation around here (no matter how well earned or accurate that reputation may be)?!  Sorry, my thought might have just drifted off...  thinking about...something...  Manga, right!  So, that ended up a crazy project.  I made a list of like all the series I love, and then went at hunting down covers for all of them.  1st, I was committed to finding all original Japanese covers, not translations (don't ask why that was important, because I'm not entirely sure, but I committed to it).  I THINK it's because the Japanese releases all actually have these cool jacket covers, which worked really well when recreating, including how they wrap around to the inside covers.  2nd, it can get really tricky to find scans of full covers, front and back, with the actual spine.  Because of that, there are a couple series I wanted to include, and I just struck out on completely.  Maybe some day...

Thank you again for the comments!!!

csyeung wrote:So great! Love the details in the manga collection and all the other bits and pieces.

Thank you Csyeung!!!  So glad you like the manga collection too.  Check out above where I get into my absolutely OBSESSIVE approach to them.   So glad it was worth the work.

Very cool! I admire the meticulous detail you took to recreate the manga books. I don't have many, but I do have some original japanese versions, esp the Alita (gunmm) series 1-9. (i used to grab random manga from a japanese bookstore when i visited hong kong while i was a kid so they're not complete) If you ever want some high res scans, let me know!

ReverendSpooky wrote:
Like, I think I saw someone posting on pinterest how to make a spiral staircase for a 1/12 dollhouse, and I was like, "I need to drop everything and try to make that in 1/6."

I've been obsessing over that staircase since I joined this forum. Actually, since before I joined the forum. BAMComix shared links to some of your photos with me a few weeks ago, which led me to joining the forum. In reading through all the comments on many of your posts, I think I have picked up enough info to undertake such a project. I just placed an order online for some folding wooden fans. I need to try to emulate this build.

Couple of questions: do you have a wire or rod running through the center post? And what did you use as risers between the stairs. Looks like possibly something as simple as plastic straws cut to length, or maybe plastic drywall anchors or something similar.

csyeung wrote:Very cool!  I admire the meticulous detail you took to recreate the manga books. I don't have many, but I do have some original japanese versions, esp the Alita (gunmm) series 1-9. (i used to grab random manga from a japanese bookstore when i visited hong kong while i was a kid so they're not complete) If you ever want some high res scans, let me know!

Um, a resounding YES!  Alita would be AWESOME.  Its so funny, I was just talking to a friend yesterday about how I really want to dive back into reading that series, and how freakin good it is.  I've only ever read that 1st arc they based the anime on, and I know it ran a LOT longer.  So full scans of the whole dust jackets would be epic.  No hurry whatsoever, and thanks so much for the offer!

davidd wrote:

ReverendSpooky wrote:
Like, I think I saw someone posting on pinterest how to make a spiral staircase for a 1/12 dollhouse, and I was like, "I need to drop everything and try to make that in 1/6."

I've been obsessing over that staircase since I joined this forum. Actually, since before I joined the forum. BAMComix shared links to some of your photos with me a few weeks ago, which led me to joining the forum. In reading through all the comments on many of your posts, I think I have picked up enough info to undertake such a project. I just placed an order online for some folding wooden fans. I need to try to emulate this build.

Couple of questions: do you have a wire or rod running through the center post? And what did you use as risers between the stairs. Looks like possibly something as simple as plastic straws cut to length, or maybe plastic drywall anchors or something similar.

Ah, that's so awesome!!!!  It's such a fun build, and I can't wait to see yours!  Feel free to hit me up with any questions along the way.  

I might have mentioned before, but he most annoying part was that most of the fan blades are a softer material, so only the 2 bladed on the end are actually usable.  Thankfully, a pack of them is fairly cheap, but I wanted to warn you.  There is a metal rod in the center.  The spacers are all pieces of a wooden dowel.  I had to drill through each one, so the metal rod runs through one of them, then the fan blade, then another dowel length, then the next fan blade.  I think squeezing the steps between the dowels also helps to stabilize them a lot, glued on the top and bottom.  In case I didn't share before, here are probably the best photos of it for reference.  

http://www.reverendspooky.com/news/loft-work-in-progress-2

You can also see some good shots of the string lights you asked about.  And seriously, don't hesitate to reach out with any questions!

Lazy Sunday continues with all new photos.  I picked up some 1/6 Playstation controllers a little while back, and have been wanting to do a shoot with them ever since.  I also have a cheap android tablet I wanted to experiment with as a 1/6 tv, and I think the result is really awesome.

I've also long wrestled with 1/6 scale beer bottles. Since all are cast with caps on, you just had to kinda ignore that in photos. Well, I finally got sick of it, so I made some with removable caps and hollowed out the mouth of the bottles. Really happy with how they look.

Fun fact 1: Phicen/TBLeague trigger hands are PERFECT for holding controllers.

Fun fact 2:  The Android tablet was free, and all I had to do was sit through a cult recruitment pitch.  I did not join, and they seemed genuinely annoyed when I still insisted I get my free tablet.

Really great photos, that place is amazing and so full of details.

Thank you for the additional info and the link regarding the spiral stairs.

The perfection of the latest sequence in the apartment is... too much for me to take in all at once. I'll be back.

I love a messy snack and games scene, and your figures, environment, and skills bring that to a whole new level.

PS -- great job with the lit fridge and the photo taking advantage of it!

Haha I love how the cat instantly replaces her in the last pic. <3 I went back looking at the other pics if I can find the cat again - and wasn't dissapointed

Very dynamic scene once again, I especially like the jump in the second to last pic. Winner pic from this sequel for me.

Absolutely excellent! The beer bottle and chip packets are fantastic! as are the playstation pads and too add the big screen TV was just perfection!
The scene of them playing the fighting game really made me laugh! Again, it's so true. to life. It reminded me a lot of my wife and I playing games like Tekken and street fighter. The moving around in the excitement of the battle! Simply top class Rev! Loved it all!

Nice job on the new beer bottles. A couple of girls after my own heart — Doritos and beer! It is cool to see the TV side of the room. The posing and reactions of them while playing the game are fantastic. Really awesome stuff.