Eeee project!

[constance]

I'm finally finished with my Snape diorama. It was more fun than I've had for ages, from start to finish, and excepting only the stool, which let's not talk about the stool, okay? It's a teeny bit messy, but overall, I think it turned out okay.




First of all, the outside. If I had to do it over again, I'd change things up a little -- only one dormer -- because the way I've set it up here doesn't really coincide with the plan of Spinner's End I have in my head. But screw that, man. I kind of like the two dormers.

The wallpapery wall is actually a wall inside the house, a hallway leading into Snape's room. I didn't bother to do the rest of the house for this one. Maybe one day.


It's the scene Harry saw in Snape' pensieve, the one where Snape's zapping flies with his wand, which Snape is actually holding in this photo, but because of the angle, and because everything's so low-contrast, you can't really see it here.


In this photo, you can see the wand better.


From the hallway, looking in. Does Snape look pissed off and a little anxious at the same time? Because I totally think of him looking that way as a teenager.


He's posable, to a degree -- he can't, for example, bend enough to sit. Don't feel sorry for him, though. He'd kill himself if he tried to sit on his stool.

Note the cauldrons. The potions ingredients are stowed in boxes under his bed. :D


From this angle, you can see the stool that ate an entire night of my life. And also the enormity of Snape's nose.

And that's that! Except that if you're curious to see how it fits together, there are a few more pictures and explanations in this gallery. And I had so much fun that I feel a little sorry it's over.

Comments

[bethbethbeth.livejournal.com]

This is so excellent! There's a wonderfully surreal (and slightly Gorey-esque) quality to this.

Also? Fine job with the stool! *g*

[tofty.livejournal.com]

Hahahahaha, I was just adding an addendum to my cut tag, to the effect that it is definitely an homage to Gorey. The patterns, for example, are all his.

Man, that stool. It looks sort of innocuous, doesn't it? IT IS NOT, I tell you. >:O

Thank you! :D

[kickthebeat.livejournal.com]

CAMMY, THIS IS AMAZING. it feels very gorey to me. :-w in an awesome way. the books! the little rolls of parchment! SNAPE!

you are the coolest. B-)

[kickthebeat.livejournal.com]

that was totally not meant to be a :-w face. :| perhaps a [-o< face instead, or :x:x:x:x

[laurelwood.livejournal.com]

I'm so overcome I don't even know where to start. I love how Snape looks simultaneously like himself AND like an Edward Gorey character, and the patterns on everything are so amazing. I'm only halfway through the extended gallery-n-notes, so I'm not sure if you mention how you do that. Did you print out patterns and then glue them to the foam core architecture and furnishings? Where did you get the patterns to do it?

I love the parchment rolls! And the cauldrons! And that wonderful bookshelf! And the fact that he's poseable! But my very favorite part of the whole thing is that window with the curtain pulled back. That and the candle- I never would have thought to make one out of rolled-up tape, but it's perfect- it really DOES look waxy!

You rock so mightily! I'm using too many exclamation points! I'm off to read the rest of the notes!

[tofty.livejournal.com]

By now you may have found the note that talks about the patterns, so I'm sorry if this is a repeat. :/ I found images of patterns I wanted to use in Amphigorey and Amphigorey Also, scanned the images, cropped them to a repeatable size, set them to repeat in a web page and then printed full-size sheets of the resulting patterns. Then I cut them into the needed shapes and rubber-cemented them all to foam core and cardboard of varying thicknesses. Oh, the rubber cement I used! I probably have brain damage from the fumes!

I'm so happy that you think Snape was both himself and Gorey-esque -- that is absolutely what I was trying for! I hope you loved it as much as I love yours! We should do this again -- only not too soon, because this thing has eaten a whole week of my life. You should see what my house looks like right now, what with paper scraps everywhere and nothing picked up for a week. Worth it, but not something I can afford to do more than once in a while.

[accioslash.livejournal.com]

Wow! I've never seen anything so amazing. I love all the little details - the quills, the scattered parchment, the way the drapes are pulled back just inviting us to look in. And Snape himself is remarkable. I love his expression and the poses. I can't stop looking at this.

[tofty.livejournal.com]

Oh, thanks so much! :D It was kind of fun trying to imagine the details -- I wanted to put so much more in, too, but there was a limited amount of space, which actually served to remind me that Snape isn't exactly rich or anything.

[rexluscus.livejournal.com]

This is so so so so so awesome! I adore your little Snape - I especially like him lying on his stomach reading. And the house/room itself! It's just amazing! I love how some of it is 3D, and some of it is drawn (like the curtains. And the little bookshelf! The little desk, with quills and parchment! The wallpaper OMG! The tiny tiny candles! *ecstasies*

[tofty.livejournal.com]

hahahaha, thank you! I like the curtains as well! I'd originally planned to make some 3-D ones, either out of paper or fabric, just to be more consistent, but then I found this window setup in [Untitled] and fell in love with it. What I'd have really liked to do is continued the patterns/crosshatch drawings onto more of the 3-D stuff, but I found that that tight little crosshatch doesn't work so well on irregular surfaces, so that was one of several idea that went by the wayside.

[snapetoy.livejournal.com]

This is absolutely amazing, and such a fabulous treat for us! Wow, I'm just blown away by the detail and intricacy of the work. I think my favourite bits are Snape lying on the bed, it just looks so natural, the candles, and the incredible stool! How absolutely marvellous! K, way too many exclamation marks even for me, so I'll come back and try for coherency tonight. Amazing.

[tofty.livejournal.com]

I like the on-the-bed pose as well -- it just works better, doesn't it? And reading in that position is such a teenagery thing to do (not that I don't read that way myself, but you know what I mean).

I'm so glad you liked it! :D:D:D:D:D

[aubrem.livejournal.com]

: O

What vision you have! I never in a million years would have imagined such a thing. It is so very perfect. God, I love angry little comical Snape. I do think he's angry because he's so cute. I love the curtains and the quill and the perfection of all the cutting. I especially love all those black and white patterns.

You are amazing.

[aubrem.livejournal.com]

Cammy, I am fascinated by the fact that the building shape is the outside of the house but the one outside wall doubles as the inside hall - because it leads directly into Snape's room. It's like some sort of Escher thing. A meeting of different dimensions. An indication of the originality of your mind. I love it.

[amelia-eve.livejournal.com]

Dear Ms. Tofty,

Please come and design a house for me to live in, with or without Professor Snape. I know you will make it beautiful even if the evil ruffians try to tear it down.

Your best friend forever if you do this for me,
Amelia

[tofty.livejournal.com]

Dear Amelia,

I will happily design one for you! You must have guessed that this is a thing I love very much to do, design random dream houses for my friends. We will have to hire someone to make it stand, though, once you start building it, because structural engineering was never exactly my strong suit.

And we will make it beautiful together!

Yours most affectionately (and geekily!),

Tofty

[triestine.livejournal.com]

!!!

[tofty.livejournal.com]

???

...

!!!

:D:D:D

[somniesperus.livejournal.com]

That's AWESOME! I can tell you spent tons of time on it. And yes, it's very Edward Gorey! (S is for Severus, who killed flies in bed...)

[tofty.livejournal.com]

ahahahahaha! &hearts&hearts&hearts&hearts

T is for Telanu, whom I'm to wed!

[isiscolo.livejournal.com]

EEEEE! SO MUCH LOVE!

Gorey for the win!

[tofty.livejournal.com]

*raises trophy aloft*

I'm glad you are feeling the love!

[gmth.livejournal.com]

How cool! It looks simply awesome. :-)

[tofty.livejournal.com]

thank you thank you! :D

[ellen-fremedon.livejournal.com]

Oh, I love it! The house, and Gorey!Snape! He looks almost like the Doubtful Guest.

[tofty.livejournal.com]

ha! He does, doesn't he? I modeled him more specifically on the people in The Disrespectful Summons, though (especially Miss Squill, whose deadpan expressions I love).

It makes me very happy that you like it! *beams*

[submarine.livejournal.com]

O

M

FG!!!!!!!

It's pretty incredible. Keep going back to stare at the photos some more.

[tofty.livejournal.com]

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA &hearts&hearts&hearts Thank you!

[dahlia-777.livejournal.com]

I have to confess I had no idea what a diorama was so I've been a bit mystified by this project of yours. Until now of course - and I'm so impressed! I think Snape's expression is perfect. What are the dimensions by the way? I've got some idea from the notebooks on the table behind, but it would be interesting to know.

[tofty.livejournal.com]

Someone asked Laurel what a diorama was, and if it were one of those American Things. It never occurred to me that everyone on my friendslist wouldn't know -- sorry about that. And I'm glad you liked it anyway!

It's done on a pretty straight scale of 1" = 1'. I was afraid to go any smaller than that, because I was worried the clay would be too fragile (and I was right to worry, since I had many breakages even at this scale!). The whole thing is slightly less than a foot on any given side.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Abso-bleepin-lutely adorable. The Snape is precious (don't tell him I said that!), the structure of the house FABULOUS, and the monochrome theme absolutely right.

[tofty.livejournal.com]

Snape would be disturbed at all the people who think he's adorable here, wouldn't he? (I am among them, I confess.) And I couldn't do a Gorey homage in anything but black-and-white -- I know he's done color things, but I just think of him as pen-and-ink all the way.

Thank you! I'm so glad you drifted over this way. :D

[macshel.livejournal.com]

I love it!

[tofty.livejournal.com]

Oh, many thanks! :D:D:D

[strangelings.livejournal.com]

It's wonderfully Gorey esque. Hmmm, I wonder if I can get my friend to let me "renovate" her dollhouse.... This whole Diorama thing is starting to inspire me, though where I'd put things is another question...

I really like it, and I fully understand how the stool could've been eeeevil.

[tofty.livejournal.com]

Ohhhh, you're inspired? Run with it, man -- I know all of the participants in our little challenge would be ecstatically happy to see someone else joining in!

Ahahahahah, thanks! :D The stool was even more evil than the dormer windows, because at least the dormers finally cooperated!

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

His eyes! His little Gorey eyes! He does indeed look both angry and anxious.

I'll bet all those little drawers open, too, don't they?

[tofty.livejournal.com]

Ahahahahaa, they totally do open! There's nothing in them, but by God, they open. Because I am a dork. But at least I'm in good company. :D:D:D

[wildfyre.livejournal.com]

Oh wow! This is just incredible - I adore the little books and things :-)

Oh, and the stool - most awesome stool evars :D

[tofty.livejournal.com]

Hee! Thank you! I am very fond of the books, too! I was worried about how they'd look when I started on them, but I think they turned out pretty well.

Thanks for looking in! And liking it especially!

[winnett.livejournal.com]

This is too cool! You must have put in a TON of work on this. Too fun.

[tofty.livejournal.com]

I put an absolutely ridiculous amount of work into this. But it was a labor of love! And the more people who share in my peculiar delight of Edward Gorey and dioramas, the better, I say! :D:D:D:D

[magicicada.livejournal.com]

This is amazing- so many wonderful details, and I love your take on Snape.

[tofty.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! The details were the best part, I think, of putting it together.

[alison24601.livejournal.com]

Wow, so cool! And I have to comment on the gorgeous similarities to Gorey like the others have. Stunning.

I love the bookshelf especially.

[tofty.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I was worried about the bookshelf, but it turned out to be pretty painless. And I love bookcases just crammed with books, and I figure that in his tiny room with a limited amount of shelf space, crammed is exactly what they'd be. :)

[iulia_linnea.livejournal.com]

Wowza, this is cool!

[tofty.livejournal.com]

Hee! A hundred thousand thanks to you!

[summerborn.livejournal.com]

I *like* the stool! Well, I like the rest of it too, don't get me wrong. It's all so neat! The expression on his face is just as you say - part anxious and part annoyed at the world.

[tofty.livejournal.com]

hahaha, I wouldn't try to sit on that stool, though. Alas, it is not a stool made for sitting!

Thanks so much for dropping by to take a look. It thrills me when someone new has something to say!