Soldiering on...
For the last week I have been gradually starting the work on the bas-reliefs. This is an important part of the model for any view towards the inside of the arc reveals them in whole or in part:
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This constitutes one of the more difficult jobs in the modelling effort on the Arc, after the sculpting and stenciling. After giving it some thought, I identified gypsum as the right substrate for this part. The real thing was cut in white marble.
On the picture below, you can see the mold on the left that I used for the gypsum slab out of which the relief was to be cut. Though I used fine modelling gypsum, there appeared to be some air enclosures I will deal with at the end. In the right corner of the picture, you can see the slab onto which I displayed some of the cutting tools I use to scratch the bas-relief.
This is rather painstaking work, there is a lot of scratch-scratch-scratch to do, for which I employ my modelling knife mainly. In the middle of the picture, you can see where I am at right now. I used a side-lighting so you can see the depth into the relief. I think I need some more days to finish, meanwhile I will try and apply the inscriptions, the transparent decal paper arrived just this week.
Hope you like it!
Happy modelling.
1 additional image. Click to enlarge.