ÿþ<html> <head> <title>Castlevania: The Adventure Papercraft Diorama</title> <meta content="Mark Patraw" name=Author> <meta content="Images of, and information about, a papercraft diorama of a screen from the first level of Konami's 1989 Castlevania: The Adventure Nintendo Gameboy video game, made by Mark Patraw." name=Description> <meta content="diorama,papercraft,Castlevania,The Adventure,Konami,Gameboy,fan art,figure,miniature,sculpture,model,toy,Mark Patraw." name="Keywords"> </head> <body text=white link=e5ad6b background="iCAS_ADV_logo.gif" bgproperties=fixed> <br> <br> <table width=90% align=center cellpadding=10 border=10 bgcolor=012519 bordercolor=silver> <tr> <td> <center> <font size=5><b>É0é0­0å0é0 O¬Š</b></font> <br> <br> <img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap003/CAS_ADV_logo_zps82df567b.gif~original"> <br> <br> <br> <br> <font size="7"><b><i>Papercraft Diorama</font><br><font size=5>(Christopher Belmont vs. Jiû0Zi-)</i></b></font> <br> <br> <EMBED src="CAS_ADV_battle_of_holy.mid" width="0" height="0" autostart="true" loop="true" hidden="true"></center> <br> <p align=center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap003/CAS_ADV_papercraft_diorama_pivot6b_zps2f262839.gif~original" border=10></p> <br> <p align=left> I've been wanting to make a papercraft diorama of a video game screen for a long time, utilizing two-dimensional sprites and background tiles, and, at long last, I finally scrounged up the ambition to actually get it done. <br> <br> I don't own a printer for my computer, and it costs a dollar a page for color printouts at the library in the neighboring city (our local library only has a black and white printer), thus, because I'm a miser, and I'm not always in the mood to travel to said municipality anyway, I decided to focus my efforts on a game for the original Nintendo Gameboy, which only had 4-color, gray-scale graphics (perfect for a black and white printer). <br> <br> Here's the reference screenshot, from the first level of Konami's 1989 <i>Castlevania: The Adventure</i> video game (original Japanese title: É0é0­0å0é0 O¬Š, which, romanized, is "Dorakyura Densetsu", and that translates to "Legend of Dracula"), that I chose as the subject matter for my papercraft diorama: <br> <br> <center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap003/CAS_ADV_screen_zpsad48d42b.png~original" border=3></center> <br> I took separate screenshots of the background tiles and sprite layers, using an emulator, and then further separated and edited the individual graphical components utilizing various art programs (Microsoft Paint, IrfanView, and GIMP). I also doubled the resolution of everything (i.e., anything that was 16 pixels tall on the game screen, is 32 pixels tall in my diorama). This is the final PNG sheet, containing all the graphics that I needed, or felt I might need, to construct my papercraft diorama (feel free to save/print it and use it yourself if you like): <br> <br> <center> <img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap003/CAS_ADV_diorama_sheet_zpsbdf8b794.png~original"></center> <br> My plan from the beginning was to make the diorama's geometry separate, out of cardboard, and then apply the game's artwork, like decals, to those finished objects, which is why I didn't orientate all the images so that they could simply be cut out and folded up as-is. That approach has the benefit of allowing me to squeeze more stuff onto a sheet (remember: miser), because objects that will touch one another in the finished product don't have to be physically connected to one another on the printout. <br> <br> Please note that I didn't actually use everything printed on the sheet. Some of the stuff is just there as extras in case I made mistakes or had accidents (which I did, and I always do). <br> <br> Here's a rundown of the diorama's construction: <br> <br> <center> <img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap003/CAS_ADV_diorama_fab00_zps94f787d7.jpg~original" border=3></center> <br> I decided to begin by making the two masonry elements. This is the layout for the left wall, prior to folding. <br> <br> <center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap003/CAS_ADV_diorama_fab01_zps67be4ea9.jpg~original" border=3></center> <br> The left wall folded, but unglued. <br> <br> <center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap003/CAS_ADV_diorama_fab02_zps95474878.jpg~original" border=3></center> <br> The left wall fully assembled and glued. <br> <br> <center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap003/CAS_ADV_diorama_fab03_zpsfa658c92.jpg~original" border=3></center> <br> The left wall with the game graphics applied. The difference is striking. <br> <br> <center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap003/CAS_ADV_diorama_fab04_zps8f0b0b36.jpg~original" border=3></center> <br> Next, I made the rope that hangs down from the left wall. Rather than a hollow geometric shape, the rope is a solid construct, which I achieved by gluing four strips of cardboard together, one on top of the other, to make it approximately as thick as it is wide. <br> <br> <center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap003/CAS_ADV_diorama_fab05_zpsf987b070.jpg~original" border=3></center> <br> The four segments cut out, prior to gluing. <br> <br> <center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap003/CAS_ADV_diorama_fab06_zpscc285272.jpg~original" border=3></center> <br> The finished rope with the game's graphics applied. The unadorned end is the part that goes inside the hole that I made in the left wall. <br> <br> <center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap003/CAS_ADV_diorama_fab06b_zps6a6b7742.jpg~original" border=3></center> <br> The rope inserted into the left wall structure. <br> <br> <center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap003/CAS_ADV_diorama_fab07_zps000daa88.jpg~original" border=3></center> <br> Test shot on the background. Everything looked good, so, it was time to move on to the next component of my diorama. <br> <br> <center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap003/CAS_ADV_diorama_fab08_zps985bdfa6.jpg~original" border=3></center> <br> The layout for the stairs-like platform, prior to folding. <br> <br> <center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap003/CAS_ADV_diorama_fab09_zpsa005898b.jpg~original" border=3></center> <br> Folded, but unglued, stairs pattern. <br> <br> <center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap003/CAS_ADV_diorama_fab10_zps025cd0c2.jpg~original" border=3></center> <br> Stairs component fully assembled and glued together. <br> <br> <center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap003/CAS_ADV_diorama_fab11_zps07360df6.jpg~original" border=3></center> <br> Game graphics applied to the cardboard structure. Again, it's amazing how different it looked afterwards. <br> <br> <center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap003/CAS_ADV_diorama_fab12_zpse030b696.jpg~original" border=3></center> <br> The two masonry structures posed together. And that's dried red paint up in the corner, not blood, if you're wondering. <br> <br> <center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap003/CAS_ADV_diorama_fab13_zps73e694d4.jpg~original" border=3></center> <br> Test shot with the background again. Things are really starting to come together now! <br> <br> <center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap003/CAS_ADV_diorama_fab14_zpsd0e71a30.jpg~original" border=3></center> <br> Here are the three main elements of the tree: the foreground and background foliage and the trunk. While I could have taken the easy route, a flat trunk just didn't look good to me, so, I made a papier mache cylinder, out of newsprint, and then glued the trunk graphics around that to create the rounded, 3-dimensional surface that you see. And, I must say, cutting all those leafy edges on the two foliage elements was tedious work! <br> <br> <center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap003/CAS_ADV_diorama_fab15_zps71b0bdf3.jpg~original" border=3></center> <br> Here's the background leaf layer added to the diorama. At this point, I also made a "cover" that goes over the top and right side of the foliage, concealing the inner, three-layered assembly of the tree. Originally, I had intended to put the entire diorama inside of a square-shaped box, but I ended up changing my mind, wanting to leave it more "open" in nature, so, I had never planned to make said cover piece. As such, I didn't have game graphics printed out for that addition and couldn't just go out and print some, because it was Sunday, and the library was closed, so, I just covered it with a gray-scale newsprint photo instead, which, while not ideal, at least somewhat matches the color/tone of the rest of the foliage. <br> <br> <center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap003/CAS_ADV_diorama_fab16_zps0e8b290d.jpg~original" border=3></center> <br> Here we have the tree and its foliage fully integrated into the diorama. All that was left to do was add the figures [Christopher Belmont, the whip-wielding protagonist, and a Jiû0Zi- (that's what their titled, ¸0û0º0£0ü0, in the original Japanese instruction manual, but, hell if I know what that means), which are small, vulture-like humanoid enemies], candle, timer, score, and life bar. Here's the finished product: <br> <br> <center><img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap003/CAS_ADV_papercraft_diorama2_zpsbebc69aa.jpg~original" border=3> <br> <br> <img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/kramwartap/kramwartap003/CAS_ADV_papercraft_diorama_zps13ea8a90.jpg~original" border=3></center> <br> <br> </center> <hr width=650 size=3 color=gold> <p align=center><b><font size=+1 color=gold>Materials:</font></b> <br> Cardboard, game graphics printed out on white paper, white glue, newsprint, and permanent marker.</p></p> <p align=center><b><font size=+1 color=gold>Dimensions:</b></font> <br> 9.9 cm (3.9") x 8.4 cm (3.3") <i> [widest point x highest point]</i></p> <p align=center><b><font size=+1 color=gold>Time:</font></b> <br> Two days: May 31 and June 1, 2014.</p> <hr width=650 size=3 color=gold> <br> <br> <center><font size=+1 color=gold><b>REFERENCES:</b><br></font></center> <br> <li>&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>Castlevania: The Adventure</i> Nintendo Gameboy video game and instruction manual.</li> <br> <li>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.vgmuseum.com/mrp/screen-gbcv1.htm">Mr. P's Castlevania Realm</a> <i>Castlevania: The Adventure</i> information. </li> <br> <br> <br> <p align=center><a href="konami_artwork.html"><font size="5">&laquo; Return to my Konami Video Game Fan Art Gallery Index</a></font> <br> <br> <br> <font size="2"><i>This is a nonprofit web site. <br> <br> Any and all copyrighted imagery, terminology, etc., depicted on this page belongs to its respective holders/owners, namely Konami. <br> <br> The midi music playing is the "Battle of the Holy" theme from Castlevania: The Adventure.</i></p> </td> </tr> </table> </body> <br> <br> </html>
Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!