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Post by edward on Aug 1, 2014 13:29:25 GMT -5
This is my shadow test after re-adjusting the orientation to match the shadows. The critical shadow is the one on the ground from the sentry.
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Post by jrboddie on Aug 1, 2014 17:30:22 GMT -5
Here is another Eastman work dated 1849. It appears to be a BW photo of a watercolor.
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Post by Rich Curilla on Aug 1, 2014 20:44:58 GMT -5
I've never seen the watercolor. Hopefully, like Gentilz, his sketches are more precise than the resulting paintings.
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Post by jrboddie on Sept 3, 2014 11:28:28 GMT -5
I "discovered" another depiction of the Watch Tower and Powder House on a Seth Eastman painting of the north side of the "connecting wall." I confirmed the placement with my model but I'm not posting that render here because it is not finished.
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Post by Rich Curilla on Sept 3, 2014 14:17:15 GMT -5
I'll see if I can post one, because I have never agreed that Eastman placed it accurately. I think he cheated it south for compositional reasons.
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Post by edward on Sept 3, 2014 15:34:49 GMT -5
In the painting sketch, as shown in Nelsons book p.96 (2nd rev), the location is above the 'outhouse'. This seems to be correct as per the sketch and my triangulation from the plan view. There was another painting of the Tower in the background from Main Plaza but the placement was different from the artist sketch. I have to check my notes to find out who the artist was on that one.
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Post by jrboddie on Sept 3, 2014 15:54:55 GMT -5
Good find, Edward. (In the third edition, it is page 82.). The Main Plaza artist is perhaps Gentlz, Watermellon Race?
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Post by Rich Curilla on Sept 3, 2014 16:16:11 GMT -5
Good find, Edward. (In the third edition, it is page 82.). The Main Plaza artist is perhaps Gentlz, Watermellon Race? It was indeed Corrida de la Sandia by Theodore Gentilz. I just checked his drawing against my model a week or so ago, and his placement of the watch tower is precisely where it was, although he brings it in to about 1/4 the distance so it "will read" (in movie terms) and alters the ridge line from north/south to northeast/southwest, a view as if he were near Powder House Hill and looking up the valley to the N.E. Surprisingly, his painting is more accurate than the scientifically drawn sketch, at least in this regard. He has the Watch Tower in the painting much more diminished in size, but moves it north several hundred yards along the ridge to fit his composition. Agh! Artists!
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Post by Rich Curilla on Sept 3, 2014 16:27:35 GMT -5
Edward, you are right. The Watch Tower in Eastman's Alamo courtyard sketch and painting lines up perfectly with a close-to-exact view on my model. My image won't post, but, if you PM me your e-mail address, I will send it to you to post, if you would.
Another interesting "cheat" on Eastman's part is that he show mid-morning sunlight and shadows in his painting, illuminating the face of the connecting wall. When I enter November 22 in my shadows feature on SketchUp, the whole connecting wall is in deep shadow and casting one 20 feet into the courtyard. This side of the wall faces north and I can't even get more than a steep angling light on it in mid-June!!! Agh! Artists!
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Post by edward on Sept 3, 2014 17:05:30 GMT -5
You guys are faster than my filing system.LOL
Rich, you are right about the shadows. I always look to see where they are pointing. For this area they can never point south so this can help you orientate some of the photos now with an artist they can adjust the shadows anyway they want.
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Post by Rich Curilla on Sept 3, 2014 20:13:59 GMT -5
You guys are faster than my filing system.LOL
Rich, you are right about the shadows. I always look to see where they are pointing. For this area they can never point south so this can help you orientate some of the photos now with an artist they can adjust the shadows anyway they want.
With all the scads of angle photos I've been taking of my whole Bexar model, I am constantly trying to think like a cinematographer -- get the best light for the angle. Take morning shots looking west or southwest, Late afternoon lighting for looking northeast, etc. Thus, due to real sun angles, if I want, say, to really show off the north side of the low barrack, I'm almost dead in the water unless I do June 21 at 8:00 A.M. Same with the north side of the long barrack connecting wall. This is one of the reasons BOTH Alamo movie sets were paced at different angles than the real thing. John Wayne's Alamo church faces east. Michael Corenblith's faced south.
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Post by edward on Sept 4, 2014 10:35:00 GMT -5
Views from Rich Virtual Model:
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Post by Rich Curilla on Sept 5, 2014 0:42:11 GMT -5
In my two images from the model, the Powder House and Watch Tower are correctly placed and the hill is the right elevation and distance. Thus, Seth Eastman did not cheat the position in the painting at the top of the page as I had thought he did. It appears to be closer in his painting because, if you compare the painting with my shot of the correctly dimensioned virtual model, you will see that Eastman and I "have different lenses on our cameras." Mine is slightly wide angle, thus making the Garita appear a tad farther away. His image has the compression of a mild telephoto lens, thus drawing it in more.
My second image is to show the relationship between the Alamo, the Alameda and the Garita.
Thanks for posting them, Edward.
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Post by jrboddie on Sept 11, 2014 17:54:49 GMT -5
The Eastman painting above inspired this video: The Watch Tower is in the background. My blog: Alamo 2.0
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Post by Rich Curilla on Sept 11, 2014 23:31:27 GMT -5
Way cool, Jim. But, as far as the summer lighting is concerned, it would require Eastman to have been in San Antonio in the summer. Wasn't he only there for a short time in November? November sunlight never hits any north facing wall of the Alamo. And yet...... He did paint the painting, and your lighting animation does match it for early morning in June, as you said on the other site. Yea! A new mystery!
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