Rigel Fortress Matte Analysis

[Bernard Guignard]

nicely done

 

[CorporalCaptain]

It appears that the lone tower is still freestanding. The wall that appears to link it to the tower on the right is actually the same wall that connects to the other tower to its left. Once I had lowered the level and checked the angle, I realized it was the same wall. I adjusted the position of the towers a bit to make sure this connecting wall would be 45 degrees. The visual effect matches the painting pretty well.

Awesome! Seems quite reasonable. Thanks for looking into that.

 

[Maurice]

Here is an updated look at the Rigel Fortress model.

It appears that the lone tower is still freestanding. The wall that appears to link it to the tower on the right is actually the same wall that connects to the other tower to its left. Once I had lowered the level and checked the angle, I realized it was the same wall. I adjusted the position of the towers a bit to make sure this connecting wall would be 45 degrees. The visual effect matches the painting pretty well. I almost guarantee you the shadow from your lone tower is not

In this top view, you can see the complete wall extending diagonally from one tower to the other. The lone tower is unattached in front of it.

Keep in mind that the lone tower is not as tall as it looks. It appears to merge into the rocks that the fort is built on about halfway down its currently visible length. I suspect it is entered from a tunnel below, cut into the rock. Perhaps it serves some special function that requires it to be separate from the rest of the structure.

The overhead shot also shows the extra wall I have added in along the coast. It has to fall back in stages like this to keep out of sight from the matte viewpoint.

Finally, here is a new angle on the fortress as in its current unfinished state.

Obviously there is more structure to add on both ends, but this gives you the idea of how the main keep would look when approached from the water. A view like this is the real reason to go through this exercise. It makes it all the more real when you can "walk around" to another side of it.

M.

What could help you with the Z-axis is to try to match the lighting seen on the matte. If most of the shadows match but a few are off that may clue you in as to if you have an element misplaced. I almost guarantee you that the shadow of that lone tower is not going to match, given where you've placed it.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

I don't want to hijack the discussion, but it did make me wonder: How did Whitlock work? Did he build a scale model of the subject, in this case specifically the fortress? Would he have used real-world structures (or photographs of them) as references for parts or sections of the whole scene? Did he create preliminary diagrams to show the overhead layout of the scene, or to plan perspective, etc.? If any of such stuff existed, it seems like that could be important to the project.

 

[publiusr]

I’m surprised no oil sheik had this built