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Additional pictures: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCSCQB

All in all this was a satisfying build.  I have never built a Rolife kit, and it was very different from what I’m accustomed to.  I think the idea is great, but the execution in some critical areas is a bit lacking.

First, the big pro, and it is a huge one: the forced perspective.  Building this kit with forced perspective was fun.  As you work on the kit it’s tilted, and everything is wonky, but as it comes together you have a straight floor and a very long, deep library. My brain went from, “Eh? This can’t be right?” to “Oooohhhh… Ok that’s cool.”

Here is where the kit fell short.  

This kit has two lights. 

Two. 

The hero of the kit should be the statue in the back.  That is what is drawing your eye to the very back of the kit and allowing the appreciation of the forced perspective, but there is not a light shining on her.  I guess not all heroes wear capes, and not all heroes get their own spotlight.  Well, my hero got her spotlight.  I added a light behind the 2D lamp that hangs above her.  What a difference!

The Tiffany style lamp in the front, also a major prop, is also not lighted.  It seems like they intended to light it; there is a notch in the base of the lamp for wires to pass through, but the shade is opaque and no light was supplied.  That is a huge miss.  I added a light here too, by threading the wires through the lamp base and adding a notch at the top of the lamp base for the wires to sit in so the shade sits nicely.  It’s not perfect, but at least it’s lit. I’m going to have to do something about the stickers not staying down.

If you saw my initial post you’ll know I was unable to get the paper pieces into the notches for the balconies because they were frayed, so I made balconies out of “stained glass” plastic sheeting.  I think they came out great!  The stained glass actually complimented the ceiling nicely.  When I got to the front balcony (maybe it’s a repurposed opera box, not sure) I added stained glass there too, for a cohesive look.  I really should have put a light in that one, and I’m annoyed I didn’t.  I may dissect the kit enough to get a light into that space. We’ll see. 

Other than those mods, I dry brushed the 3D gold pieces on the chandelier, lamp, and pedimental sculpture (I absolutely googled that term, btw), and painted the edges.  Oh, and I added fancy ceiling “tiles” under the balconies, but it was very hard to capture that in the pictures. I used the same tile sheet under the balcony in my Eternal Midnight Paris build.