A little bit about carving and a Sovereign of the seas model hand carved in pearwood, in scale 1:72

Four weeks before Wolfgang had finnished his model a book was published: The Sovereign of the Seas by Hendrik Busmann.
In this wonderfull book was too the drawing of Paine in big size and we could compare betwen our model and the drawing.
The last pictures of the model.

I hope the pictures say a little more about the ship
Forgive my not so well english, because its´s a long time ago i wrote in this language.

Regards
Willi Meischl (schifferlbauer)

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Hi Jim, Moxis and Maarten

Thank you for your reply and the compliments.
At first I must tell you Wolfgang Rotter died a view Years ago, just two months after he had finished the Sovereign at the age of 74 Years.
Drawings for the decoration are non, because the was made in size for the model and Wolfgang had stucked them on his pearwood for carving.
I have only made some photographs, like all of the modell of the Sovereign for me to remind me on our work.

Regards
Willi (schifferlbauer
 
schifferlbauer said:
Four weeks before Wolfgang had finnished his model a book was published: The Sovereign of the Seas by Hendrik Busmann.
In this wonderfull book was too the drawing of Paine in big size and we could compare betwen our model and the drawing.
The last pictures of the model.

I hope the pictures say a little more about the ship
Forgive my not so well english, because its´s a long time ago i wrote in this language.

Regards
Willi Meischl (schifferlbauer)

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I just made a book review of the mentioned thesis / book of Hendrik Busmann.
For everybody interested take a look here:

Book review - Book Review: "SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS - Die Skulpturen des britischen Königsschiffes von 1637" by Hendrik Busmann

Book Review: SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS - Die Skulpturen des britischen Königsschiffes von 1637 by Hendrik Busmann Gebundene Ausgabe: 311 Seiten Verlag: CONVENT Hamburg (2002) Sprache: Deutsch ISBN-10: 3934613195 ISBN-13: 978-3934613195 Verpackungsabmessungen: 27,4 x 21,5 x 3 cm / 1.580...
shipsofscale.com
 
Willi - this is just one of the most remarkable and fascinating collaborations that I have ever seen.

Jimsky had told me about your ornamental talents, and he was not kidding! What I find so interesting is that, back in the 17th C, the shipcarvers (Gerald Christmas for the Sovereign, if I remember correctly) would have been tasked with interpreting the ornamental works from a series of prepared drawings. That same process is at work between yourself and the late Wolfgang.

And what remarkable skills of interpretation your friend Wolfgang possessed. The carved works certainly look very good at a distance, but then they look even more incredible when one zooms in for detail. That the work holds up under close scrutiny bears testament to both your draftsmanship and his talents as a sculptor. All, very impressive!

Apart from the stern modifications, the kit actually appears to be one of the better representations of the Sovereign’s hull. Was it necessary to modify other aspects of the kit architecture; the sheer of the guns/decks, etc?

In it’s final form, this is just one of the finest models of the Sovereign I have seen. It is hard to believe that it started as a commercial kit.

This is such a fitting tribute to your friend. Thank you for sharing this.
 
schifferlbauer said:
Hi
Talking about carving is not so easy, because there are a lot of differet opinions, but first to a special man and his special Model of the Sovereign Of the seas.

Our Vienna group of model builders had no artists, but well craftsman and one of these guys was Wolfgang Rotter. One day, by a Model Exhibition he told me
there was a beautifull wooden modelkit of the Sovereign of the seas 1637 and had start to building it. "Wow" He get a little smaler, as I told him, that the kit have
a lot of errors, because he was made after a model in the National Maritime Museum and that this model was built 1830 with a wrong stern . As he asked me
from where I knows, I told him from my research about english ships of the 17th in England. I told him too, that I would help him, if he was ready to carve all
the tiny little figures and decorations needed for the model and I would make him the drawings for his carving work from the two original depictions. One of the
Stern and one of the port side and for the carving on starbord side I have a discription. The only problem was that all pictures shows the model with open gunports
and he want built the model with closed. But I know from my research that there was mask heads for decoration on it.

Fourtin days later he call me and said he was ready.

There are a lot of pictures to post, so I will start with the first one and continue with the details

Willi (schifferlbauer)



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Simply superb.
 
Hi Hubac´s Historian

Sorry that I answer so late. I must Wolfgang correct the length of the poop deck. It was to short if I compered it with the drawing of Paine.
And also the frames of the peak head was wrong, - well shown on the Van de Velde drawing. The belfry was also not shown and so I must
made a drawing for it.

Regards
Willi (schifferlbauer)
 
schifferlbauer said:
Hi Janos
I´m sorry that I can`t told you the name of the goldpaint, because i´ts to long ago and I can´t remember me
Best regards
Willi (schifferlbauer)
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In the meantime I managed to get a really good looking gold paint (AMACO Brush'n Leaf). This is closest to gold leaf I've seen yet. The only thing I don't like is its colour, a bit too dark, something like 'Old Gold' if this terminology exists in English at all (in Hungarian: Ó-arany). But it looks gold...
János
 
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schifferlbauer said:
Hi Janos
I´m sorry that I can`t told you the name of the goldpaint, because i´ts to long ago and I can´t remember me
Best regards
Willi (schifferlbauer)
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Hello Willy ; this is really a fantastic model ; maybe could you remember what kind of solvent was used for the painting you used (water solvent or spirit solvent) ? Moreover, did you use a primer before the painting ... and what type please ?
Cheers !
 
Thank you Willy ; does this mean that the sculptures were (in a first step) covered with bee wax and thereafter, finished with the golden painting ? I do not understand clearly how the golden painting could stay firmly (and for years) upon a bee waxed surface
 
Sorry I mean not the figures,- only the body of the ship. The gold color was a special mix with real gold dust, but I dont know the name of it.

Willi (schifferlbauer)
 
Hi Willi ; I also have real gold paintings (this is not that difficult to find) and my essential question is : did you use any primer (as a first layer) upon the sculptures like e.g. cellulosic filler ... or maybe something else before painting them in gold ? Or did you painted them directly ?
 
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