Building a Chasseur from the Halcon

[electriblooz]

Hi, first time builder and poster.
I'm a long time miniatures painter and woodworker (cabinetry, carving, etc.) so I decided to buy a cheap wooden model kit off Amazon and ended up grabbing the Halcon model. (I know, I know...)
As a transplant from New Orleans I searched for topsail schooners in the Gulf of Mexico and the Chasseur's battle with the Lawrence came up, so I figured, "what the hey!" Despite the known issues with the Halcon model and my inexperience, I think it's coming along pretty well.

I have a question about the aesthetics of shipbuilding and displaying. I know that the Chasseur (being a private owned ship) probably did not have a copperclad hull but relied, instead, on "white stuff" or "brown stuff." For display purposes, what do most builders do? Do they paint the hull below the waterline to represent this, or do they leave the hull a uniform color? Is there a "standard" practice?

 

[Roger Pellett]

There’s no standard practice but as a very broad generalization there are two schools of thought. One school favors realistic painting and the other some sort of natural finish.

My opinion: I favor a painted finish, especially for kit built models as the so called deluxe woods furnished with the kits do not lend themselves to cabinetry type finishes.

As you progress in this wonderful activity you can develop your own distinctive style.

Roger