• Win a Free Custom Engraved Brass Coin!!!
    As a way to introduce our brass coins to the community, we will raffle off a free coin during the month of August. Follow link ABOVE for instructions for entering.
  • PRE-ORDER SHIPS IN SCALE TODAY!

    The beloved Ships in Scale Magazine is back and charting a new course for 2026!
    Discover new skills, new techniques, and new inspirations in every issue.

    NOTE THAT OUR FIRST ISSUE WILL BE JAN/FEB 2026

HMS Sovereign of the Seas - Bashing DeAgostini Beyond Believable Boundaries

Vfordyce said:
Are the escutcheons painted or gold?
Click to expand...
The escutcheons appear to have been gold, like the other decorations. They may look better to us with color, but the King was quite specific in saying that gold be the only color other than black on his ship. This is supported by the Lely painting of Peter Pett and HMS Sovereign of the Seas. When I post pictures of the 3-D decorations in gray scale, superimposed over the Lely painting, it is to contract the model with the background. The method of how these decorations will be colored gold is still undetermined. I have a wide variety of artists gold paints to try out when the model gets to that stage, and use of gold leaf has not been ruled out.

1771163073265.png

The small size and fine details of the decorations may make use of gold leaf impractical, especially if the fine details are lost on the decorations. I have never made decorations such as these before. This entire model has been an exercise in experiments with techniques that are completely new to me. Keep in mind that this is only my SECOND wooden model ship. My master, who I apprenticed under for crafting medieval crossbows, once said "The most beautiful works aren't made by masters, but by gifted apprentices, because they pour their heart and soul into them." God rest his soul, because those words described what I became. My first German sporting crossbow won an arts and science award for weapon embellishment. And after 30 years, it still shoots wonderfully too.
My German Crossbow 2.jpg
 
Last edited:
DARIVS ARCHITECTVS said:
The escutcheons appear to have been gold, like the other decorations. They may look better to us with color, but the King was quite specific in saying that gold be the only color other than black on his ship. This is supported by the Lely painting of Peter Pett and HMS Sovereign of the Seas. When I post pictures of the 3-D decorations in gray scale, superimposed over the Lely painting, it is to contract the model with the background. The method of how these decorations will be colored gold is still undetermined. I have a wide variety of artists gold paints to try out when the model gets to that stage, and use of gold leaf has not been ruled out.

View attachment 578283

The small size and fine details of the decorations may make use of gold leaf impractical, especially if the fine details are lost on the decorations. I have never made decorations such as these before. This entire model has been an exercise in experiments with techniques that are completely new to me. Keep in mind that this is only my SECOND wooden model ship. My master, who I apprenticed under for crafting medieval crossbows, once said "The most beautiful works aren't made by masters, but by gifted apprentices, because they pour their heart and soul into them." God rest his soul, because those words described what I became. My first German sporting crossbow won an arts and science award for weapon embellishment. And after 30 years, it still shoots wonderfully too.
View attachment 578303
Click to expand...
I was thinking along the same lines about gold leaf. It might be worth a shot (but not crossbow shot) to try it on some of the less detailed parts of the ship, though.
 
DARIVS ARCHITECTVS said:
Perhaps, but if the is a visual difference between the gold leaf and painted surfaces, I may want to stick with just one method.
Click to expand...
There very well could be a visual difference. My knowledge is limited here, but I have read that gold leaf is so thin, some of the color of the material on which it is applied will show through. Sometimes, too, people paint that material to give the leaf a more antique look. Again, I'm not an expert here. If you compare the two, I'd be interested in knowing the results.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top