How many styles would you say there are for building historical ships?

[ubjs]

For example, there are those who build their ships so that they look like the cover image and
then there are those who build so that the ships look like they have been used for a long time.
Can you divide it into more categories?
Maybe you can see a trend where you always choose to have the hull all wood regardless of how it looked in reality.

NOTE I think of course that every builder should be able to build their models as they want.

It would be interesting to get experienced builders' views on what different trends you can choose from
and also what it looks like with model ships historically.
Have any of the trends decreased/increased.
For example, did they ever build model ships that looked used at the beginning of the last century?

I have written this with google translate so if something is obviously wrong, please correct me.





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[AllanKP69]

Interesting subject. Personally, I love the weathered look seen in dioramas to bring it to a lifelike appearance, but not for stand alone models. I am curious to know what other ideas folks have. I remember a friend (age about 9 at the time) "sinking" a plastic model (after breaking up some pieces and drilling holes in the sides) in an aquarium. Didn't kill the fish and looked pretty interesting.
Allan

 

[Roger Pellett]

The majority of builders on these forums build sailing warship models from kits, and in this context there are perhaps limits to the different building styles. In fact the latest trend seems to be kit manufacturers selling kits that build to a predetermined style; namely a faux Admiralty model.

My take on ship model building is much broader. Since the caveman floated across the river on his log to the present day nuclear powered submarines, there have been countless types of watercraft built and if we restrict the selection to those where documentation exists to build an historically accurate model, probably 1000’s.

If ship modeling is treated as an art, the style of each model is limited only by the artist’s imagination. 1000’s of ship types, and 1000’s of builders, The artistic treatments (or styles) approach infinity.

Roger

 

[AndyA]

If ship modeling is treated as an art, the style of each model is limited only by the artist’s imagination. 1000’s of ship types, and 1000’s of builders, The artistic treatments (or styles) approach infinity.

True. One of the differences I note (but have not tried to measure) between building ship models and other artistic efforts (painting, sculpture, music, drama, etc.) is that most artists bring some level of intention in their work. They usually can explain what they are trying to express, convey, describe, and/or effect with their work. I admit that the language of the explanations can be, at times, rather ethereal or confusing but there usually is some objective. For the most part, that seems to be lacking in the world of model ships.
Fair winds!

 

[Masters Mate]

For example, there are those who build their ships so that they look like the cover image and
then there are those who build so that the ships look like they have been used for a long time.
Can you divide it into more categories?
Maybe you can see a trend where you always choose to have the hull all wood regardless of how it looked in reality.

NOTE I think of course that every builder should be able to build their models as they want.

It would be interesting to get experienced builders' views on what different trends you can choose from
and also what it looks like with model ships historically.
Have any of the trends decreased/increased.
For example, did they ever build model ships that looked used at the beginning of the last century?

I have written this with google translate so if something is obviously wrong, please correct me.





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For my part, I am only intending building one model (it has taken 6 years so far) and I decided before I started that I would built for a diorama of an accident the ship suffered on a particular day. The main and mizzen masts will be over the side and 30 men in the water. I base it on a journal written by the captain.

I have since realised that, although I have taken shortcuts with the 'hidden' port side, I still have to construct everything in view to the best of my ability. This has made the rigging a major challenge as I have to at least make it look right on the mast before dropping it over the side. It's made more work and planning than I anticipated, but it is my one and only model so I am sticking with the process.
I have an acrylic case made so I already know the dimensions of the diorama I am creating. Once I 'finish' the rigging I will have to work through an opening in the back of the case because I won't be able to remove the ship to my bench anymore.

It's not everyone's preference but I have never regretted doing it this way from the start.

 

[Martin By Eye]

I think that we are far from the period where models were used to prove the competance of the shipwright to potential patrons, so there are no constraints as to style. Our works are of art, not artesan, and of representation, not reproduction. As such it would be a waste of opportunity to not search for a personal style, the ultimate aim being distraction, except for very rare circumstances. I am a therapist by career and i find that often illness can be fostered by lack of creative expression, especially with problems of the heart, circulation , and pulmonary afflictions. As such i find that i sometimes have to explain that creativity is , indeed, the expression of the content of the heart.

How can one "categorize" the contents of the human heart ?

 

[Vfordyce]

I think that we are far from the period where models were used to prove the competance of the shipwright to potential patrons, so there are no constraints as to style. Our works are of art, not artesan, and of representation, not reproduction. As such it would be a waste of opportunity to not search for a personal style, the ultimate aim being distraction, except for very rare circumstances. I am a therapist by career and i find that often illness can be fostered by lack of creative expression, especially with problems of the heart, circulation , and pulmonary afflictions. As such i find that i sometimes have to explain that creativity is , indeed, the expression of the content of the heart.

How can one "categorize" the contents of the human heart ?

Blood?

 

[Martin By Eye]

Blood?

If you limit it to blood then i would guess you are a fan of warships .

 

[Vfordyce]

Arrrgh!

 

[Sylph VI]

An interesting question which I have pondered upon, especially since joining this site and looking at the various models represented here and some of the discussions related to this question on other threads. Until then, the question had not really occurred to me. It seems to me that the majority of model builders on this site prefer the 'Admiralty' or 'Dockyard' style where the emphasis seems to be on showing the construction of the original vessel (and the model maker's skill) with some considerable sacrifice to realism. Then I think there is the 'realistic' model (my general preference, partly because I do not have the skill to build a Dockyard model) which aims to look close to the actual ship and is therefore painted rather than using contrasting timber to show up joinery etc. Thirdly, as the OP mentioned, the weathered model, which is perhaps captured broadly in the 'diorama' genre, which, if one has the skill and creative temperament, I think is a fantastic artform, very much a three dimensional artwork. Fourthly, I would say there is what elsewhere on this forum has been called the 'sculpture' model (a little pejoratively I thought) where a modeller takes a great deal of licence with representing a ship type, expressing their own interpretation perhaps more for the sake of effect than historical accuracy, and in the more extreme case the work is pure fantasy, such as ghost pirate ships and the like.
Of course, like all things categorical, the boundaries between my categories are porous and indistinct, and there will be many examples of models that do not sit neatly within these four categories. For example: the diarama model of a ship on a slipway being repaired, while primarily being a diarama under my system, also has characterstics of the dockyard model displaying construction techniques and realism.
Thanks for the opportunity to share some of my thoughts on this subject.

 

[Vfordyce]

An interesting question which I have pondered upon, especially since joining this site and looking at the various models represented here and some of the discussions related to this question on other threads. Until then, the question had not really occurred to me. It seems to me that the majority of model builders on this site prefer the 'Admiralty' or 'Dockyard' style where the emphasis seems to be on showing the construction of the original vessel (and the model maker's skill) with some considerable sacrifice to realism. Then I think there is the 'realistic' model (my general preference, partly because I do not have the skill to build a Dockyard model) which aims to look close to the actual ship and is therefore painted rather than using contrasting timber to show up joinery etc. Thirdly, as the OP mentioned, the weathered model, which is perhaps captured broadly in the 'diorama' genre, which, if one has the skill and creative temperament, I think is a fantastic artform, very much a three dimensional artwork. Fourthly, I would say there is what elsewhere on this forum has been called the 'sculpture' model (a little pejoratively I thought) where a modeller takes a great deal of licence with representing a ship type, expressing their own interpretation perhaps more for the sake of effect than historical accuracy, and in the more extreme case the work is pure fantasy, such as ghost pirate ships and the like.
Of course, like all things categorical, the boundaries between my categories are porous and indistinct, and there will be many examples of models that do not sit neatly within these four categories. For example: the diarama model of a ship on a slipway being repaired, while primarily being a diarama under my system, also has characterstics of the dockyard model displaying construction techniques and realism.
Thanks for the opportunity to share some of my thoughts on this subject.

You’re welcome! And then there are those of us who muddle by and do the best we can with what we got.

 

[Sylph VI]

You’re welcome! And then there are those of us who muddle by and do the best we can with what we got.

I reckon most of us muddle and do the best we can with what we've got, I know I do; but presumably most of us also muddle towards a vision of what we are trying to achieve, even if we are not able to put it into words and rarely, if ever, come close to achieving the vision we have in mind.

 

[Vfordyce]

Nope. Just muddle through.

 

[Winter]

That's all I know about the names of the styles.
"When building my models, I tried to follow the traditions of the Russian school of ship modeling as much as possible: using natural colors and textures of different types of wood instead of painting them.

This technique was commonly referred to as "Russian Palace Style" in the 19th century.

Paint was only used when simple wood selection would significantly affect the ship's appearance, and transparent toning was preferred whenever possible."

 

[Dave Stevens (Lumberyard)]

There is no limit to model ship building