RMS Queen Mary (Scale 1:1250)

[pugwash]

Looks to me those waves scale to a rough 30 feet!
Also, the Atlantic voyage would be crossing the swells, predominantly travelling West to East, so you'd expect the ship to be ploughing into them more directly?

Still, I'm happily watching development of this little diorama.

 

[Jhoanor]

Looks to me those waves scale to a rough 30 feet!

Thanks!
Well, that wave is supposed to be 90ft high.... (scale 1:1250 ->22mm/0.9")
I try to recreate this occurance:
"...... Queen Mary carried 10,389 soldiers and 950 crew when, on 11 December 1942, she was suddenly broadsided on her starboard side by a rogue wave that might have reached a height of 28 metres (92 ft). An account of this crossing can be found in Carter's book. As quoted in the book, Carter's father, wrote in a letter that at one point Queen Mary "damned near capsized... One moment the top deck was at its usual height and then, swoom! Down, over, and forward she would pitch." It was calculated later that the ship rolled 52 degrees, and would have capsized had she rolled another three degrees."

RMS Queen Mary - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Jhoanor]

The Amsterdam Extra Heavy Gel Medium I use for extra depth and texture dries transparent.
But not when applied too thickly.

I cut them out, printed new whales, and I now used a transparent sealant thinned with white spirit.
After several layers the whales are 'under water'.
The result is not too bad, if I may say so.

They are 30 meter blue whales by the way. Now 24 mm.

 

[Rebus]

The water is incredible, and the whales also.

 

[Jhoanor]

Now I have mixed the gel with white paint and that gives nice froth.



However I have to create the effect in this picture and that seems troublesome at the moment. I already tried some and had to erase the effort.
I can't say I'm stuck, but it seems I have to put in a lot more effort.

Luckily I found this:

Have to study it some more.

 

[Jhoanor]

I have added more foam and it looks great from a distance, but from up close less so. Hmm.
Have to add a lot more in thin lines I think, but I shouldn't overdo that. But I can always embellish the sea further later on.
I felt now like staining the frame and at last putting the ship in.
I have enclosed her in blue gel and it doesn't look like the paper wil sag. (had her primed with transparent acryl spray)
Need some turquoise paint I think, else I have to put foam all over the gel.
When that has dried up I somehow have to model part of the wave going over the ship...

 

[Rebus]

This is incredible, such a powerful display.

 

[Jhoanor]

Now I have to model the wave crashing over the ship.
I diluted the gel with water and poured it, very reluctantly and with many misgivings, over the ship. It is a paper model after all. But it went well!

I also put a lot of undiluted gel to the side, but after drying it has shrunk a great lot:

So I applied a fresh load! Pity though that it will take days before it will be dry enough for the next layer.

 

[genius]

This is an amazing idea and you are getting really well in creating depth and realism! You make me rethink those small scale models - this looks awesome!

 

[Jhoanor]

And this is how that dried up. Hmmm.

So I mixed the gel with colour and then I became a bit too daring perhaps:

But after shrinking and painting I could apply the foam, and than it turns out not too bad:

From some other directions:


I think I should put even more foam on the water but it is impossible to undo it if that turns out for the worse.
I have also made a few fundamental mistakes which cannot be corrected.
Well, this is the first diorama I have ever done. (Not counting an attempt at a tank battle in the snow when I was a kid)

 

[genius]

I think it looks very realistic overall, those giant waves make me almost brace for impact. I am watching closely, as I've not tried something that bold so far. Tahnks for sharing!