Vasa - 1:65 DeAgostini [COMPLETED BUILD]

The Vasa sculptures do vary a bit in quality due to that they are not all by the same person.
The most prominent sculptures are quite well done though.
The person in charge of the ornamentation was Mårten Redtmer and some of his sculptures survive today as he also decorated church organs and various other sculptures which can be found to this day in 'Gamla Stan' in Stockholm.
The painting was quite sophisticated and enhanced with gold leaf even though not in accordance with modern tastes, this being the Baroque period.

Here's a link to some of his other work from near where I used to live in northern Sweden:
www.destinationovertornea.com

Culture and history — Destination Övertorneå

Övertorneå as a town is around 500 years old. But there have been people living in Torne Valley for a very long time. One of the earliest settlements has been found in the northern parts of Övertorneå, dating back some 6000 years. Övertorneå has a rich culture with an interesting mix of Sámi, Swedis
www.destinationovertornea.com www.destinationovertornea.com
You can easily recognise some recurring figures, styles and themes.

Unfortunately, due to changing tastes, the sculptures have been mostly gilded over.

Note that the coloured sculptures on the wall of the Vasa museum are modern replicas and in many cases the original sculptures on the ship show higher carving quality even after over 300 years under water.
Also modern attempts at restoring/painting baroque sculptures tend not to produce real true to style results when comparing to original baroque sculptures with surviving paintwork and the original work would most likely have been of higher quality than that of the modern copies.

Cheers,
Peter
 
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Going really well too I would say!
The frieze is looking great, one of the more difficult sculpture parts on the ship.
I like the colour choices and the effect in making the photoetch look more 3d.

It's sure a different way of thinking in what a warship should be in those times.
One purpose was to project the glory of the state.
Warships in general were heavily decorated for the purpose.
The Vasa is the ship we have preserved, so we know the sculptures in detail. She was one of two ordered of this size at the Stockholm shipyard, the second being 'Äpplet', which was also almost ready.
Even larger ships were being built in Gothenburg.
It's amazing to think of all the artistic effort that went into sculptures for these ships, to then be sent into battles.

Another sculpture treasure from the seabed is that of the 'Kronan' (105 gun -ordered as 126-, Francis Sheldon designed ship of 1672, found off Öland), in showing the progression in style ornamentation

Cheers,
Peter
 
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PJenssen said:
Some sculptures by Redtmer from Falu Kristine Kyrka. These have been preserved from an organ that does not survive, nor any plans or drawings.
The sculptures are quite characteristic though:

Redtmer church organ sculptures

Bälinge kyrka, also sculptures by Redtmer:
View attachment 276324
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I would love to hear this organ in performance. Ideally the pipes and volume controls will be in balance to the reverbration time of the performance space and the geometry shaping the reflected vibrations. Acoustic organs are to my ear far superior to electronic. Just my thoughts which went completely around the Baroque ornamentation that was in the style of the artist carried over to ships and other places. Thanks for your post. RIch (PT-2)
 
PT-2 said:
I would love to hear this organ in performance. Ideally the pipes and volume controls will be in balance to the reverbration time of the performance space and the geometry shaping the reflected vibrations. Acoustic organs are to my ear far superior to electronic. Just my thoughts which went completely around the Baroque ornamentation that was in the style of the artist carried over to ships and other places. Thanks for your post. RIch (PT-2)
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I agree. I would even go so far as to say that the pipe organ versus the electronic organ is like comparing two different musical instruments. To me they have two different timbres.
 
Hello Friends,

As time has permitted this past week, I have dedicated myself to painting more of the decorative bits that adorn the ship. As has been my habit I will present these in macro format knowing full well that it exposes me to your well-reasoned critique.

The first two pieces will appear again near the beakhead:

IMG_7433.JPG

And these decorations will appear nearby...

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At the rear of the ship there are two 'towers' that flank the stern castle. Each tower is comprised of four elements. Two of the elements on each side are humanoid figures. These are four-sided and the total time spent painting the castings that appear in the next two photos was a shocking 9 hours!

IMG_7437.JPG

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Next up are the soldiers that famously guard the stern of the ship (obviously keeping an eye out for a ship sneaking up from behind - the mighty Vasa does NOT turn tail and run).

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If you look carefully you might notice in the image above that one of the shield arms looks different from the others. The kit came with four left-handed shield arms and only two right-handed shield arms. I did a little surgery and converted a left into a right. Not perfect but acceptable.

Finally, the kit came with 10 buckets to be used alongside the cannons. I wasn't going to use them but might be having a change of heart. I'm not sure if they will end up on the ship - but they are ready nonetheless.

IMG_7452.JPG

As always, I am humbled that you would take the time to visit my build log. With all of the fantastic builds on this forum there is more to see than can be seen. I am delighted you have included this particular build report in your allowance of time.

I pray you will be blessed as you spend time with family and friends this Christmas season. May you all find joy in the season, notice the small delights, and create memories that will last a lifetime. Peace to you and your loved ones.
 
Dear Paul. You skillset when it comes to these ornaments is beyond belief. Like my good "young" friend Don Farr will say: "It is a God-given talent". I am sure that our Creator is proud of what you are doing with this talent. A very blessed Christmas and healthy New Year to you and your family as well.

About the "mighty VASA not turning tail and running" ... I am sure you had your tongue firmly in your cheek when you said that ...ROTF
 
dockattner said:
Hello Friends,

As time has permitted this past week, I have dedicated myself to painting more of the decorative bits that adorn the ship. As has been my habit I will present these in macro format knowing full well that it exposes me to your well-reasoned critique.

The first two pieces will appear again near the beakhead:

View attachment 276677

And these decorations will appear nearby...

View attachment 276678

At the rear of the ship there are two 'towers' that flank the stern castle. Each tower is comprised of four elements. Two of the elements on each side are humanoid figures. These are four-sided and the total time spent painting the castings that appear in the next two photos was a shocking 9 hours!

View attachment 276679

View attachment 276680

Next up are the soldiers that famously guard the stern of the ship (obviously keeping an eye out for a ship sneaking up from behind - the mighty Vasa does NOT turn tail and run).

View attachment 276681

View attachment 276682

If you look carefully you might notice in the image above that one of the shield arms looks different from the others. The kit came with four left-handed shield arms and only two right-handed shield arms. I did a little surgery and converted a left into a right. Not perfect but acceptable.

Finally, the kit came with 10 buckets to be used alongside the cannons. I wasn't going to use them but might be having a change of heart. I'm not sure if they will end up on the ship - but they are ready nonetheless.

View attachment 276683

As always, I am humbled that you would take the time to visit my build log. With all of the fantastic builds on this forum there is more to see than can be seen. I am delighted you have included this particular build report in your allowance of time.

I pray you will be blessed as you spend time with family and friends this Christmas season. May you all find joy in the season, notice the small delights, and create memories that will last a lifetime. Peace to you and your loved ones.
Click to expand...
Always love looking at your work Paul. Your Macro photos certainly expose your talent and any critique can only be praise- too good. The soldiers faces are expressive - they all look concerned tho- must be the Victory they see approaching from the sternROTF.You and your family have a blessed Christmas Paul. Enjoy the time with Family.
 
dockattner said:
Hello Friends,

As time has permitted this past week, I have dedicated myself to painting more of the decorative bits that adorn the ship. As has been my habit I will present these in macro format knowing full well that it exposes me to your well-reasoned critique.

The first two pieces will appear again near the beakhead:

View attachment 276677

And these decorations will appear nearby...

View attachment 276678

At the rear of the ship there are two 'towers' that flank the stern castle. Each tower is comprised of four elements. Two of the elements on each side are humanoid figures. These are four-sided and the total time spent painting the castings that appear in the next two photos was a shocking 9 hours!

View attachment 276679

View attachment 276680

Next up are the soldiers that famously guard the stern of the ship (obviously keeping an eye out for a ship sneaking up from behind - the mighty Vasa does NOT turn tail and run).

View attachment 276681

View attachment 276682

If you look carefully you might notice in the image above that one of the shield arms looks different from the others. The kit came with four left-handed shield arms and only two right-handed shield arms. I did a little surgery and converted a left into a right. Not perfect but acceptable.

Finally, the kit came with 10 buckets to be used alongside the cannons. I wasn't going to use them but might be having a change of heart. I'm not sure if they will end up on the ship - but they are ready nonetheless.

View attachment 276683

As always, I am humbled that you would take the time to visit my build log. With all of the fantastic builds on this forum there is more to see than can be seen. I am delighted you have included this particular build report in your allowance of time.

I pray you will be blessed as you spend time with family and friends this Christmas season. May you all find joy in the season, notice the small delights, and create memories that will last a lifetime. Peace to you and your loved ones.
Click to expand...
It's always a surprise what's on offer in your new post, Paul. There was a time when making miniature paintings was hot. Now it is again! Beautiful work (with a 4-haired brush?)
Best wishes for the upcoming holidays to you and your loved ones.
Regards, Peter
 
dockattner said:
Hello Friends,

As time has permitted this past week, I have dedicated myself to painting more of the decorative bits that adorn the ship. As has been my habit I will present these in macro format knowing full well that it exposes me to your well-reasoned critique.

The first two pieces will appear again near the beakhead:

View attachment 276677

And these decorations will appear nearby...

View attachment 276678

At the rear of the ship there are two 'towers' that flank the stern castle. Each tower is comprised of four elements. Two of the elements on each side are humanoid figures. These are four-sided and the total time spent painting the castings that appear in the next two photos was a shocking 9 hours!

View attachment 276679

View attachment 276680

Next up are the soldiers that famously guard the stern of the ship (obviously keeping an eye out for a ship sneaking up from behind - the mighty Vasa does NOT turn tail and run).

View attachment 276681

View attachment 276682

If you look carefully you might notice in the image above that one of the shield arms looks different from the others. The kit came with four left-handed shield arms and only two right-handed shield arms. I did a little surgery and converted a left into a right. Not perfect but acceptable.

Finally, the kit came with 10 buckets to be used alongside the cannons. I wasn't going to use them but might be having a change of heart. I'm not sure if they will end up on the ship - but they are ready nonetheless.

View attachment 276683

As always, I am humbled that you would take the time to visit my build log. With all of the fantastic builds on this forum there is more to see than can be seen. I am delighted you have included this particular build report in your allowance of time.

I pray you will be blessed as you spend time with family and friends this Christmas season. May you all find joy in the season, notice the small delights, and create memories that will last a lifetime. Peace to you and your loved ones.
Click to expand...
At this rate, your ship will be an art museum in miniature! ;)
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
 
GrantTyler said:
Always love looking at your work Paul. Your Macro photos certainly expose your talent and any critique can only be praise- too good. The soldiers faces are expressive - they all look concerned tho- must be the Victory they see approaching from the sternROTF.You and your family have a blessed Christmas Paul. Enjoy the time with Family.
Click to expand...
Ditto.

That's all I have to say.

Stay tuned for more devastatingly profound comments. :)
 
Well, today I offer you the smallest of updates - but one of great consequence.

First, the painting report...

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And with this brief report...seemingly out of nowhere...with hardly any fanfare...THESE LAST FOUR FIGURES REPRESENT THE END OF MINI-MINIATURE PAINTING!

If you were not keeping score at home (of course you were) the final count was exactly 531 cast metal figures painted.

Each required filing to remove any casting flash or defects, cleaning and degreasing to remove mold-release and human detritus, mounting to a 'handle' to hold during painting, priming, painting, sealing with a flat/matte sealant, removing the 'handle', and finally the inevitable painting touchup.

The smallest and simplest pieces probably averaged an hour each. Larger and more complex pieces took longer - some in the four-to-five-hour range. I guess the all-in (filing to retouching) average would come in close to two hours for each casting - perhaps a bit more. For me the most challenging aspect (indeed, I never really got it right) was faces and fleshy areas.

As my own harshest critic, I see places on nearly every casting that I wish I could have done better. Still, looking back over the total book of work I have to say that I am really satisfied. This is not how I make a living nor am I entering a competition. This is all just for fun for me - and I can honestly say that I have truly enjoyed this challenge.

I could have done it without you - but it would not have been nearly as much fun! So, THANKS!

Next up: I have a small box of castings to attach to my ship...pictures to follow in the next week or two.

Thanks for visiting!
 
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