Today I've got primed the first batch of model ships for another 'Pieces of Eight' fleet. I've chosen to start with galleons and fluyts, that I'm going to paint following the same basic schema than for Stewart or myself. So after a little sanding, adjusting mast bottoms to holes, placing flag staffs and glueing hulls to their magnetized stands for better handling, I've primed them. This is what they look like now, right before starting the paint job --that will be tomorrow:
(http://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/Simon/m_wip_1.jpg)
The user has granetd me permission to perform the modifications I judge necessary for personalizing the ships, so at this very first steps some small differences with the original model can be observed.
(http://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/Simon/m_wip_2.jpg)
Stern castles of both galleons have been given some additional height by adding a further stage to decks, for example:
(http://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/Simon/m_wip_3.jpg)
Given the additional height, I've chosen to show their mizzenmast lateen sails as folded.
Such folded sails have been made from tinfoil (of that one used for wrapping around wine bottle necks):
(http://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/Simon/m_wip_4.jpg)
Besides, the masts of a galleon have been re-done from toothpicks and Skytrex sails, in a similar way as the mizzenmast of one fluyt has too.
(http://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/Simon/m_wip_5.jpg)
All these ships are to be painted and dressed as Spanish merchants. I've got anxious to start!
Lluís
Very nice, Lluis - thank you for posting this work in progress.
Your customisations are really nice touches. I'm looking forward to seeing how the rest unfolds!
Absolutely wonderful!
Do you undercoat in grey. Quel suprise!
Well, work on the first batch above is over.
Please take a glance on what do these five medium & small merchantmen look like now:
(http://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/Simon/g_mercants_1.jpg)
The pattern followed for painting them is the same already explained in other posts: chocolate brown with a drop of neutral grey for hulls, dark leather brown for masts, pale sand for sails and a mix of iraqui sand and tan yellow for upper decks. Other colours I also use for sails from time to time are sunny skin tone (like one of the ships in this batch), stone grey or neutral grey. One of these days I'd like to give a try to buff paint, too.
Accordingly to the customer's wishes, his merchant fleet is to be dressed as Spanish, and that's what I've done --with some particularities, as you'll see later.
Let's go for the galleons first:
(http://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/Simon/g_galions_1.jpg)
Both have been modified in some degree, by adding some height to their aft castles or, in the case of one, replacing the original piggy masts & sails by toothpicks dressed with sails from a Skytrex model kit.
(http://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/Simon/g_galions_2.jpg)
The ship here at right has been given regulation merchant flags for the 1701-1785 period (red cross of Burgundy on a white field), but the other one is hoisting a rather unknown set of flags (white cross on blue). This odd design first appeared during the War of Spanish Succession (1701-1715), deliberately used by Spanish merchants with the hope to be confused with French from a distance. To get an idea on what they pretended, take a glance on this piggy fluyt belonging to my own collection: http://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/naval/g_fra_fili_03.jpg (http://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/naval/g_fra_fili_03.jpg)
Although actively fought by authorities, this practice seemingly continued well into the 1760s.
(http://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/Simon/g_galions_3.jpg)
This picture from the rear allows a better view on both ensigns, as well as on stern finishings.
Let's go now for the three fluyts in the batch:
(http://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/Simon/g_filibots_1.jpg)
Again, some rigging aspects have been modified, with the ultimate purpose that not two ships of the same type are looking identical.
(http://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/Simon/g_filibots_2.jpg)
Please note that their flags are smaller than those of the galleons (so as to emphasize ships' own size difference), besides of not flying any on fore mast.
(http://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/Simon/g_filibots_3.jpg)
Once again, there are some differences in flags too: the ship at the left is flying a Galician ensign, while the one at the right shows a Castilian one (both likely used on coastal waters mainly). The ship in the middle is hoisting a colourful set of Southern Dutch flags.
Wish you like them!!
Lluís
Lluis,
These are wonderful - your ship painting and finishing (and even the bases!) seem to be getting better all the time!
The historical detail on the flags and noting which colours you've used (presumably Vallejo?) for what are also very useful - many thanks!
Simon
Simon, I'm so happy you like them :)
Yes the paint reference names given are from Vallejo.
I was planning next to paint a handful of small warships, three of which would be Spanish escorts while the latter two would be my first trial for pirates.
They all look really good Lluis.
The little suggestion for the rigging works well, have you used wire or thread for the rigging?
I happened to find a couple of naval modelling thread spools at a hobby store close to home, and this is what I'm using currently.
It's obviously thicker than regular sewing thread, but also easier to work if one has troll fingers, like myself! :D
Oh my word these are nice!
I saw Stewart's ships and they are magnificent. My own will be far simpler affairs.
Lluis I have used what's called 'Button thread' here in the UK. Its thicker than normal sewing cotton thread.
Also some of the embroidery threads can work well as well.
Let me show you a second group of ships belonging to the current commission.
This batch has consisted of all the two masted boats in SP commission, five ships in total.
(http://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/Simon/g_goletes_1.jpg)
The one in the middle is a 18-008 medium warship or brig, while all the rest are 18-007 small warships --with some variations amongst, making them look like a small brig, quetch, schooner or brigantine. Apologies Martin for so much abuse of parts exchanging!! ::)
Two of he smaller warships have been painted as Spanish escorts. One of them has been enlargened the stern castle as well as assigned a lateen sail on mainmast, as if a primitive form of brig or quetch it was. The other one has been dressed as a proper brig with a gaff sail. Both are flying 1701-1785 war flags as well as long commission pennants.
(http://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/Simon/m_goletes_2.jpg)
(http://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/Simon/m_goletes_3.jpg)
(http://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/Simon/m_goletes_4.jpg)
On its side, the larger brig has been given an austere look as a pirate ship, showing flags allegedly belonging to Christopher Moody. Red on red all along the ship! ;D
(http://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/Simon/m_bergant%C3%AD_1.jpg)
(http://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/Simon/m_bergant%C3%AD_2.jpg)
Finally, the last two smaller ships have been built and painted having pirates in mind too. I assume that purple is probably quite an anachronistic colour for a ship of that era, but if you watch her flags set you'll understand why of such odd choice --for these are the ones that some state for the french pirate woman Jacquotte Delayahe. With a little imagination you can see Keyra Knightley by the rudder ::)
(http://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/Simon/m_goletes_5.jpg)
(http://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/Simon/m_goletes_6.jpg)
(http://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/Simon/m_goletes_7.jpg)
The second warship shows the flags supposedly flown by another french pirate, Olivier Levasseur. Hope this batch fulfills your expectations, S.
PS: I've already started working on this commission third batch, that is to consist of all its single masted ships. Worth to warn that one of them is going to be assigned a second mast and rigged with lateen sails, with the aim of making a tartane of it. Despite what is commonly believed, lateen sailed boats were quite common in the Caribbean, manned by Mediterranean powers such as France and Spain.
(http://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/Simon/g_balandres_1.jpg)
PS' PS: I've been plainly unable to resist for so long without planning some ships for my own. I happened to find a small Napoleonic Era ships manufacturer located in Florida (Portsmouth miniatures). Their range is not only from a later era, but also made in a smaller scale (1:900), so at first it could seem they're uncompatible with the one we're accustomed to (1:450 to 1:600, in my case).
However, I've decided to give a try to a couple of their products, so picking their single decker warship to make a small frigate from it, as well as their large double decker, with the aim to use it in our scales as a smaller man of the line (a 4th rate, maybe). So as to counter their excessively 'modern' look I've given 2 mm more height to the frigate waterline, and have replaced their original rigging by a mix of Peter Pig and Minairons parts.
I think that, after using this trick, they look promising now:
(http://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/naval/g_fra_vaixells_01.jpg)
Here below you can see them together with their piggy equivalents:
(http://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/naval/g_fra_vaixells_02.jpg)
They will be painted as Louis XIV's warships, for France is the nation I'm running in the Caribbean campaign I told you about some days ago. Despite I actually need these ships, I'm not going to start painting them yet --not until having regained the time lost in moving home Minairons headquarters (after having been raised my former office rent, I decided not to conform to using my humble earnings in paying that rent, instead of planning new goodies). Perhaps next month.
(Shall I resist the temptation?) ;)
Excellent looking ships as all ways Lluis
Lluis,
Thank you for sharing all these - they look wonderful!
LLuis these all look so good, you really have got into the painting and converting groove!!
A great guide for the rest of us to follow. Thank you.
I cant wait to have the time to finish mine off somrtime this year.
You'll need them up and running for the entoyment games day for the public display of the new POE rule set!!
Some ships else for this thread. It was now the turn for the smaller ships in the client's collection, a total of five one masted sloops --one of which painted as a Spanish escort warship, while the rest have been dressed as pirates:
(http://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/Simon/g_balandres_3.jpg)
One of the pirate ships has had a second mast attached, for I planned to transform it into a lateen sailed tartane. Although own to the Mediterranean Sea, tartanes and other lateen rigged ships were'nt uncommon in the Caribbean too --manned by French and Spanish crews mainly, but also by italian or maghribian sailors in foreign service. I've taken advantage of this for assigning a red-yellow striped flag, supposedly flown by one Edmund Cooke but could also belong to a French or Catalan buccaneer (It could do even for a Barbary pirate!).
(http://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/Simon/m_balandres_4.jpg)
The other three pirate sloops show slightly different rigging configurations, making them close to either a 'pure' Bermuda sloop, or to a square course sail cutter instead. All this, with the aim to make every ship unique. Spare parts from brands other than PP have been used for this, as well as some plasticard pieces.
(http://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/Simon/m_balandres_5.jpg)
On its side, the Spanish escort ship follows quite a standard pattern, with no other modification than making the gaff sail a bit smaller.
(http://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/Simon/m_balandres_6.jpg)
Current commission is almost over now --there are left only two large indiamen, that I've already started painting.
Lluís
Looking Good , as always
Very, very nice Lluis.
Lovely, again, Lluis!
I do (very much) like the attention to detail, the historical rationale and the minor modifications you've made within the fleets.
Someone is going to be very happy when they get their hands on these little beauties :)
I'd like to show you now the last two ships of this commission, two large merchantmen that I've painted together with a couple else of ships for my own collection (no, I couldn't resist the temptation ::) ).
(http://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/Simon/g_navilis_1.jpg)
The only modification I've performed this time is replacing the ships' original bowsprits (exchanged with those of other ships of the customer). As you can see, both have been dressed as Spanish indiamen, so proudly flying large Burgundy Cross ensigns and mast flags.
(http://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/Simon/g_navilis_2.jpg)
As for the colours schema, it's basically the same one explained in previous posts --only that this time I've expanded the sails palette, using not only 70.837 Pale Sand or 70.884 Stone Grey, but experiencing with 70.976 Buff and 70.971 Green Grey as well. I think all them look good.
(http://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/Simon/g_navilis_3.jpg)
One of the indiamen has been given a different flag on foremast (a light blue one with the Spanish coat of arms), that was historically used by one admiral in WSS times. I thought it might be useful to the user --for identifying the Treasury Fleet admiral for instance, or a ship commanded by an able Reserve captain perhaps, or for whatever other reason he might need.
(http://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/Simon/g_navilis_4.jpg)
As you can see, decks are crowded with Peter Pig's crewmen and guns, Minairons' lifeboats and some unmanned hard plastic guns from my spares box.
(http://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/Simon/g_navilis_5.jpg)
I've enjoyed this commission intensely, and would like to thank the commissioner for his patience and trust. Hope he likes the result not less than I do.
I nearly forgot commenting even a bit about the other two ships. They both are from Portsmouth Miniatures, a small brand from Florida (US) whose products I was curious about. They are scaled to 1/900 and are intended for Napoleonic naval gaming; due to both facts, it seemed that these would be hardly compatible with our gaming group's 1/450 to 1/600 scales settings. Anyway, I decided to give them a try and chose their smaller ship along with their larger double decker.
I'm dressing the smaller one as a WSS warship, the Santa Madrona Catalan frigate. Rigging is not finished yet, so allow me a couple of days before showing it to you. What I've been able to complete is the larger vessel, that I've painted as an Ottoman ship of the line for a 1714-1718 Ottoman-Venetian War campaign I'm preparing.
Here you have it, conveniently modified as to make it look older than napoleonic, side by side with a galleass from Skytrex.
(https://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/naval/otomans/g_navili1_01.jpg)
So as to help 'rescale' the ship, I've added some Peter Pig crewmen to it. Lifeboats are part of the original casting.
(https://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/naval/otomans/g_navili1_02.jpg)
It seems to me that those high fore and aft castles aren't own to napoleonic period, but I hope such oddity helps making the ship to look older than it actually is. Bow appearance was drastically modified by using a couple of parts from a hard plastic model kit. The anchor is from that same model kit, too.
(https://www.wargames.cat/soldadets/naval/otomans/g_navili1_03.jpg)
As for rigging, bowsprit comes from a Peter Pig kit too, while the othermasts and sails are from Minairons.
Look excellent as always lluis
Those all look absolutely wonderful, Lluis!
It's easy to forget quite how small these little models are - you've made them look fantastic.