SUB-SAM Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 So I've been looking at various kits of 16th and 17th century warships, especially after the wife said she wanted me to build one, I quite fancy one. I've seen the kits such as the Revell Wasa, with very ornate transom details. With seeing various photos of this kit https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61E%2B5rj6M7L.jpg ...And with my experiences of painting small details onto an already painted surface with a brush being a nightmare, even just a few hull anodes. I can't imagine this being particularly easy to pull off. A gloopy paint is impossible to cut in the edges accurately and leaves a rough texture and a thin paint will flow around too much and fill detail. I wondered if it would be possible to spray the entire area with a very matt (and therefore capable of absorbing substances) primer and then use powerful inks with a fine brush to add colour to areas, with metallic paints applied afterwards for gold details etc. It's a technique I experimented with years ago on Warhammer 40k figures, actually using felt tipped pens... it worked well for them. Has anyone tried anything like this or have any other techniques for doing such detailed paint jobs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch K Posted May 31, 2016 Share Posted May 31, 2016 I've used them on shield patterns on 28mm figures and it worked well. I print my own decals now as well, for the same purpose. Is this a worthwhile option? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUB-SAM Posted June 9, 2016 Author Share Posted June 9, 2016 Hi Mitch, Decals would certainly be a possibility for some bits, for example on the Revenge you have alternating coloured areas on long flat boards, I will look into using them here. -Sam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyverns4 Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 Hi Mitch, Inks would work well on the Vasa as the poly-chromatic paint scheme had quite pronounced shading. If you are going to do the Vasa then I would recommend getting in touch with the Vasa Museum as research over the last 20 years has shown that she was not blue and gold/yellow, but very complex. Somewhere I have a set of plans that over many, many trips to the museum I hand coloured so as to have a good reference for when I build my Billings Boat Vasa. Just need to find them... Christian, exiled to africa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noel Smith Posted March 15, 2018 Share Posted March 15, 2018 MY recent Vasa build was primed with Halfords matt white and all hand painted using artists acrylics. The artists acrylics can be diluted right down to water colour consistency and have more permanence than inks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killingholme Posted March 15, 2018 Share Posted March 15, 2018 You'll be alright with the paints designed for brush-painting (used by figure modellers). Vallejo and Games Workshop acrylics spring to mind- both have quite high density of pigment so when you thin them they still cover well. Will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noel Smith Posted April 4, 2022 Share Posted April 4, 2022 Regarding the Vasa. Look at Artesania Latinas wood model on their website. In that can be found a chart showing all the figures on the Vasa as painted with a full chart of all the RAL colour specifications used. The painting supplement can be downloaded separately and will be very useful as a guide for painting the Revell and Airfix Vasa kits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xebec Posted July 25, 2022 Share Posted July 25, 2022 I would think that standard inks applied with a brush would want to wick out in all directions on the surface you describe. You might consider the use of both liquid masks to preserve the base colors of the transom, and perhaps using fine ink or acrylic markers for some of the work on the decorative carved elements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xebec Posted July 25, 2022 Share Posted July 25, 2022 (edited) Another thought- if you normally work with acrylic paints, it can be a bear when dealing with an extended detail painting session because of brush drying, skinning and like that. I don't thin my acrylics with water-that exacerbates the drying problem, and begins to allow the pigments to separate from the binders. But to paint fine details well, you will probably need to thin. I use a 50/50 distilled water/ propylene glycol mixture and paint off a wet palette- makes a world of difference. I have also use Pledge Floor Gloss to thin. Edited to add- test with your paints first....I'm not sure how Tamiya or Gunze might react. Edited July 25, 2022 by xebec Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noel Smith Posted November 29, 2022 Share Posted November 29, 2022 I have been looking at artists acrylic paints again more recently and have discovered that there are very fine tipped acrylic paint pens. They may well be worth a look at for intricate multi coloured figure paintwork such as found on the Vasa. Being acrylic paint should give a solid colour and allow better control for intricate ornate detailing than a brush can offer. Having experimented with fine felt tipped pens the inks in them are not permanent, and run it they get wet. There are inks that become waterproof when dry that are available from artists suppliers shops. The one of two I have dry to a translucent finish however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayprit Posted November 29, 2022 Share Posted November 29, 2022 where ship building is concerned, you can never go wrong looking out for Harry Houdini on you tube.................hundreds of videos on rigging, sails, hull building..................Posca pens are your best friend Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noel Smith Posted December 1, 2022 Share Posted December 1, 2022 Thanks for the link to Harry Houdini models Ray. The Airfix St Louis really lends itself to the Acrylic Paint Pens. Not seen that kit around in a long while. I wish Airfix would release one of their classic ship kits once a year. I know that the Victory, Cutty Sark, Vasa and Golden Hind that they peddle year on year are good sellers for them, But it would be a nice change to see something else that they produced in years gone by. HMS Prince, Royal Sovereign (Sovereign of the Seas), Discovery, Royal Louis. Great Western to name a few. Or maybe even tool up brand new kits of HMS Warrior or the CSS Alabama. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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