Modelling Guidelines

I'm hoping that once the SoG ships finally release, those of you who plan to do some rigging and painting will post, not just pictures but some guidelines for those of us who have never done anything like this. I definitely plan to add rat lines and simple rigging and I am going to need some advise, especially on how to attach the rigging lines (thread) to the hull.

Also, to those guys out there who already own a wide variety of paints, it would be great to get some kind of color guide that would indicate a "best match" on colors (I won't want to do complete repaints, just some touching up, so know which colors/brands are the best match to the original colors will be very helpful).

Finally, I have heard some of you guys talk about painting/detailing techniques like "washing" and "dry brushing" ... well for a complete landsman like my self, it would be great to have these techniques explained (what they are and how to do them). :question:

Hi Paul,

Washing: A very thin mix of paint and water that is liberally spread all over the area to be treated. This has the effect of toning the original paint colour.
Dry Brush: The opposite of washing. A little bit of paint on the brush, most of it wiped off and then a light brushing motion against the raised parts of the area to be treated will create nice "highlights".

As for painting and rigging, most of the pros on the anchorage (they won't refer to themselves as that, but a look at their work suggests otherwise to me) strongly suggest obtaining a copy of Langton's Guide to painting and Rigging ships. available from Rod Langton's web site. See Rory's, Vol's, Coog's or David's posts on the subject if you want.

Cheers
Chris

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sea Gull

Hi Paul,

Washing: A very thin mix of paint and water that is liberally spread all over the area to be treated. This has the effect of toning the original paint colour.
Dry Brush: The opposite of washing. A little bit of paint on the brush, most of it wiped off and then a light brushing motion against the raised parts of the area to be treated will create nice "highlights".

As for painting and rigging, most of the pros on the anchorage (they won't refer to themselves as that, but a look at their work suggests otherwise to me) strongly suggest obtaining a copy of Langton's Guide to painting and Rigging ships. available from Rod Langton's web site. See Rory's, Vol's, Coog's or David's posts on the subject if you want.

Cheers
Chris

---

Is dry brushing basically applying a lighter color to a darker surface, or can you also dry brush a darker color onto a lighter surface for effect?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pward

Is dry brushing basically applying a lighter color to a darker surface, or can you also dry brush a darker color onto a lighter surface for effect?

---

It's not so much the colour used, but the technique. In effect the brush needs to be almost "dry" of paint so that each movement of the brush over the desired area only deposits a small amount of paint on the area and only on those elements that stand up from the normal level. Therefore it's mostly used to provide highlights, where washing is mostly used to provide shading.

You can also, for instance, dry brush a darker colour onto a light colour to simulate dirt/grime etc.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pward

Is dry brushing basically applying a lighter color to a darker surface, or can you also dry brush a darker color onto a lighter surface for effect?

---

What Sea Gull said, I (many moons ago when I painted) used my thumb to tell if I had taken enough paint of the brush, basically when you "dry brush" your thumb there is just enough paint on the brush to highlight your fingerprint lightly. The thing about dry brushing is not enough paint is what to aim for, you can always add more.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gaz67

What Sea Gull said, I (many moons ago when I painted) used my thumb to tell if I had taken enough paint of the brush, basically when you "dry brush" your thumb there is just enough paint on the brush to highlight your fingerprint lightly. The thing about dry brushing is not enough paint is what to aim for, you can always add more.

---

OK got it, thanks. Once the models come I will be looking for tips on what colors/brands to use and what techniques to use them with. I appreciate the feedback and help.

I also like to add a drop of dish soap to the wash mix. It helps the pigment flow easier into the recesses.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Volunteer

I also like to add a drop of dish soap to the wash mix. It helps the pigment flow easier into the recesses.

---

Thanks, these are the kind of tips I'm looking for. I do plan to do some highlighting/touch ups and then a wash of some kind before rigging, so this really helps.

From what I seen of the ships (photo's only) I think you will need to add one each side very small ring to the forecastle as there is no space to to drill holes for the Foremast Standing rigging. I use a link from a very fine chain, which I glue up-right to the side of the ship with 1/2 of it standing above the side.
Be safe
Rory

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Devsdoc

From what I seen of the ships (photo's only) I think you will need to add one each side very small ring to the forecastle as there is no space to to drill holes for the Foremast Standing rigging. I use a link from a very fine chain, which I glue up-right to the side of the ship with 1/2 of it standing above the side.
Be safe
Rory

---

Rory, I had read this same advice that you gave in another thread and it sounded very good and doable. I was going to buy a very fine black chain (made for HO scale trains) and take a single link and bend it slightly then glue it to the inside of the rail. From some pics I've seen, it might only take 3 or 4 of these on each side to cover all the needs, Thanks for the input, I'm sure we will see lots of good tips once the models appear and people try there hand at rigging.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pward

Rory, I had read this same advice that you gave in another thread and it sounded very good and doable. I was going to buy a very fine black chain (made for HO scale trains) and take a single link and bend it slightly then glue it to the inside of the rail. From some pics I've seen, it might only take 3 or 4 of these on each side to cover all the needs, Thanks for the input, I'm sure we will see lots of good tips once the models appear and people try there hand at rigging.

---

Hi Paul,
If you can, aways drill You only need a pair for each mast for the stay's and try netting or Langtons brass rat-lines (They may fit I must always cut them shorter for 1-1200 ships).
Be safe
Rory

Another modification I'm considering is cutting the sails off, trimming the pegs and any other unsightly pieces off, gluing the sails back on as with metal kits, and touching up the paint where needed after the process. I haven't seen a good picture yet showing the details around the pegs as the angle of the photos taken seems to hide them. I will have to wait see when I finally get a model but if I'm going to go the trouble of doing the rigging to make the model appear more realistic, I might as well see what I can do about the pegs.

Bobby,
If you are going that far. Why not go the whole hog and get a 1-1200 model? Or look at Vol's Blog on how to make masts. If you are spending that sorted of money on Ares models, I would add rigging and some paint only, not a re-fit.
Be safe
Rory

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Devsdoc

Bobby,
If you are going that far. Why not go the whole hog and get a 1-1200 model? Or look at Vol's Blog on how to make masts. If you are spending that sorted of money on Ares models, I would add rigging and some paint only, not a re-fit.
Be safe
Rory

---

I am thinking that removing the pegs would not be that much work. Snip the peg at the sail and and then at the mast. Touch up the any spots that will be visible where clipped and glue the sails to the mast. It shouldn't take more than a few minutes. The question is, and I'll only know when I see a model up close, how well will the sails fit glued onto the mast. Since that's the way sails attach to masts in most metal kits, I think it just might work and be very, very simple to do and far less work, particularly the painting, than building a metal kit.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Coog

I am thinking that removing the pegs would not be that much work. Snip the peg at the sail and and then at the mast. Touch up the any spots that will be visible where clipped and glue the sails to the mast. It shouldn't take more than a few minutes. The question is, and I'll only know when I see a model up close, how well will the sails fit glued onto the mast. Since that's the way sails attach to masts in most metal kits, I think it just might work and be very, very simple to do and far less work, particularly the painting, than building a metal kit.

---

I maybe wrong but I think from what I've seen on photos. The sails and mast seem to be one piece with a lot of plastic between the two. I think it will be a lot of work to change them.
The damage it would do I feel would not be worth the work. Unless you scrap the mast and sails and build your own. to buy new masts remember your hull is 1-1100 and masts would be 1-1200. So I would leave well alone and just add rigging and a little paint. or buy GHQ or Langton ships
Be safe
Rory

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Devsdoc

I maybe wrong but I think from what I've seen on photos. The sails and mast seem to be one piece with a lot of plastic between the two. I think it will be a lot of work to change them.
The damage it would do I feel would not be worth the work. Unless you scrap the mast and sails and build your own. to buy new masts remember your hull is 1-1100 and masts would be 1-1200. So I would leave well alone and just add rigging and a little paint. or buy GHQ or Langton ships
Be safe
Rory

---

If its more than just a peg connecting the two, you're right it would be more trouble than it's worth and I'll just live with it. I have a large collection of unrigged, very basically painted GHQ ships, with some conversions. My problem is I like the smaller ships and doing detailed painting on them, such as a nice neat line along the open gunports, is just way too much for me at that their size.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pward

I'm hoping that once the SoG ships finally release, those of you who plan to do some rigging and painting will post, not just pictures but some guidelines for those of us who have never done anything like this. I definitely plan to add rat lines and simple rigging and I am going to need some advise, especially on how to attach the rigging lines (thread) to the hull.

Also, to those guys out there who already own a wide variety of paints, it would be great to get some kind of color guide that would indicate a "best match" on colors (I won't want to do complete repaints, just some touching up, so know which colors/brands are the best match to the original colors will be very helpful).

Finally, I have heard some of you guys talk about painting/detailing techniques like "washing" and "dry brushing" ... well for a complete landsman like my self, it would be great to have these techniques explained (what they are and how to do them). :question:

---

The most important thing on drybrushing or washing is to practice on a junk piece first. Many years ago I ruined a really good paint job by not practicing first.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Devsdoc

I maybe wrong but I think from what I've seen on photos. The sails and mast seem to be one piece with a lot of plastic between the two. I think it will be a lot of work to change them.
The damage it would do I feel would not be worth the work. Unless you scrap the mast and sails and build your own. to buy new masts remember your hull is 1-1100 and masts would be 1-1200. So I would leave well alone and just add rigging and a little paint. or buy GHQ or Langton ships
Be safe
Rory

---

Also, I am sure that all that material between the sails and the masts is needed to strengthen the masts so that they don't easily warp or bend. This might be important especially if I add rigging that is tight enough to not sag, but not so tight that it bends the masts... that might not be possible with all that in between material removed.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pward

Also, I am sure that all that material between the sails and the masts is needed to strengthen the masts so that they don't easily warp or bend. This might be important especially if I add rigging that is tight enough to not sag, but not so tight that it bends the masts... that might not be possible with all that in between material removed.

---

Ares did say that the material between the mast and sail could be cut, but they don't recommend it.