Hey,
I have a Lindberg Pirate ship i just purchased. I want to make the sails look somewhat real, like they show on the box. How do you go about weathering them like that? It appears that two colors are used, but i dont know how they do it.
i built a ship years ago, a galleon, the only one i ever built. I remember staining the sails with different strengths of coffee. Just make a cup of coffee but don`t add milk, practice first. thats how i did it, and it looked great.
sparky. u.k.
Do you use an airbrush?
I dont usually use an aurbrish on ship models. I think it makes them look TOO nice, it takes away from the way i think its supposed to look.
The sails are not made of cloth, they are thin plastic, so i dont htink coffee will work.
Jason, I once heard a lecture by one of the local ship gurus about the problems with sails on models, His contention was that the sails are essentially models in themselves - and should have rope segments for tieing them under the arm, specific rope arramgement holding them to the yardarms etc. I not sure what yours look like but there may be rope molded in place that should be a different color etc. You should try to find a photo of a real ship and then attempt to mimic it. There's probably some books in the local art store or library on painting nautical pitures that may also be useful. My friend seemed to think that most professionals simply left the sails off or wrapped under the yard arms to avoid the detail issue. one way or the other - try it first on a test article before you end up ruining the kit parts.
Val Kraut
Is there clothlike texture on the sails? If so, use washes and drybrushing.
I tend to agree that the ship looks more realistic without the molded or vacu-formed sails. Keep in mind, though, that the upper yards should be in the "down" position when the sails aren't set...
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