November 2021

Another successful virtual meeting with 16 modellers in attendance from Canada, the USA and the UK!

David T. introduced us to a number of his models, most of which are or will be radio controlled.
​The first was a generic sailboat (image 1) he had purchased when in Plymouth England.  He had done a bit of restoration work on it.  following were is R/C models of (image 2) a Chris-Craft boat, (image 3) Essex Class Aircraft Carrier, (image 4) HMS Hood, (images 5 and 6) PT-207 (based on scaled up plans of PT-109), and finally (images 7 through 10) the liner Norway which was recently acquired from the son of the original modeler thru Tijs.  The Norway will require some work to get her sea worthy.

Jared F. introduced us to a number of his kit builds and then some images of his present build.  First up (image 1) was a Lobster Smack, followed by (image 2) the Pilot Boat Swift, then (image 3) the Whaler Charles W. Morgan, and finishing with a progress report (images 4 through 11) on his present build: the Clipper Ship Flying Fish.  He has done a fantastic job with her to date and we cannot wait to see more down the road.

Ian McL. loves to create marine images in oil paints, as this media can be endlessly adjusted during the painting process, thus allowing mistakes to be corrected. He started by pointing out that it does help if you have made a model (image 1) of your subject, as it allows you to become familiar with the anatomy of the vessel. He emphasized the importance of drawing (image 2) the subject again and again before you embark on the painting. The actual painting starts off with a sketch (image 3), which is ruled up in squares, which facilitate the accurate transfer of the detail on to the canvas, normally very much larger than the sketch.

A thinned base coat is laid on first (image 4) corresponding in rough terms to the required picture. This colour should be the “complimentary” colour to the final mean colour of the painting, in this case Alizarin Crimson was used in the expectation of a final colour of blue/green. The larger brushes (image 5) are used for this phase. The next job is to block in all the main spaces (image 6): sea, sky, sails and hull. This done, detail can be worked in using the smaller brushes (image 7). Finally, again with the smaller brushes further detail can be formed (image 8) before the work is finished off (image 9).
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By way of comparison Ian showed us a watercolour of the same subject (image 10).

Ray P. presented a Prisoner of War model of the German Battleship BISMARK.  The prisoner was held at a camp in Alberta during the Second World War.  The hinged case (image 1) is opened by twisting the two knobs to unlock it.  The model revealed inside (image 2) measures about 12 inches long as compared to the full sized ship at about 824 feet.  The details (images 3 through 6) are exquisite but it has suffered considerable damage which Ray intends to do his best to bring her back to her original glory.

Book Recommendation by Ray P. - The Art of Ship Modeling with 300 pages and 600+ photos and sketches in great detail.  (images 1 and 2 above) Ray showed us some of the pages and images.  Check this one out on the internet.  It is a little pricey but well worth the cost for serious builders.