I managed to finish painting HMS Empress this morning, and she is now about to join my 'fleet' of toy-style warships. The model is only 4"/10cm long ... but despite that she does look quite impressive in her traditional Victorian livery of black hull, white upperworks, and buff-coloured funnel.
I think that I will take a short break from building model ships for a week or two (it pays not to get too jaded, and this can easily happen if one concentrates on only one project for too long!) ... but if I look back over the progress I have made, I find that I went from this ...
to this ...
... in only a month.
Not bad, eh?
I think that I will take a short break from building model ships for a week or two (it pays not to get too jaded, and this can easily happen if one concentrates on only one project for too long!) ... but if I look back over the progress I have made, I find that I went from this ...
to this ...
... in only a month.
Not bad, eh?
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Just like her namesake - to quote Hibbert via Wikipedia: "...stout, dowdy and no more than five feet tall—but she succeeded in projecting a grand image."
ReplyDeleteHi Bob,
ReplyDeleteVery nice indeed! I can just picture her bombarding one of the Queen's enemies. Certainly further proof (if any was needed!) that the cartoon concept works extremely well!
All the best,
DC
Pat G,
ReplyDeleteWhat an apposite quote! It exactly describes HMS Victoria and her queenly namesake!
All the best,
Bob
David Crook,
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for your very kind comment.
I thought she looked quite good before I painted her ... but now she is in her full war-paint I can barely wait to see her in action.
Roll on more 'cartoon' warships!
All the best,
Bob
I wouldn't want to say she looks cute, exactly. Buxom? Capable? Certainly impressive.
ReplyDeleteDo you ever consider filling up your bathtub and putting your toy ships to sea? I could see that, somehow?
Well done.
Mad Padre,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind comments about my model ships.
Of the options, I will go with 'impressive' as a description of HMS Empress.
Unfortunately the models I build are glued together with PVA ... which is water-soluble! I could imagine what they would look like in my bathtub, but they are not going to get their feet wet I am afraid.
All the best,
Bob.
So when can we expect to see some of these ships in action, Bob? After all this hard work, you deserve to treat yourself to playing an actual wargame.
ReplyDeleteDr Vesuvius,
ReplyDeleteI plan to run a game at COW2012 in July, so I will need to get some more models built and the rules written by then. In order to meet that deadline I will need to start doing some play-testing in a month or so's time ... so expect to see some battle reports around then ... I hope!
All the best,
Bob
Bob
ReplyDeleteI think she's all of the above. What do you plan for her opposition? There were some wonderful monstrosities in the French fleet. Or maybe a Dandolo look alike?
Cheers
PD
Peter Douglas,
ReplyDeleteI have lots of ideas for designs - both British and foreign - that I would like to build, including some along the lines of the Caio Duilio and Enrico Dandolo.
I would love to get on with building them ASAP ... but I feel the need for a break, after which I hope to have the 'drive' necessary to build a lot more model ships.
All the best,
Bob
Well done, Bob !
ReplyDeleteI like that you turned back the time machine for this one. The toy style suits the still experimental era of ship design quite nicely.
Regards,
Steve
Corporal_Trim (Steve),
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for your kind comment.
The Victorian livery really does suit this ship, and I hope the same will be true of any other models I build of warships from this era.
I like this period because of the 'one-off' nature of so many of the ships built. Even some sister-ships had quite pronounced differences.
All the best,
Bob
They are quite amazing!
ReplyDeleteAngry Lurker,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind comment.
All the best,
Bob
Bob,
ReplyDeleteOutstanding! Any chance of a shot with it next to a 15mm figure?
Ben
Telemachus,
ReplyDeleteWhat an excellent idea!
I will try to take a photograph that show HMS Empress with some 15mm figures later tonight.
All the best,
Bob