This has always been an issue and source of argument between scale modellers. I found the easiest way to explain it is: Look at your real ship; say HMS VICTORY, from a distance such that it looks the same size as your model does up close: i.e. stand 200+ yards away from HMS VICTORY then look at the colours in daylight. The bright white doesn't look so bright anymore as shades of grey come in. The same effect appears to all colours. Take a photo from this distance and then use it as a comparison. When you do not have a full scale replica of the model you're building, the find something that does have the colours you are using then walk a distance away from it to get a feel of what the colour looks like and use that on your model. The only use of varnish is to look at your real size ship at a distance such that its about the same size as your model. What was shiny up close is no longer shiny. In almost all cases it will appear matt. That's why most models look realistic when they have a matt finish. Remember that the colour of your lighting in your modelling room also affects the 'colour' you have on your model. I always use 6400K lighting which is as close to sunlight as you can. All incandescent light is around 3000k which is yellow. Worse still is fluorescent which is green.
Very well said Peter, but alas on 95% of model ship building you don't have an actual ship to compare anything to, but stepping back and looking at any ship for close up to far away will show you the same effect. In fact most experienced modellers actually perform the scale effect without even knowing it. It is so much easier whe you do have an actual ship to compare it to, but alas that usually not the case.
It's all to do with light refraction and the size of a surface area. That said there are many many contributing factors, some of which have been mentioned in the the comments already; lighting, distance, the eye health of the person looking at an object, the object surface (metal Vs plastic and the type of primer used, and then the amount of primer used) the batch of the paint, the paint composition. The scale effect is very real, however you want to perceive it. If modeling was your business, then I could imagine it would be a real headache; where, how is the model to be displayed - glass, acrylic, lighting etc. As a hobby, not so much. I would say, do what you like, do what makes you happy when looking at your work.
Just wanted to add, totally agree on less gloss because the toy effect is also a very real thing. Great content as always. Please keep the videos coming. Always well explained, concise and always very useful.
It is similar to when artists paint oil paintings of people they have to use more brown shades because tans and pinks of Caucasian people make a painting look like a cartoon even though that's the real color of the skin on that demographic. Not only just peoples but objects. So yea on Star Trek models the Enterprise was actually a duck egg bluish color with a green tone on the 11 foot filming model but in pictures it looks more white, so the models in 1/650 were modeled in white.
Absolutely and very well said. This is the scale effect. Every apesect of a model will appear different to a full size object and in many way this is how I approach my work in terms of paint. I see the model as a canvas, and like an artist would paint a portrait or landscape on the canvas I paint on the model, but you have to think in a very similar way..
Hi RJ.. How are you? Most excellent craftsmanship!! Question….. have you tried ropes of scale? I have done the Montanes with all ropes of scale. Absolutely stunning results. I will be posting a video tomorrow. However, with these big model ships, it takes a lot of rope. I have already used 100 U.S. dollars of ropes of scale and possibly looking for an alternative that is not so costly. Any ideas? Ropes of scale from Canada, is a synthetic absolutely beautiful rope. 3 meters = 6 feet for 5 dollars. I have already used maby 80 feet?? What are your thoughts on this?? Jerry
Hello my friend. Yes I quite often use my own stock of thread instead of the supplied thread. Most of my builds are a mix of my own stock and that from the kit itself.. it definitely makes a difference that's for sure 😉👍👍👍
Hello, ive been watching all your videos, and the work you do is absolutely phenomenal. So i thought you would be the best person to ask. I myself have started building wooden ships from Occre, the only problem i have is that now that it has come to the rigging, i cannot understand the diagrams, arrows everywhere, ...do i follow the arrows and replicate on say the port side also? would you be able to point to a source, or maybe yourself, that could unlock the key to this puzzle?
Hi Markos. As Steve has stated, the book entitled "rigging period ship models" by Petersson is a fantadtic book to have, but I feel your pain. Rigging is without a doubt the hardest part of any build when it comes to a square rigged ship and to the untrained the plans can be overwhelmingly confusing. Definitely purchase that book as it will help you understand it better in an easy to follow way. When I'm feeling better I'll try and do some videos to help explain things, but u less I was there itnvery difficult to explain. I'm in the process of writing my first book, but again that won't be available anytime soon
Thank you for this information.
Your very welcome 😉 👍 🙏
This has always been an issue and source of argument between scale modellers.
I found the easiest way to explain it is:
Look at your real ship; say HMS VICTORY, from a distance such that it looks the same size as your model does up close: i.e. stand 200+ yards away from HMS VICTORY then look at the colours in daylight. The bright white doesn't look so bright anymore as shades of grey come in. The same effect appears to all colours. Take a photo from this distance and then use it as a comparison.
When you do not have a full scale replica of the model you're building, the find something that does have the colours you are using then walk a distance away from it to get a feel of what the colour looks like and use that on your model.
The only use of varnish is to look at your real size ship at a distance such that its about the same size as your model. What was shiny up close is no longer shiny. In almost all cases it will appear matt. That's why most models look realistic when they have a matt finish.
Remember that the colour of your lighting in your modelling room also affects the 'colour' you have on your model. I always use 6400K lighting which is as close to sunlight as you can. All incandescent light is around 3000k which is yellow. Worse still is fluorescent which is green.
Very well said Peter, but alas on 95% of model ship building you don't have an actual ship to compare anything to, but stepping back and looking at any ship for close up to far away will show you the same effect. In fact most experienced modellers actually perform the scale effect without even knowing it. It is so much easier whe you do have an actual ship to compare it to, but alas that usually not the case.
Very helpfull, keep the videos coming your doing fine.:)
Thank you my friend. Thatbis very much appreciated 😉👍👍👍
This is really helpful, thank you.
You are very welcome my friend 😉👍👍👍
It's all to do with light refraction and the size of a surface area. That said there are many many contributing factors, some of which have been mentioned in the the comments already; lighting, distance, the eye health of the person looking at an object, the object surface (metal Vs plastic and the type of primer used, and then the amount of primer used) the batch of the paint, the paint composition. The scale effect is very real, however you want to perceive it. If modeling was your business, then I could imagine it would be a real headache; where, how is the model to be displayed - glass, acrylic, lighting etc. As a hobby, not so much. I would say, do what you like, do what makes you happy when looking at your work.
Just wanted to add, totally agree on less gloss because the toy effect is also a very real thing. Great content as always. Please keep the videos coming. Always well explained, concise and always very useful.
Thanks buddy. That is very much appreciated 😉👍👍👍
It is similar to when artists paint oil paintings of people they have to use more brown shades because tans and pinks of Caucasian people make a painting look like a cartoon even though that's the real color of the skin on that demographic. Not only just peoples but objects. So yea on Star Trek models the Enterprise was actually a duck egg bluish color with a green tone on the 11 foot filming model but in pictures it looks more white, so the models in 1/650 were modeled in white.
Absolutely and very well said. This is the scale effect. Every apesect of a model will appear different to a full size object and in many way this is how I approach my work in terms of paint. I see the model as a canvas, and like an artist would paint a portrait or landscape on the canvas I paint on the model, but you have to think in a very similar way..
Hi new subscriber, great video thanks. 🇲🇽
Hi RJ.. How are you? Most excellent craftsmanship!! Question….. have you tried ropes of scale? I have done the Montanes with all ropes of scale. Absolutely stunning results. I will be posting a video tomorrow. However, with these big model ships, it takes a lot of rope. I have already used 100 U.S. dollars of ropes of scale and possibly looking for an alternative that is not so costly. Any ideas? Ropes of scale from Canada, is a synthetic absolutely beautiful rope. 3 meters = 6 feet for 5 dollars. I have already used maby 80 feet?? What are your thoughts on this?? Jerry
Hello my friend. Yes I quite often use my own stock of thread instead of the supplied thread. Most of my builds are a mix of my own stock and that from the kit itself.. it definitely makes a difference that's for sure 😉👍👍👍
Hello, ive been watching all your videos, and the work you do is absolutely phenomenal. So i thought you would be the best person to ask.
I myself have started building wooden ships from Occre, the only problem i have is that now that it has come to the rigging, i cannot understand the diagrams, arrows everywhere, ...do i follow the arrows and replicate on say the port side also? would you be able to point to a source, or maybe yourself, that could unlock the key to this puzzle?
I found the following book a big help Markos.."Rigging Period Ships Models' by Lennarth Petersson.
Hi Markos. As Steve has stated, the book entitled "rigging period ship models" by Petersson is a fantadtic book to have, but I feel your pain. Rigging is without a doubt the hardest part of any build when it comes to a square rigged ship and to the untrained the plans can be overwhelmingly confusing. Definitely purchase that book as it will help you understand it better in an easy to follow way. When I'm feeling better I'll try and do some videos to help explain things, but u less I was there itnvery difficult to explain. I'm in the process of writing my first book, but again that won't be available anytime soon