Surabaya by Piet - 1/80 - Mid 17th-Century VOC ship

[mtaylor]

I love the lion drawing.

 

Do what your heart is telling you and that is take care of your friends, Gwen and yourself.  Hobbies can wait, but friends and loved ones often can't.  

[Piet]

Thank you fellows for your kind comments and to those who clicked the like button.

Yup, life gets in the way of pleasure but the unpleasant parts will ease off some.  Still busy with domestic chores, garden mostly and haven't even touched my neighbor's chair for a few weeks.

 

Well, in between all the busy stuff I have been able to finish another sketch of a lion head. It's still not quite right but I'll keep massaging it some more.  Right now he looks like he's yawning.

I have another one started and hopefully he looks acceptable to ise as a model.  then i need to draw one up in profile, which is more important for the carving.

 

Here is pic, just so all yuns know I'm still alive a kicking

 

 

Cheers,

[Omega1234]

Hey Piet

 

So....let's see.  You're a pilot, an Aircraft inspector, a master craftsman, a skilled gardener and handyman, a magically talented modeller and an all round nice guy. AND, to top it all off, you're a brilliant sketch artist as well!!!

 

Envy!        

 

On a more serious note, your lion's gonna look great, that's for sure.

 

Cheers and all the best

 

Patrick

Edited September 13, 2016 by Omega1234

[cog]

You have the impression he's yawning ... it's the eyes, nothing ferocious about those, you should open up the feeding bin a bit more, and make him lift his upper lip ... (forget that stiff upper lip )

[Sjors]

Self portret ???????  

 

Sjors

[popeye the sailor]

your getting there Piet..........pretty cool drawings  

[flying_dutchman2]

Piet,

The ship is looking great and you have done an excellent job with all the details that make this ship. I love this green color you have used on her. The first lion drawing is the best and I have to agree with 'cog' that the second lion looks like it is yawning.

 

Marcus

[druxey]

Of course he was yawning - he got bored of posing!

[Piet]

Thanks for the laughs fellows, and yes, the lion needs a lot of help to make it satisfactory to me.  I'm after a wild and threatening look but not a self portrait though, that'll be too wild and threatening   

I have been temporarily sidelined with a change in our dietary way of life and a few other things.  

 

Hope to get back to the Surabaya soon and to another diorama of the Young America in scale of 1:3000 this time.  The plan is to show her at sea with a few sails.  Then there is a plastic kit of the Dutch submarine O16 I really need to build. My father served on her as well before he was placed on the O19. 

 

So you see there is a lot of work waiting for me and I'm not even looking at my bucket list.  Help, I need another life time

 

Cheers,

 

 

[Chasseur]

Hey Piet,

Just catching up on this marvellous build. Your workmanship is excellent! Lawrence might be early but in my case better to be late than never!

 

Jeff

[Piet]

Thank you Lawrence and Jeff for checking in but sorry to say - - nothing new to report. 

I had to temporarily set my bow lion drawing trials aside to make a colored pencil painting of a ghost crab.  Don't laugh, it's something I promised to do to satisfy some of the folks at our National Colored Pencil Society chapter.  I am trying a new technique for the beach sand, using dissolved colored pencil and my airbrush. The rule is that everything put on paper must be colored pencil, no other medium allowed, otherwise it is mixed media.  So far not much luck.  Looks like I have to buy a set of water soluble pencils.

 

Instead of the bow lion as next on the agenda to make are the two ship's boats.  I plan to use that mold method everybody seems to advocate.  I did pretty good making that little dinghy for the sub, which is a tad smaller then what the Surabaya needs.  But I need to give that plug thing a go, otherwise I won't learn. 

 

Thanks Jeff for your very kind words and also for adding me as a friend. Where do live, if I may ask.

 

Cheers,

[Chasseur]

Awesome you are truly an artist as well! 

Look forward to more!

 

Jeff

[Sjors]

I want to see a Lion Piet !

 

Sjors

[amateur]

Sorry Sjors,

Couldn't resist this one.

 

Here is your lion!

Edited January 16, 2017 by amateur

[Piet]

ROFLMAO

 

@ Sjors: Grrrrrrrroul - - - - -

 

@ Jan: Now that's funny!  but not suitable for my bow

 

Cheers,

[Piet]

Hello everyone,

 

No update on the Surabaya yet except for a few minor items just to let all yuns know that I'm still alive and kicking.

 

I have been too busy with all kinds of stuff with the latest some mega HUUUUUGE landscaping, as President Trump would say.  Well, actually not all that huge but still very time consuming.  Had to trim back a bunch of sweet viburnum bushes that have  actually grown into trees of about 30 feet tall.  Branches that are 8 inches in diameter!  That also entails cutting all them down into manageable sizes for the city to pick them up Wednesdays.  I'm only 1/4 through all of them and took this week off on that project to fix my toilet water tank cover and our neighbor's rattan lawn chair.  In replacing the flusher gizmo I laid the cover on the edge of the bathtub but our new cat Boomer jumped on it and it fall to the stone floor.  Broke into 4 large pieces.   

Just a lot of other yard work and no Jan, not the ship's yards   Then grocery shopping cooking and baking bread.  Well you get the idea about not having much time for building ships.

 

Okay, what I have done is sketch a few more lions for the bow but the more I look at this project the more I feel to stick with the traditional Dutch looking lions.  They may not look much like the real animal but are nevertheless nostalgic.  Of the many I have seen on pics I like the one on the Batavia replica the best and will attempt to make the carving look like it.

 

However, I decided to build the ship's boats first.  One boat and one sloop.  The question has come up before in how to tackle it, either by using a plug or go the plank on frame route.  In looking at the drawings I copied from Hooving's Pinas or Fluit ships, they seem to be doable in plank on frame.  Besides it being a challenge and having had the experience in building two sloop models for my O19 submarine as plank on frame, I believe I can do it again.

 

Here is another however though.  I acquired a plastic model of the Dutch submarine O16 from Pacific Crossroads and must give that build all priority. When I start the build log I'll write the appropriate intro.  This project will be to honor the valiant crew who gave their life for freedom.  Yes, my father knew the crew quite well.  The submarine service is a small community.

 

I'm also anxious to start another diorama, this time in a scale of 1:3000 of the Young America at sea.  This too is a challenge to me, to see how small I can make them and still look convincing enough.

 

So then, let me end by adding a few pics of the things discussed here, except for the landscaping stuff. 

 

 

 

This is a pencil drawing I made a long time ago from a 3X5 black and white Kodak photo by business partner took while on safari in Africa.

 

Here is the Batavia replica lion. Looks great and has character.

 

Ship's boat.

 

Ship's sloop.

 

   

Ship's sloop.

 

This is our latest charge, Boo Boo the cat.  I call him Boomer and he responds to it quite well.  I thought to stick with submarines rather the calling the poor guy Boo Boo .  Sad story in how we wound up getting him but he is a very lovable cat and he an our little girl cat are now getting along just fine.

 

Okay, this is it for now and hopefully I can start with the O16 kit soon.

 

Cheers to all,

[Omega1234]

Hi Piet

 

My word you're busy!!!  Haven't you ever heard of 'taking it easy"?  I guess not, but an active body means an active mind,  That can't be a bad thing.

 

Anyhow, getting back to your lion.   I love the look that you're chasing.  Classic and charming.  It'd be great to see you carve it.

 

As for the ship's boats, oh yer, you'll knock them out of the park, for sure.

 

All the best!

 

Cheers

 

Patrick 

[tadheus]

Piet, bravo.

 

 

 

Pawel

[SawdustDave]

If we measured our friends by their heart, you...my friend, would be a true giant among men.

you never cease to amaze me.

Dave

[Piet]

Hello everyone,

 

Thank you all for your kind words and the likes.

 

Love the clapping hands Pavel, thanks for the compliment!

 

Thank you for your concern about my safety Lawrence But I'm an "old" hand at lumber jacking   I'm more concerned about that infernal chainsaw 

 

Dave, you make me blush. Isn't it our duty to help others?  This forum is filled with like-minded people.

 

Now I am facing another problem, getting used to this different format.  The "remember me" at sign in doesn't work, none of the hot-links to my build log and archive work, the build logs for the Surabaya and O19 are missing and everything under my signature are in disarray.  So, I'll have to spend a lot of time head scratching to figure out how to correct all that and I am a computer idiot, um - - - I mean illiterate   

Oh well, this is the least of my problems.  My nice Epson printer went south.  Two of the ink jet thingies are not doing what they are supposed to do.  A few months ago it started with three and I cleared two of them, at least it printed black but now it just prints extremely thin, i.e. unreadable.  I'll have to break down and spend mucho dinarie  for a new one. 

 

Okay, enough of my crying, it's not the end of the world.  I wish all y'all happy modeling.

 

Cheers,

 

[mtaylor]

Piet, 

I can see all your logs.... http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/profile/1399-dadodude/&do=content&type=forums_topic&change_section=1   I hope that helps.   Yeah.. this is taking some getting used to.  

 

In the Question/Instructions area, there's more than a few posts on the upgrade and how to do some things.  Read the one on Upgrade Status and then the others.   

[Piet]

Thanks Mark and Lawrence for looking in and the helpful info.

Yes, Mark, I got to make that very long link thingy to work but I have seen so many using only a short link. That's what I was after. I have tried every which way but can't seem to get it. I have printed all the instructions regarding this issue but am still in the dark. Still struggling and trying though.

 

Hey Lawrence, yeah, I have put the "Surabaya" on the back burner for a while. I got busy with studying physiology and nutrition to try and stay ahead of physical i.e. medical problems. I have started a build log in the model section of a resin model of a Dutch submarine. After that one is done I'll attempt to make a diorama with the Young America at sea. The scale for that one will be 1:3000, at least I'll try. It'll have a glass lamp as dust cover, like I did for the topsail schooner diorama. After this project is done I'll get back with the "Surabaya".

I'm also trying to set some time aside to make a paintings with colored pencils. I like the medium, especially now that they are colorfast and wont fade.

 

cheers,

[Piet]

Thank you very much Lawrence for dropping in and the chat. Yes, I'm rather involved with all sorts of projects. The carving will have to wait a little longer, I'm afraid. I am waiting to start with a newly developed plastic kit of Hr. Ms. Java. That's the cruiser of the Royal Navy (Netherlands) my father was killed on and went down with her. I have started with the Young America at scale 1:3000 but not making much headway. Did a lot od searching to find drawings for a Buginese schooner, but not much luck. May have to guess for the most part but as long as it comes close enough to be believable.

I also started with the lines drawings for Gwen's father's ship, the Musi. They still need to be enlarged to scale 1:50 and then I really must spend some tim with this ship, the Surabaya.  Too many things to do and so little time.

I am enjoying you Holden Hind, she's beginning to look really nice.  Keep up the good work and stay in good health.

 

Cheers,

[SawdustDave]

Where are you and Gwen old man?

Hope you got the heck out of there!

[cog]

The old Dutchman is alright, had an email Yesterday evening from him, he has taken his precautions. If there is no power outage he'll be posting, but he has been very busy ...

[SawdustDave]

Thank you Carl.

Can't help but worry about our friend.  As much as I trust his judgement, there are things like a Cat 4 or 5 monster hurricane you just do not challenge.

please advise if you hear from him.

Dave

[cog]

Will do so Dave. Lets keep our fingers crossed for our friend!

[Piet]

Hoi Dave and Carl and who else may be listening in. It's Saturday evening at 2134 here in Palm Coast, Florida and all's well. No wind - yet and just a few showers with some sun peeking through. Gwen and i are all prepped to receive Irma and I'll be outside on deck shaking my fist at Irma like the flying Dutchman used to do   Tomorrow evening will be the start of some bad weather but our house is build to current code to withstand a cat 4 head on. We just had hurricane proof windows installed to relieve Gwen's fear for breaking glass.

I'll report back in shore leave when it's all over.

 

Cheers,

[Don Quixote]

Hoping for the best for you.

[Jack12477]

Stay safe, Piet!  Our prayers are with you!