English Royal Yacht by Ab Hoving - CARD

[Ab Hoving]

The detailing is indeed amazing. The man used a reed-pen. Look at the hatching:

 

[Michael Mash]

All those drawings add up to plenty of inspiration.

The copy of the Van de Velde grisaille “enlarges” nicely.

It has an enormous amount of detail.

 

Back to your model  ………… you are a quick builder.

Looks like the gold leaf will work out well.

 

Mike

[wefalck]

Ab, you are a lucky man to receive such gifts!

 

Didn't Van de Velde the Older specialise in larges-size grisailles originally? I am quoting from memory and didn't check against my books on them.

 

And, compared to your speed of building I don't even look like snail, but more like a barnackle ...

[Ab Hoving]

5 hours ago, wefalck said:

Ab, you are a lucky man to receive such gifts!

Hallo Eberhardt,

 

I agree.

 

Indeed the Elder did the pen-paintings, his son painted in oil paint. Rumor has it that the Elder was not a guild member and was therefore not allowed to make paintings. I don't know if that is true. Later, after father and son moved to England in 1672 the father tried his hand on some paintings too, but without the excellence his son showed. The Elder witnessed several sea battles, but that the son also worked from nature can (among other proofs) be seen on my sketch from his hand.

 

Yes, working with paper is unbelievably fast compared with other materials. Probably the models won't last as long, but that is not my problem. I enjoy seeing them in the state I make them. It fits my sloppy nature.... 

Edited February 6 by Ab Hoving

[druxey]

The grisailles I was lucky enough to view were quite large; about 4' 0" high, if memory serves me right.

[firdajan]

On 2/6/2025 at 11:46 AM, Ab Hoving said:

Probably the models won't last as long, but that is not my problem. I enjoy seeing them in the state I make them. It fits my sloppy nature....

Let me to disagree a bit. My oldest paper ship model is 18 years old, is not in the showcase ( as all of my models ) and is without any changes. I think it will last for a long time.

But it is true that by my way of gluing and impregnation I actually produce paper plywood ( four layers of paper planking...😁)

[RdK]

Hi Jan,

 

Now that we started to count: my oldest card model is 40 years old this year and looks still (almost) the same ugly 😄 It is the Santa Maria and I posted a picture of it over at papermodelers in my Mayflower thread I think. It is as crooked as a small boy can make a ship 😅

 

But it is true that our card models will not last as long as the beautiful wooden ones. At least I do not think in 300 years from now anyone will posess any of my card models 😉

 

-R

 

 

 

[Ab Hoving]

Slow progress. Painting is tedious if you have to wait until it has all dried. Fortunately there are other things I can do in the times between, but life intervenes. Have to find more time (or more excuses to take time to build). Before gilding the beak head I use yellow paint underneath. Compared to the Dutch yachts the gilding is outrageous. Of course it's a matter of taste, but I think more failures can be masked with multicolored painting than by gilding alone. We will see if it all works out.

[firdajan]

On 2/8/2025 at 4:20 PM, RdK said:

But it is true that our card models will not last as long as the beautiful wooden ones. At least I do not think in 300 years from now anyone will posess any of my card models 😉

 

Sorry Radek, but I disagree again. I have a proof, you maybe know. There´s a Langweil´s model of Prague made of cartoon which still exist. Is 200 years old, and is in the perfect condition. You can find it on the net. I know, I also had a lot of paper models which are definitely lost. But I was young and I didn't know anything about how to care for models. If any model will be in care it will last a very long time, 300 - 400 years, and more, be sure. But I have to give you the truth - paper models will never be wooden😭 

 

Jan

[Ab Hoving]

I once restored a paper model from 1830. But paper was a whole different material in those days. There was no wood in it, so it lasted very long.

 

[wefalck]

But there are wood- and acid-free carboards these days. OK they are more expensive. I remember at least one art shop in Alkmaar that sells them.

[druxey]

Often watercolor paper is from rag and is acid-free. That shouldl last! Probably 'smooth press' is more suitable for models.

[Ab Hoving]

I use only very cheap materials: boxes from frozen pizzas, shoeboxes and such. Paper for water color painting is not particularly smooth, so it can't be used because of its rough surface and its more or less spongy material.

 

But indeed, the model I restored was done with leftovers, donated by a  Rijksmuseum Prentencabinet colleague conservator. At least 200 years old remains of restorations. Such paper was hand made out of rags, in a paper mill. Smooth as a baby skin. I doubt if such paper still exists.  It could be cut to very tiny threads and still did not fall apart or delaminated. And not a sign of aging. Wonderful stuff. 

 

Is it a problem that paper models don't last for ages? Not for me. I have seen too many wrecked wooden and metal models. Nothing lasts, we ourselves certainly not. Why worry? Just enjoy seeing a model grow in your hands...

Edited February 12 by Ab Hoving

[wefalck]

According to the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics everything will crumble away sooner or later - unless one spends energy and material on its upkeep (restoration is quasi periodic upkeep).

 

I agree that it is not so easy to find good quality paper and cardboard. I quite like Bristol-board, which is a wood- and acid-free cardboard that has a smooth calandered (rolled) surface. It is even more difficult to find very thin calandered paper - I have been hoarding supplies that came to me from deceased relatives and that may well be 60, 80, or even 100 years old.

 

Ab, as restorer is certainly painfully aware of this, that certain materials are simply not made anymore, because they are not used anymore or would be used only in such small quantities that it doesn't pay to make them. For instance I have been hunting down all over Europe a type of extremly fine and firm two-ply thread that was once used to darn ladies' stockings. Nobody bothers with mending stockings anymore, at least not with the old-time nearly invisble darning techniques, so that these yarns have disappeared from the market.  

 

Sorry, I am digressing ...

Edited February 12 by wefalck

[shipman]

5 hours ago, wefalck said:

According to the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics everything will crumble away sooner or later - unless one spends energy and material on its upkeep (restoration is quasi periodic upkeep).

 

I agree that it is not so easy to find good quality paper and cardboard. I quite like Bristol-board, which is a wood- and acid-free cardboard that has a smooth calandered (rolled) surface. It is even more difficult to find very thin calandered paper - I have been hoarding supplies that came to me from deceased relatives and that may well be 60, 80, or even 100 years old.

 

Ab, as restorer is certainly painfully aware of this, that certain materials are simply not made anymore, because they are not used anymore or would be used only in such small quantities that it doesn't pay to make them. For instance I have been hunting down all over Europe a type of extremly fine and firm two-ply thread that was once used to darn ladies' stockings. Nobody bothers with mending stockings anymore, at least not with the old-time nearly invisble darning techniques, so that these yarns have disappeared from the market.  

 

Sorry, I am digressing ...

A thin smooth, calendered stock is called 'Bank' paper, made largely from linen and originally specified for bank notes.