Nautical Research Journal
Hull detailing and photo-etch decorations
To properly dress Lady Swan, and aſt er applying the various rails, I utilized the brass photo-etched decorative embellishments supplied in the kit to decorate the bulwarks, portions of the stem area and the extensive stern and quarter galleries.
On the actual Swan-class sloops, the lavish-looking bulwark decorations were typically hand-painted in a colorful trompe l’oeil style along the entire length of the upper hull. I retained the distinctive blue and crimson painted stripes of this era for the uppermost planking. T e stem, stern and quarter gallery badges relied on elaborately carved wood designs. In this kit, ingenious multi-layered photo-etched brass is designed to achieve a three-dimensional look to these decorations. Up to three layers of nested, photo-etched brass are stacked atop one another. T is results in an eff ective simulation of complex carving, especially aſt er spending a little extra eff ort to build up the layered brass edges with acrylic gesso. I have developed a technique to turn fl at photo- etched decorative pieces into more realistic looking carvings by using a combination of gesso acrylic to increase the apparent thickness on the pieces and then painting them with appropriately colored washes to add dimensional depth. I used this process on the entirety of the model’s decorative photo-etch. I also color-matched a handful of small cast decorative pieces. Additional photo-etched items included two small lanterns that hang from a midship beam. A dozen or so turned-brass, scale-accurate belaying pins were painted brown.
Lastly, the lower hull was masked and painted off - white to the loaded waterline to mimic the tallow colored hull paint of the era. When Swan and Kingfi sher were launched, coppered hulls had yet to be established as standard by the Navy Board; however, subsequent Swan-class sloops were coppered aſt er 1778.
10. A view of the quarterdeck from amidships. Despite their diminutive size, the Swan-class sloops carried a large galley stove and provided a below-deck manger area for fresh meat.
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11. Halifax Harbor, Nova Scotia was home base for the North American squadron, and HMS Swan’s fi rst war posting under Captain James Ayscough.
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