Lexingtons last battle, 1//700

[marijn van gils]

Many thanks guys!

for guaranteed ( non-experimental ) longevity... steel!

weight--does it matter?-- heavier bases are more stable and secure on the tables at exhibitions...!


I assume you will have a glass case lid for your base as well?-- so that your rigging and fine details are not ruined by dust...?
and spiders and atmospheric pollution, cat secure , child secure etc etc!!!

best wishes

JB

Thanks for the ideas Jim!
While I never liked the idea of glass cases in the past, I am actually considering one at the moment. I always felt they inhibit good viewing of a model, but recently I have seen some (yours for example) which convinced me it doesn't have to detract from viewing the model at all when done right.

And indeed, ship models are harder to dust than most armour or figure models. I have a good showcase at home out of reach of the children, but safety of the rigging is a concern at shows indeed...

I'm not looking forward to actually building it though, so I better start doing my research on materials and techniques so my mind can get used to the idea...

I thought I'm crazy. But you are the worse case....

LOL. The pot calling the kettle black. I think is the best comment yet.

Exactly my idea!

You are doing outstanding work on this model. I look at your work and I feel like giving up. Your work has certainly raised the bar to new heights.
This will certainly be an interesting diorama. My grade school friends dad was a member of the Marine Detachment on board the Lexington when it went down, so it has a special interest to me.

Many thanks!
I know you're not serious, but don't give up modelling! It took me many many, years of intensive modelling to reach this level. Besides, everyone enjoys modelling in a different way, and I'm simply lucky to enjoy building in tiny detail and spending lots of time on it. Having a different style or level of finesse or technique doesn't make anyone a lesser modeller.

Obviously this subject is less personal for me than for you, but I find it a really very compelling story indeed. It is at the same time sad and positive, a loss and a victory: loosing Lex and many lives, but through good leadership and calm evacuation saving many more. I hope I will manage to somehow portray this duality in this diorama.

Best wishes,

Marijn

[marijn van gils]

I still had to paint the deck equipment, but that's finished now too.
In case the matchhead doesn't give enough feeling of scale in the very much enlarged photo's: both the tractors and forklift are only about 3,5mm long.

























Cheers,

Marijn

[hypno7]

Your progress never ceases to amaze me! I recently got that deck equipment PE (from Flyhawk right?) They are really small! This motivates me to work on them as I initially thought they where too small

Are you going to put some figures in the equipment? or were they already abandoned by the time your diorama will represent?

[Devin]

Beautiful work, as always. I'm having issues with small assemblies in a 1/350th scale build, it's hard to fathom how you do these in 1/700.

One historical note, if you're concerned: the Lexington and other carriers in 1942 did not have aircraft mules/tractors. Those are a 1943 and later development. They had bomb and torpedo carts and everything else you have there, but when it was time to move an unpowered aircraft around, it was done with a half-dozen or so crewmen pushing on the wings. It's not a huge thing and most people put them on their builds anyway, but if you're going for total accuracy, you could just leave those off.

This is all correct, of course, until someone finds a photo with a tractor from that time frame. I'm still waiting for that to happen!

[KevinYoung]

Your build is awesome.

[marijn van gils]

Many thanks guys!

They are PE from Flyhawk indeed. This set is excellent: amazing detail, and the items are surprizingly easy to assemble as the PE is very well designed. The tractors are only four pieces (chasis with wheels, nose with shield, rear fenders with drivers seat, and steering wheel), and everything folds very easily. The carts are only 2 pieces each. Highly recommended!

Are you going to put some figures in the equipment? or were they already abandoned by the time your diorama will represent?

Mostly abandoned, as the crew is gathering on the aft flight deck and abandoning ship. I only plan to have one tractor driving towards the rear, pulling a small cart with crewmen in it.

One historical note, if you're concerned: the Lexington and other carriers in 1942 did not have aircraft mules/tractors. Those are a 1943 and later development. They had bomb and torpedo carts and everything else you have there, but when it was time to move an unpowered aircraft around, it was done with a half-dozen or so crewmen pushing on the wings. It's not a huge thing and most people put them on their builds anyway, but if you're going for total accuracy, you could just leave those off.

Many thanks Devin!
Of course, this kind of info always comes AFTER I build and paint something...
I suspected this already, but couldn't find any info on it. I just couldn't see any in any '42 carrier photo's.
Usually I go for accuracy, but these are just too much fun to leave of. And many people do put them on indeed, and often even paint them yellow too! Anyway, I'll be having more bomb carts etc. on the deck than would be totally accurate for that moment in time too, but the artistic aspect of having a crowded and lively flightdeck is important to me too.

Cheers,

Marijn

[EJFoeth]

I managed to not notice this thread until now, while even being quite familar with Marijn's work. It looks absolutely great so far It convinced me to start lining in my own model (so I should be just in time for Telford 2025). Marijn, what Humbrol color do you use for the dirt streaks along the hull? Is this also a very dark brown?

[marijn van gils]

Many thanks EJFoeth! (maybe I know your real name from meeting you at a show around here? )

The colour I use is matt black 33, with a nice dab of Raw Umber oil paint in it. It is a very dark brown, almost black. The oil paint makes the paint "workable" for a longer time, but the Humbroll still makes it dry fast enough, and always flat. I use White Spirit to thin it, and to blend the edges.

I can would certainly encourage you to try this technique. It takes a bit more time than a pinwash, but you don't seem to have a shortage of patience, and all that magnificent detail on your Hood deserves it! It will come out much more clearly, and you will be able to enjoy all those details again while painting.

The technique which really complements it is highlighting all top edges with a lighter version of the base colours. The highlights are actually painted on with wet paint on a fine brush, not drybrushed. This works as fast a good drybrush, but gives a more controlled and less stone-like result.

Cheers,

Marijn

[EJFoeth]

I've experimented a bit with wet drybrushing, that is, drybrushing with oils (white) in a downward motion. It blends much better than ordinary drybrush and isn't very harsh but it also tends to muddle up the entire area a bit and then the local highlighting is gone. Pinwashing and drybrushing (oils) also doesn't really give me a good effect for PE surface detail so lining in both light and dark tones is the next step; I'll give it a try the coming days (and ruin my funnels?): I tried some smudging with black humbrol and umber oils separately but I notice I have to repeat the streaks several times; one attempt gives a very faint line that is just so subtle!

I don't think we've actually met (First name Evert-Jan btw) but I think the first work I've seen from you was the GVD diorama at the Lancers contest (only two were held IIRC). Seeing such models is the reason I postponed painting for so long I suppose

[marijn van gils]

Nice to meet you here Evert-Jan!

Ah, that diorama takes me back a while! I built the thing in 2001�

The trick with lining is to really paint the shadow(line)s onto the surface, and take your time to blend the edges. Probably 1/3th of the time is painting the shadows, and 2/3th blending the edges, constantly switching between them. And it is important to use a fine high quality brush (I prefer 000 size from Winsor & Newton series 7), and take your time for it. Mario Eens uses it extensively on his well-known armor models too.

Another update:
I added rubble to the deck. It consists of assorted pieces of PE, cut up plastic sheet, fine copper wire, and mostly crumbled thin chocolate wrapper foil. I "glued" it with flat varnish and integrated some of the deck equipment.







The inspiration. The only two photo's known of the deck after the 14h45 explosion (as far as I know) show ruble and equipment "swept" against the island, as well as some rubble spread around the flight deck:


And painted:






The area around the bomb hole was actually already cleared at that moment, but I want to make it absolutely clear that this is bomb damage, also to people who are not familiar with the subject. So here the storytelling needs compel me to combine different moments in time in one image. And I just love cheating!

Cheers!

Marijn

[Devin]

Fantastic. I love the negative image of the missing life rafts on the island.

[Goodwood]

That is just abso-effing-lutely impressive work, Marjin m8!

[marijn van gils]

Many thanks guys!

It's a really fun project, so it's not too hard to give it my best.

Cheers,

Marijn

[Angeliccypher]

I am really closely looking at the way you are handled the battle damage. It simply amazes me.

Some of my more ambitious projects will involve some effects similar to this. With your permission I would like to save a few of these pictures to my hard drive for personal use only, as the WIP will eventually disappear before I get to those (especially with my build pace).

[marijn van gils]

Many thanks Gabriel! It is my pleasure and a big compliment if my work can somehow inspire anyone.

So hereby, you have my permission!
Anyway, I probably shouldn't put it on the interweb if I didn't want anyone to save and use them...

Cheers,

Marijn

[hypno7]

yes, I will also save those pictures, of course, pictures do not do justice as we talked before, the real model looks a lot better.

After looking again at your pictures (the latest ones), now I understand what you meant about washing with light and dusty colors, very nice!

Looking forward to see more updates!

[LE BOSCO]

HI Marijn

no words can qualify what I see it just .......... I have rarely seen such a beautiful painting on this scale , without speaking the rendered of damages
God to put his hand on you !!
cheers
nicolas

[Mgunns]

Hello Marijn:

Your battle damage is very convincing. It's hard for me to get my arms wrapped around that this is 1/700! I too like your shadow effect of the missing life rafts on the stack, all your work is truly outstanding.

[MartinJQuinn]

Fantastic. I love the negative image of the missing life rafts on the island.

Yes - bravo! Very nice touch!

[marijn van gils]

Many thanks guys!

Meanwhile, Lexington is fixed in her seascape. Still have to fill the gaps (and of course paint it).



Of course I couldn't resist taking a shot with Morris by her side:



I also sorted all 1400 figures by pose and color, to make it easier to keep an overview on them while gluing them to the ship. Of course I could have made many more subdivisions, but I couldn't find a box with more spaces�



Now the real fun can start!

Cheers,

Marijn