Water Effects

by Anthony Knific

Materials
-Acrylic Heavy Gel Medium
-Tube Acrylic Paint: Phthalocyanine Blue, Thalo Green, Titanium White, Gloss

Tools
-Palette Knife: Flat Blade and Pointed Blade
Old Bristle Brushes
Toothpicks

Application Steps
1. Wood base, sized to fit model - Acrylic gel Medium will not warp softwood bases and no special treatment is necessary for the gel to adhere

2. Lay model on base, trace around hull with a pencil, remove model. Apply Gel with flat blade palette knife, going slightly inside the outline of the hull. Work "waves" into the gel with the pointed palette knife. Press the model into Gel, you will find that no glue or cement is needed.

3. Add bow wave and wake, applying small amounts of Gel with a toothpick at bow, along sides of hull and at the stern. Use reference photos if possible as bow waves and wakes vary from ship to ship and with a ships relative speed.

4. Put the base aside to dry, when the gel is clear, it is dry.

5. Paint all Gel with phthalocyanine Blue, do not mix or lighten. Drybrush all Gel with Thalo Green, again do not mix or lighten. Also, do not skip this step as it adds visual depth to the completed water. Let dry.

6. On a palette, Lay out Phthalocyanine Blue, Thalo Green and White. Mix a dark Blue Green and apply to base using drybrush technique. Add some white to mixture and drybrush again with less pressure to catch "higher" highlights. continue this until the desired affect is achieved. Use white to drybrush the bow wave and wake. Let dry.

7. You can apply a heavy coat of a gloss finish to all Gel areas. Also, some may be added above the waterline to help simulate "wet" areas on the hull.

General Recommendations
-Gel drying time depends upon temperature and humidity. Bases with resin models can be dried in a conventional oven at LOW temperatures. A hair dryer can be used on bases with plastic models.

-"Bluer" water can be used for the Pacific and Caribbean, etc. "Greener" water can be used for the North Atlantic and Arctic.

-Remember, Don't overdo waves and whitecaps on bases unless you are looking to depict storm conditions.

-Other types of colors can be used for particular settings, such as coffee or other hues of brown for Southeast Asia (Mekong Delta in Vietnam for example.)

-As with any modeling technique, "Practice, practice, practice!" and don't be afraid to experiment!

-Lastly... make sure you bring these water effect models in for show and tell!

-- this workshop is based heavily on one done by Norm Kennedy of IPMS New Jersey. Norm deserves all credit for this handout and the workshop - if I didn't have this stashed away for the last 6 years we wouldn't be having a workshop tonight!