Sunday 22 December 2019

From BillA: Escape from Douglas' Shallows! (60 Points)


Sing it with me now - I'm sailing, a-way, set an open course, for the virgin sea...

Except I'm not heading out to sea; I need to make my way towards land, and Challenge Island! I've a rowboat here, obviously well-loved and well-maintained, but I seem to have misplaced my oars, which has made the trip slower than I'd like; hopefully, having hit the Shallows, I can rely on the tide to bring me to shore.  



But what's this? The water is shallow, calm and clear enough for me to see the bottom, and it appears I'm being followed by a dweller from the depths, an unusually large Chesapeake blue crab! "Pinch, pinch" his beady black eyes and waving pincers seem to say, "pinch pinch!" I hope I can get to land and take off running for my next destination before he can emerge in pursuit.  




Both rowboat and giant crab (that's a 50mm round base he's been attached to, for scale) are Reaper Bones, produced as part of the "Bones 4" Kickstarter about 2 years ago.  To suggest a white-wash that needed to be fixed up, the inside of the boat was base-coated in Misty Gray, given a wash of GW Seraphim Sepia, and then heavily drybrushed with white; the rope, net and wicker basket were picked out in Yellowed Bone, washed Seraphim Sepia, and drybrushed Creamy Ivory.  This same trio - Yellowed Bone, Seraphim Sepia, Creamy Ivory - formed the basis for the crab's legs and underbelly, with the top part of the crab being given a coat of a 1:1 mix of "Deep Ocean" and "Olive Shadow." From there it was a mixture of washes, drybrushes and glazing to get the colors and blends I wanted.  


Not sure how you want to score these (say, each the same as a 28mm cavalryman?), plus the bonus points for completing a location challenge.  Off to a good start!

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That truly is a jolly boat - the red and cream combination really make it look quite sweet and merry. The crab is a wonderful tour de force of colours and shading. I can just hear its claws going 'clik, clik, clik...'

As to points, I think the boat should be scored as a 28mm vehicle, so 20 for that and the giant crab for another 10. All together, including the bonus for Douglas' Reef, this will put you at tidy 60 points. Well done Bill and welcome back to the Challenge!

23 comments:

  1. Love the woodwork on the boat, great job

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  2. Very nicely done. I have the same boat in my paint queue, so I may have to borrow some of your ideas.

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  3. Very nice work indeed! Love the boat.

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  4. Nice aquatic features, Bill :)

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  5. Lovely boat and splendid crab!
    Best Iain

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  6. Excellent work. Now, just get a huge pot of boiling water and we can get on with making lunch..

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  7. That crab is great, and the warm white in the boat is lovely.

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  8. That crab really grabs me. Ouch!

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  9. Great work Bill, if one had oars one could well indeed mess about in that boat. Lovely work on the well used craft, love the creed of fish and the lantern under the bowsprit. I’m with slow painter that one need a big pot and some butter for that crab.

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  10. I love the boat and the giant fiddler crab. I've got plenty of Old Bay seasoning for the crab if you need it. Butter for a crab? - Peter that's down right blasphemous - did you learn nothing from your trip to Maryland?

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    1. Old Bay, I guess if your crab has no taste then you need some sort of flavour. I learned plenty during my stay Miles, the details of which are sealed at my lawyers to be revealed if some “accident” happens to me.

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  11. Well done and great looking boat.

    Christopher

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  12. The crab is fab, but that boat does float!
    Poetry at 0730, what is the world coming to?

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  13. That boat is really nice, and I love the subtle shades on the crab

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  14. Great looking boat and crab, a very nautical theme

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  15. Some very colourful aquatic entries - I'm afraid mine will be far more grey...

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  16. Nice work,Bill! The crab is outstanding and looks wonderful in the hues, I like the mottled shell. The boat looks nicely aged...well used!

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  17. I do like the boat. Nice work Bill.

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  18. Love the crab. Insane, but brilliant.

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  19. The crab really is the star of this post, lovely painting!

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  20. Lovely work, Bill. I love the boat and the crab is just brilliant!! Both are wonderfully painted - just terrific work!

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