Objective: My goal is to model a mortar schooner that served with Porter's squadron below Fort Jackson. While the vessels of the squadron varied, excellent illustrations of the mortar schooner can be found in the U.S. Navy's online image library or Porter's Naval History of the Civil War.
Priming the Model
I've used a number of media as primer over the years, but my buddy Scott turned me on to using Gesso, and for the last two years I've stuck with Gesso as my primer of choice. Gesso is available in white, black and clear. I use the white version, as my traditional painting technique is similar to the classic 'staining' method. I use Gesso because it provides a great surface for paint to adhere. Another plus is the ease of application - no messy spray-painting and worrying about temperature and humidity levels. (You can search TMP for other folks endorsing the use of Gesso.)
Painting the Model
The mortar schooners were not new ships. But for Fort Jackson, many had just emerged from the shipyard following their conversion to warships. For a historical look, I chose a 'gently used' look of black hull, white gunwales, light brown wooden deckhouse and white main masts.
The uppermasts are done in black, with the spars in a light brown. The deck is done in a light tan. The overall look is a neat little warship, similar to what we see in paintings and film.
I generally paint from the inside to the outside.
First step is to paint the well holding the mortar a light gray. I 'went to the well' and pulled out an old jar of Polly Scale US Ghost Gray Lt. (FS505376) Using a fine brush, I painted the interior walls and deck of the hold. There's not much to paint, but it makes a nice contrast to the black of the mortar.
Now paint the mortar and carriage black. Use a fine brush, as you only want to paint the mortar and carriage.
Next, the deck receives a coat of Polly Scale US Tan Special. In the past, I used the old Polly Scale 'mud' or 'deck tan'. US Tan Special is a close substitute. It's a bit too orange to use by itself, but works as a good base when a little gray is drybrushed on top and a black wash is applied.
Paint the deckhouse walls a light gray.
Paint the gunwales, hatches and roof of the deckhouse white.
Paint the tops of the gunwales white.
Paint the mainmast white.
Paint the uppermast black.
The exterior of the hull receives a basecoat of black.
