Liberty Bell 7, Gus, Hunt Club and the Atlantic - 1/96
 

This will be my pet project the next weeks. I started today. Main ingredients: Surfduke's 1/48 Mercury, which I redid to look like Liberty Bell 7, the UH-34 Sea Horse by E. Zarkov (which I repainted to represent Hunt Club 1) and of course a picture frame which I am going to use as a base. I reduced both models to 1/96 which I think is small enough. It just has to fit on the frame.
Liberty Bell had all its marking different than the MA-capsules. The flags were missing, The words "United States" were on different places and then there was that beautiful crack across the shingles that needed to be done. I used Photoshop and online references to try and get it right.

I did the first steps of the frame today. It is going to be the surface of the ocean so I messed around with some cardboard to make a mould for the gypsum I was going to use. I made a thick paste-like substance so it smeared well onto the base plate. With wet fingers I smoothed the surface. before I started I placed a brass tube where I wanted the helo and the capsule to be.

When it's dry, I'll paint the surface and will add some acrylic transparent stuff to imitate water. This makes me very very curious, I have high expectations of the stuff.
Okay, I realise all of this isn't paper but bear with me, that will follow soon. First up will be the hapless spacecraft. I want to cram in as much detail as I can in that scale and size.
The helicopter will be a challenge, especially in this scale. So, big new adventures ahead! Are you ready to hook on? ;)

Sweet, I can't wait to see the finished project!

96th? No 1/400th? how can this be?=P the acrylic should work, seen it on model railroads...great job

A Mercury in 1/96th is not really that big. And like I said, I wanted to try and get some detail in that capsule. Besides, for realistic waves and white streaks from the rotor wash I decided to do this a little bigger than my favourite scale.
As soon as the next in-space diorama comes along I will be turning back to the good old 1/400th scale. (and also probably a what-if.)

true..all very true.

BTW, I never have used the acrylic stuff before. I am very curious about which effect it will give. I like to experiment. Even funnier: when I was on art academy, I hated doing all three-dimensional art forms. Clay, gypsum, metal, wood, I couldn't do it and I didn't want to be good at it. Now it's almost all I do. Funny how things can change.

I would recommend sculpting with either paper handtowels on tissue and either paint or thinned glue then you can paint and drybrush whitecap highlights,.. I recommend this same effect on Kenwest astronaut,.. billy was able to crank it out really nice on the pants it might work for water too? with differ shades of blue and the build-ability of tissue nit may be worth the experiment?

here is a cool reference point to visualize tissue water

http://www.earthtothemoon.com/mr4_recovery.jpg

Hi:
Your project started very well. I particularly enjoyed your solution for the sea. I've never tried the space theme, but it looks very appealling.
Rgds
Carlos

Yet another fascinating subject and creative techniques.