WATER , GLASS and SILICONE SEALER (Paintable)

I have always been somewhat reluctant to model water . Now I found a solution . There are , as you know , very few times when the water a warship is in that it,s glass smooth . Some anchorages permit this on a regular basis , BUT , most are exposed to the vagaries of wind and currents . Now here,s where  the glass comes in . In most stores that cater to STAINED GLASS HOBBYISTS there is a glass that has different kinds of ripples on it.,s surface .And it comes on various shades of blue and clear . It also comes in what they call DICHROIC glass which is somewhat iridescent and changes colors depending where the viewer is looking at it . Now the ship , You need to make sure which way you want to set the ship (at what angle and so on ) The reason , the larger sheet of glass of this type is costly (not as costly as resin , but up there .) You can take the clear or somewhat so , DICHROIC clear and carefully paint the bottom with varying shades of colors to depict shallows and channels etc . Now back to the ship .Take her and cut to the waterline if not molded that way .DO not in some cases sit your ship perfectly level .I have NEVERseen warships in an anchorage that sat level .They either leaned to port or starboard 5-10 degrees . Take the ship and superglue it in place .Make sure she,s where you want her relative to other items in the dio . That is of course if she,s at anchor .The ship underway is another animal altogether .Destroyers are lively , cruisers somewhat so and battlewagons are a block moving through the water ,  UNLESS ,the weather conditions are indicative of rougher seas .THEN the battlewagon or carrier might show signs of rolling , pitching and giving an altogether nauseating ride . If your ship is in a turn can be interesting . Anyway , decide all this , and here,s where the silicone sealer comes in .Carefully do a small bead that contacts the hull all around and the glass the same . When it,s dry you can start building the bow wave and the movement body waves from the various places on the side . The nice part about silicone of this type is you CAN form it into dramatic waves over time as it dries and even stretch some to get the thinner wavetops . The curls from the bow wave can be done this way by curling the setting silicon with a toothpick or a paintbrush handle . Take all this and paint with acryllics and blend blend and blend some more .Stand back when dry and you,ve placed the glass in a frame and backed it with heavy cardboard till the bottom surface is smooth . VIOLA !one ship dio , delivered by your,s truly , yourself !! Try it , it works !        tankerbuilder .