I'm currently building the Airfix kit of the
Sovereign of the Seas (aka "Royal Sovereign"), a 17th century English man-o-war and the first "ship-of-the-line" (not the 19th century clipper of the same name!). So far the kit seems a fairly straightforward build. I've added some basic interior detail to the bulwarks and modelled all of the lower gun decks closed (as I couldn't face opening up all the gunports and scratchbuilding the guns as I did with the
Victory). I'll post some work in progress photos later.
However I have a question about the painting of the hull. I know the lower hull is plain wood (possibly with the wales painted a darker colour) and the hull bottom is coated with the "white stuff" anti-fouling mixture, but am not sure about the upper areas of the hull (with the gilt decoration).
I've seen models and paintings of the
Sovereign with this area painted a darkish blue, and others with it as unpainted varnished wood. The kit instructions specify black. Any idea which is correct? (Is the paint scheme of this ship actually known, or is it just conjecture?) And assuming that these areas are painted, would the bulwarks and/or deck bulkheads also be painted in this colour, or left as varnished wood?