Gunpowder Gertie

Oi! There be some fine piccies there, Missy! I finally looked at me video t'day! An' I have some most excellent video of the American Pride attacking the Queen Mary- now does one of you scurvy dogs have any video of the defense of the Queen Mary? It'd be really nice if I could get the other point of view and edit them together!

Aye- that it does. I'll be comin' in late on Friday, hope I'll get there for the party..but I'll see ya all on Sat!

Although I expect that the thread title was meant to be funny... it wasn't the performer playing Jack. He was playing his trusty sidekick Mack. This guy seemed to be a member of a couple of pirate groups in Florida..he was well known on the Dinner theatre circuit around Orlando. But- he loved to be a pirate! He wasn't any different from any of us here, portraying a pirate for entertainment, not just for Disney. I guess I was a little disappointed, because it seems to cheapen the fact that this man died, doing what we all love. This kind of freak accident could happen to any of us... I went to his Myspace..he seemed like a pretty nice guy. Here's some pics: As a pirate- but not the Disney pirate: His headshot: and him performing at Walt Disney World: RIP Mark...

Well, Me and Black Tess will be attendin' this event. Got all our letters of marque ship shape an' ship's passage paid fer... Maybe we'll be busy plunderin' that Queen Mary galleon, me thinks...

Aye- an here' 'tis in the original Canadian... that is, the author's of the song were in fact these lads, the Arrogant Worms. If ya ever gets a chance ta see them in concert, do so. They are a very funny bunch. I especially like the pirate hook.... Just in time for Canada Day! Happy July 1st everyone!

But havin' said that- Thankee fer postin this! I confess I have been worried about what I could do should such a thing happen. A pyrate with a broken flintlock is... well, like a pirate with a broken flintlock. All 'round, pretty sad!

An' That why they be callin' me Dirty Gertie, doncha know?

Aharrr Tell us more, ya scallywag! I am now taking some caps fer a cap gun, gluing them together, and stickin' 'em to the strikeplate right whereat the hammer falls. That way I can use me replica as a startin' pistol fer me little pyrates obstacle course adventure. I get a decent bang, and a flash from it...but them powder monkeys always be wantin' more bang fer their buck, as 'twere. but now I be wantin' ta know YOUR technique. Cough it up, me Boyo.. don't make me come back thar!

I took my Denix replica, which just looked too new..and also I hated the skull and crossbones on the grip. I decided to repaint it to look old, my pirate persona's name is Dirty Gertie, so I wanted to reflect that in her choice of weapons. First I used a letter opener and just tapped it around the wood to give scratches and wear marks. I used black acrylic paint, and rubbed it into the stock. Then I used a combination of metallic bronze, burnt umber and burnt sienna and dabbed it on, and then wiped it off to give it a rusty, well used look. I tried to keep in mind where the wear would be, around the trigger, and on the grip. Then I rubbed the paint off with a wet cloth, and a bit of fine sandpaper. It looked pretty dry by now, so I rubbed a bit o' vaseline into the wood to give it an aged patina.Then I used Ben Nye charcoal powder to simulate the gunpowder residue on the barrel and frizzen.. I'd appreciate any comments you have, since I actually have never held, or seen up close a flintlock pistol that'd been fired before. Lady Barbossa saw my efforts and also assisted with the gunpowder residue information - and then suggested I post it here. All told, I was very happy with the way it turned out. I looked at some museum pieces in a reference book- and noticed a blunderbuss which had initials carved in the stock. I thought that would be a great thing for this pistol too, to add some authenticity. so: Here it is before: and here it is after: Please feel free to move this, if I got it in the wrong forum...

Happy Birthday, mate!!! Enjoy a scrumptious somethin' in that fancy pirate lair o' yourn!!!

Aye- I spent a ton of time on my feet in New Orleans- sadly couldn't go in the parade as I had aggravated an existing ankle problem before I left- but, I have to say, I was very happy with me shoes! They fit well, I had NO PROBLEMS with chafing, sliding or anything like that. Other'n just bein' footsore from strolling the French Quarter, and that would've happened anyway! They were excellent, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them!

I use Fullers earth for agin'- it comes in a tube, packed in a canvas bag, and you just bang it against the cloth to get it to add some age. Now, granted, it's a fine dust, but if you dampen the item to be aged first, it becomes more mudlike and sticks better. In order yto age a dead pirate cosyume ( drowned and washed up onto a beach, I made a special concoction of tea, potting soil, white glue and aloe vera gel,and either a brown craft acylic or a black craft acrylic paint and microwaved it for a few minutes, then applied it with my hands. It worked very well. If you want to apply sand, I used a brush, and brushed white glue onto the material, and then packed the sand on. It stuck very well..(you can also use aloe vera gel, it also holds detritus on to a shirt or something of that nature, though it will sometimes leave a pale green residue. That's what I wanted, and it dried clear in most cases. If you use white glue out of the bottle, the adhesion will be very strong, but keep something between layers, as you don't want to glue a sleeve together say. And it dries hard, so you will have to use it in a place where a natural fold doesn't occur.Depending on the level of stickiness I need, I will dilute the white glue mixture. That's how I set some of the lighter detritus, like the potting soil flakes. Experiment, and you'll find that a little white glue goes a long way. Also - it's not necessary to add a ton of sand..just a bit will indicate dirt.I also use two Ben Nye products- Plains Dust and Charcoal. I use it on both ,my garb and my skin. Since my character, Gunpowder Gertie, a/k/a Dirty Gertie is well..dirty..I apply it amply. I've never had it come off even when I sweat. If you need to "set it" you can use something as simple as "pump" dispensed extra hold hairspray. Just make sure your eyes are closed when you aplly it, and since the pump delivers a fine mist, make sure you are far enough away that it doesn't run- just like with spray paint. I don't use it, I haven't had to., but I would depending on the weather. If I thought it would rain, I would definitely set it.The Plains dust and the charcoal get right into my hands, and face...sometimes I scrunch up my eyes and apply it with a brush or sponge, so that the wrinkle lines are clean when I unscrunch..looks like I've been squinting into the sun for hours. I also try and make it more realistic by wiping my nose or across my cheek with a handfull of the powder. Leaving some areas cleaner than others helps make you look just duirty, but if you want to look tanned or windburned, apply evenly, scrunching your face to leave clean wrinkles, again so it looks you've been working in the sun. Diluting acrylic paint with water, and then dragging a sleeve or a hem or a pant leg thru it will really look like authentic dirt. Don't paint the garment...let it sit in the diluted paint solution for a bit and then hang to dry. Then repeat the process so you look likeyou've walked thru many a muddy street. I also use a wire brush to distress hems and sleeve edges. It works really well. granted I am more the Hollywood pirate type, but these techniques will work quite well wth any fabric.

Having been a professional artist, and more than familiar with types of shading, I would say that the artist intended for the stripes on the lower leg of the kneeling person to be stripes. The stripes go all the way around the leg, yet they are separate. If the artist intended to show shadow of the body over the leg, the stripes may or may not go all the way "around" the leg- but they would most certainly be closer together to indicate a denser shadow. Also, there would likely be more stripes at the bottom of the leg (the shin) to indicate gradation of tone, and a darker shadow again as it touches the ground.Also note, on the other body that the shading stripes are short and choppy, and are used to denote shape, form and structure. The stripes on the leg do none of these things, and are in my opinion there merely to indicate a pattern.I would also say that the colour of the stocking stripes are black, as red was used to denote pants stripes,and the pants themselves and gold/brown wash to indicate coat colour. That wouldn't be necessary to add a wash if if the stripes were black to begin with.