"Deelen Wolves" (JG 1) pencil study ...

Milos Sijacki · 04-19-2007, 02:57 PM

Really nice drawings there, can't wait to see the painting

Maharg · 04-20-2007, 03:06 AM

Beautiful art M8, Though the pilot in 11 looks a bit casual, I would think his hands would be holding controls rather than the way you have pictured them.

chicoartist · 04-20-2007, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maharg

. . . the pilot in 11 looks a bit casual, I would think his hands would be holding controls rather than the way you have pictured them.

Good observation, and normally you're correct of course, but at Duxford I observed a pilot in a P-51 doing almost the same thing (using both his hands/arms to "lift" his body for a better view - if only for a second) . . . I filed that bit of "reality" away for future use, and it's now that I am "capturing" that moment, but in a 190.

A stretch with the 190? Maybe, but to say it never happened in an Fw is the real stretch. Reality, though a cornerstone in aviation art, is a rule, not a law.

Wade

chicoartist · 05-01-2007, 11:22 PM

An update of sorts ...

This is the pencil study for "Most Dangerous Game", the "aerial" version of "Deelen Wolves", if you will. The final canvas will be a 20 x 40 oil.

Most Dangerous Game (study)
11 x 22 inches
Pencil on 90# Canson paper

Cheers!
Wade

Wildcat · 05-02-2007, 02:14 AM

Awesome Wade!

Gnomey · 05-02-2007, 04:24 AM

Excellent as usual Wade!

Lucky13 · 05-02-2007, 11:20 AM

Fantastic artwork Wade....

tpikdave · 05-02-2007, 02:35 PM

Wade,

Could you be so kind as to tell me the basic steps of your technique. After you do the pencil sketch do you computer render it for airbrushing? I am curious to know but feel free to guard any secrets..

chicoartist · 05-02-2007, 04:14 PM

Really no secret. I spend a long time drawing a detailed outline of the scene and then go to the local Kinko's copy center and copy one at full size of the final canvas, and one smaller for the pencil study.

For each image transfer, I rub the back of the outline drawing with 2B pencil for the "transfer" of the image to the paper or canvas, and then for the pencil study above I just 'draw' in the tones with different grades of pencil for lights and darks, and then 'paint' the scene in color on the final canvas.

I don't airbrush - great for T-shirts and super-slick illustration (though that's mainly been replaced by digital airbrushing), and models of course, but nothing looks better on a collectors wall than the impasto look of good old fashioned oil paint. As they say, it was the medium of the great masters - good 'nuff for me!

Wade

tpikdave · 05-02-2007, 10:19 PM

Thank you, that all makes good sense. You use Kinkos to size proportionally and work from that. Pretty snazzy.

At one time in my life I was a sign painter. I worked for a company called Heywood Sign inc. out of LA (even though I worked in Nevada) They were a very large billboard company. They made their signs by projecting a photographic image onto a standard 12'x40' billboard unit inside their "studio" made up of 2' panels bolted together into one 12x40 sign. Before the image was projected, the 2' panels were covered with sign paper (like butcher paper). Then the image was projected and and the image lines were "pounced using a pounce wheel and a pounce of blue chalk powder. Later, the different colors were written in when the paper was removed revealing the chalk lines. Then it was basically paint by number.

My brother was and is to this day the only person I have ever known that could layout and paint a 12'x40' billboard right at the location with the panels still bolted together. His work looked as good or better than Heywood's, I know because I used to work with him. He had a ten year contract with Seagram's and Black Velvet. Remember that beautiful woman in black velvet inviting you to drink as you drove along the interstate ? We did her.

chicoartist · 06-07-2007, 07:41 PM

Hey guys,

A couple of update pictures on "Most Dangerous Game".

Wade

Catch22 · 06-14-2007, 09:57 AM

Looking very good man! Can't wait to see the final products!

chicoartist · 10-01-2007, 12:29 PM

Finished this one about a month ago - had to let it dry a bit before scanning. This is one I can't wait to varnish because those Luft colors always look so great with a coat of varnish:

"Deelen Wolves"
(companion painting to "Most Dangerous Game")
18 x 24 oil on panel

Wade

Konigstiger205 · 10-01-2007, 01:51 PM

Great work Wade...I took a peek on the site and you have talent...keep up the good work!

drgondog · 10-01-2007, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tpikdave

Thank you, that all makes good sense. You use Kinkos to size proportionally and work from that. Pretty snazzy.

At one time in my life I was a sign painter. I worked for a company called Heywood Sign inc. out of LA (even though I worked in Nevada) They were a very large billboard company. They made their signs by projecting a photographic image onto a standard 12'x40' billboard unit inside their "studio" made up of 2' panels bolted together into one 12x40 sign. Before the image was projected, the 2' panels were covered with sign paper (like butcher paper). Then the image was projected and and the image lines were "pounced using a pounce wheel and a pounce of blue chalk powder. Later, the different colors were written in when the paper was removed revealing the chalk lines. Then it was basically paint by number.

My brother was and is to this day the only person I have ever known that could layout and paint a 12'x40' billboard right at the location with the panels still bolted together. His work looked as good or better than Heywood's, I know because I used to work with him. He had a ten year contract with Seagram's and Black Velvet. Remember that beautiful woman in black velvet inviting you to drink as you drove along the interstate ? We did her.

Keith Ferris did something similar to manage his full scale B-17 at the Smithsonian..He did the original 3 d Orthogonal projection on Canvass, broke it into square, photographed it - put the base coat on the Smithsonian wall, broke it up into 1 foot squares, then projected his painting onto the wall with a slide projector - making sure the projector was perpendicular to the wall.

He painted the outline step by step, moving the projector vertically and horizontally until he was finished with the B-17. I believe he did the 109 in the contrail freehand but not sure of that.

Wade - great work - when are going to send me your mailing address for the CD?