Chicoartist Posted September 25, 2006 Share Posted September 25, 2006 Hey guys, Busy days 'round here! Here's a couple of WIP snaps of the full-sized version of "Twin-Tailed Dragons", a 24 x 32 commissioned piece in oil. This one is shaping up to be my best work ever, I think, mainly because this plane has so many complicated shapes within shapes, and I'm taking care to add all the subtle nuances of color and tone - most of which can't be seen with these handheld shots, of course. They're really bringing it to life. I'm saving the cockpit area as a treat for myself till after I get the green dragons on the engines done. Notice the two smaller '38s in the distance. Wade Quote Link to post Share on other sites
neu Posted September 25, 2006 Share Posted September 25, 2006 Amazing!!! Keep us updated! Looking really promising! I was always amazed of real artists like you! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Miguel Posted September 25, 2006 Share Posted September 25, 2006 It look's great Wade A good choice for a fantastic airplane. keep posting the evolution. Miguel Quote Link to post Share on other sites
David Walker Posted September 26, 2006 Share Posted September 26, 2006 I can't wait to see your continued progress. I've always liked the look of the P-38 with the dragons on the nacelles. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
pozsgay Posted September 26, 2006 Share Posted September 26, 2006 Fantastic work Wade! Can't wait to see how it will be finished! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Chicoartist Posted September 26, 2006 Author Share Posted September 26, 2006 Thanks all - if I can get the rest of the prop blades 'right', I may have this thing licked! After the photos above were taken, I went back and blended the edges of the one already-painted "blurred prop". The edges of the "blur" looked a little hard in the photos (to me, "mistakes" always magnify when I shoot my art digitally). It's normally a very dangerous thing to go back "wet over dry" with oils, because it's so hard to get the EXACT shade of paint you used previously, and you're bound to end up repainting the entire area and spoil your earlier efforts, but this time everything worked out. (whew!) The usual term for going back like this over an "already OK for the most part" area is called "overworking" the painting - and I won't be doing too much of that. Like dancing in a minefield - you're bound to step on one eventually! Wade Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Clave Posted September 30, 2006 Share Posted September 30, 2006 Impressive stuff! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jimmy07 Posted October 11, 2006 Share Posted October 11, 2006 Your work really is amazing! Just curious how you are going on 'debden take off' havn't heard much on it lately. Cheers, Jim Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jimmy07 Posted October 11, 2006 Share Posted October 11, 2006 (edited) Sorry double post.. Edited October 11, 2006 by jimmy07 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Chicoartist Posted October 11, 2006 Author Share Posted October 11, 2006 . . . Just curious how you are going on 'debden take off' havn't heard much on it lately. Thx ... these days I always have two or three projects cooking, with at least a few more simmering on the back burners. That's not because I enjoy chaos (quite the opposite), but other factors like paint drying times, and 'fixation' on one project for too long will turn my brain to jelly! So, I try and make significant progress on one, then after reaching a good stopping point, I'll turn to another. Another time I'll devote a few days to research only, making notes for future reference. All this 'switching' around is usually done in the prep stages of the various pieces. However, once I've begun actually painting the airplanes, I'll work on that canvas until it's finished. For example - you mention the Debden piece, which I now call "Ramrod to Schweinfurt". I spent quite a while laying out the perspective projection of that one, and then I did the two visible C-hangars by hand. That took a lot out of me, and it just so happened that the P-38 piece (at the top of this thread) background was coming up on the 30 day+ time period for drying, so, being ready for a change, I jumped on the P-38, which I should finish next week, BTW. After the P-38 piece is finished next week, I'll jump right on a small 11 x 14 P-51 companion oil to "Ramrod". I already have the background finished, and will "insert" the airplane when I'm finished with the P-38s. It just so happens that the background for the small companion oil has been drying for about a month. It's like spinning plates on sticks - when one hasn't received attention for a while, it's time to go back and spin it some more! Wade Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Chicoartist Posted October 11, 2006 Author Share Posted October 11, 2006 Here's a couple of quick snaps from this morning before I commenced work. I hope to have the entire main P-38, less the cockpit area, finished today. I'll begin the cockpit tomorrow and will wrap that up next week when we return from vacation. The two smaller P-38s will be completed after that. Wade Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Chicoartist Posted October 18, 2006 Author Share Posted October 18, 2006 Should be finished with this painting tomorrow. A little bit of work left to do on the main P-38, then 'relax' mode as I complete the two smaller Lightnings. This one has been fun . . . Corsairs next! I'll take it outside and take better pics maybe this weekend (much better lighting than inside this studio for hand-held photography). After a bit of drying, I'll scan it for archival purposes. Wade Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BAM'n'IVM Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 Hey Wade, what do you scan your work with? Do you have to take it somewhere to be scanned? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
pozsgay Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 Great! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Chicoartist Posted October 18, 2006 Author Share Posted October 18, 2006 Hey Wade, what do you scan your work with? Do you have to take it somewhere to be scanned? Just to clarify, all the images you've seen on this thread have been handheld using a I am a spammer....please report this post. 20D. For archival purposes, after the paint is reasonably dry I have been using an "Epson Perfection 4990 Photo" flatbed scanner to get the best images. Due to the size of the glass, I have used up to 7 sectional scans for some paintings. I then stitch them together in PhotoShop. That's worked well, but it takes a while. When this P-38 is done, I'm going to investigate getting somebody local to scan my paintings in. Hopefully I'll find somebody with one of those 36" or bigger units. The goal is to get a good scan without paying too much. Wade Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BAM'n'IVM Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 Cool, thanks - I was wondering since your work is larger than any flatbed scanner I've seen at CompUSA... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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