Does a Painting OF a jacket count for this section?

[DiamondDave]

Gents,

In my down time, I have decided once again to try my hand at Oil painting. As such, I grabbed an image from an airshow that I really liked and set to painting it... The painting is entitled "Lucky Strike" and is an 18x24 Oil on Linen. The subject in question is slightly larger than life and I am very pleased with how it is coming along.

Anyway, here are a few "progress" shots of the project. I have about 30 hours in the painting up to this point.

First: The Sketch

After some machinations, I decided to change the layout and do something different with the background... early sketch showed a soft focus P51 prop, but I decided to add the cigarette and wanted to blend in a smoke effect... this worked better if he were next to a P51 instead.

Finishing pics later today.

DD

 

[Anonymous]

Beautiful work, looks more like air brush, perfect.

 

[dujardin]

nice workkkkkkkk

i envy such talent

congrats

 

[DiamondDave]

91st,

Thank you sir... It really is just cheapy acrylic brushes... which incidentally are falling the fuck apart at this point!


Dujardin,

I thank you sir.... I have finally become an artist.... I used to say "Art is what you do when you can't do music" because I have no musical talents AT ALL! But now I own that being an artist has its appeal as well.

DD

 

[Andrew]

Really great drawing and painting skills on display there Dave, interesting subject too.

Not that you need it but my only suggestion is that I hadn't realized the smoke was from your pilot and now I see it I think i'd rather see the plane. Just looks a little extreme.

The level of detail is great though, not too much.

 

[grommet]

Dave,

Very nice work. Obviously you have talent and have put some serious time into learning the ropes. I like the jacket especially.

I agree with Andrew about the smoke; I would make it a bit more subtle.

I used to be a musician until I screwed up my hand, then I switched to watercolor. (I posted a few plane related pictures here.) Although playing music was more of a thrill, the great thing about art is that people actually ask to see what you are working on. When I was recording I had to force people to sit and listen.

I hope the oxygen is turned off.

 

[PaulGT3]

Dave, I used to paint alot. I was really starting to haul in some cash with wildlife. I learned with my teacher
mainly doing portraits, and one of the things she always used to tell us that the Human hand is the hardest
thing to replicate even more so than the face.
The hands on your painting was the first thing I looked at and they are VERY VERY good. Congrats to you!!
If this is something you just started again, I would say your talent didnt take a very deep vacation!!
I love what you did. I got away from oil because I hated to wait for the stuff to draw. I have the 525 pastel
set from Sennelier and I would have loved to do the portrait you chose. Nice composition too.
Very nice.

 

[atkins]

:shock: beautiful work ,Master DD!

 

[DiamondDave]

Gents,

I agree... the smoke is a bit "Strong".... I am looking into how to tone it down a bit.

As to the painting part.... I actually use a "heat set" oil paint that I discovered a few years ago. Dried with a heat gun and reaching 175 degrees, the paint can be dried at whatever stage one sees fit to dry it! Thus you can get all of the richness of oils without the bother of drying time.

Paul,

YES hands are SO HARD to paint and make look right. This was actually the challenge with this piece, I, for years strayed away from hands and even made excuses for them to be concealed in some way, so I did not have to paint them. This time, I just decided to hell with it.. and did them fast and loose.


DD

 

[DiamondDave]

FIN! Image completed!!!

Roughly 40 hours total in painting time.

Oh YES... and for you
A-2 fans out there... the jacket in question is a 27798 by JA Dubow. Not sure if the "purple" knits
show through in my photos but it is clear in the presence of the painting.

 

[Anonymous]

FANTASTIC

 

[PaulGT3]

The only thing I see since someone mentioned the smoke from the pilot is there could
be a tinge of smoke from the cigarette itself. I am no expert, I dont smoke myself.
I guess it doesnt tinge red unless being puffed? the rest is brilliant.

 

[deand]

That's just wonderful! Very well presented and deftly rendered!




dean

 

[art of a2]

That's just wonderful! Very well presented and deftly rendered!




dean

Just superb..It has the style of 40's art too. Very well done..

 

[jbmilart]

This is the type of artwork that "Aviation Artists" get a lot of money for!... Dave... take your artwork to a reputable aviation art dealer and see what they say... Might even suggest to get some prints made and try to sell them on the open market. Submit your artwork to the "Society of Aviation Artist Association" and become a member... These guys can teach and direct you to a higher level of this type of art! I think your work is that good... take this to the next level Buddy!

Jim

 

[art of a2]

This is the type of artwork that "Aviation Artists" get a lot of money for!... Dave... take your artwork to a reputable aviation art dealer and see what they say... Might even suggest to get some prints made and try to sell them on the open market. Submit your artwork to the "Society of Aviation Artist Association" and become a member... These guys can teach and direct you to a higher level of this type of art! I think your work is that good... take this to the next level Buddy!

Jim

I think he already has!!