Another 'Elite' A-2 from ELC...

[Roughwear]

One of the members here, Robin (Art of the a2) does jacket painting. He might be a possible candidate for you.

 

[B-Man2]

At todays conversion rate that's $2,235.00 US dollars for a repro. Seems that an original A2 from any contract would be a better deal if you could find one in decent condition.


_______________________________
B-Man2

 

[Rutger]

so where to get the paintings for 429 ???

Send me a jacket, 429 GBP and I'll take care of the rest.
Perfect indistinguishable original vintage replica WWII bomber jacket top gun style.

http://www.rockartiststudios.co.uk/1950 ... -894-p.asp

Seriously though, just my guess, never looked into it.
Painted patch about 80 GBP or so, four times that if on the back and maybe another 80 to be on the safe side.

I did find someone, but I have no idea if it is true to original paintwork.
It says handpainted, but I can't say if it's made with brushes or if that also includes hand held airbrush.
http://www.peters-group.com/jacket_art_prices.htm

Try and ask Roberto over here at VLJ, he does patches, and CBI as well, no idea if they do back art, but no harm in asking.
a2jacketpatches only does patches I think?

 

[a2jacketpatches]

At one time I painted jackets using combination airbrush and paintbrush. The airbrush made things a lot quicker for me as I was able to do the shading quickly and easily. Lots of negative comments concerning the airbrush part, as if it was a magic wand or something, that it was too this or too that. It was faster and easier for me because I can actually use it effectively after many years self training. I can hand paint equally well with hand brushes in oils or acrylics but it takes up much more time as you can see by the typical high prices that reflect that fact. Also, painting on an expensive jacket is a very tedious and almost scary thing to do unlike a 50- canvas. Another factor would be that unexpected issues turn up all the time as different leathers react in crazy ways. I once did some nose art on an early avirex A-2 that peeled off like a sticker after at least 48 hours of work, lucky I owned that one and was doing it for fun.

So I guess what I'm saying here is......These guys and gals deserve every nickle they get for their art, and if they are very good but don't charge enough, they are probably having problems as some of you may know waiting years for a great paint job that was cost effective, still waiting? Once in a while I have to justify my hourly painting rate of roughly 60- an hour, so I compare myself to an auto mechanic at 75- an hour, you can find a hundred of them in any phone book.

That new elite jacket is one fine example of jacket art, and in my opinion, one step above most considering how the painter got it to wear accurately. It took a keen knowledge of his materials to make it work the way it does. I know that from experience.

Not trying to bust anyones chops here, but trust me please when I say, unless you actually paint multi-medea, you have no idea what it takes. This jacket looks the part, and it is not your typical acrylic paint job. This is a simple design and the cost would be ridiculous IF.......It didn't look as perfect as it does. My guess is that it was done with oils, carefully distressed, and then frozen in time so not to age anymore. I'd charge the same or pass up the job.

 

[Andreart]

i'm no expert, for sure, but the theater jackets i've seen look to be painted with whatever they had around. some look very artistic, some look as though a third grader did it. the repro paint jobs look way too good, a little wet sanding and its "time worn" BULLSH*T. we also have to remenber that in the 40's, the paint they had was VERY different to what.s available today. Most of the chemicals the paint was made from are illegal today, as well may be the tanning chemicals for the hides of the jacket. this all makes a huge difference in how the final product will look and react (also why they are still here 70 yrs later). we sometimes forget that at the time, the a-2 was an issued jacket, prized yes, but it didn't cost a weeks pay or more to get a new one if it got fu*ked up. I cant say why they did it, but it is a cool as hell topic. BTW, they didn't have air brushes in 1944. thats my 2 seconds worth. I'm thinkin if i want a real nice period paint job, i'll let my 8 yr old do it. , ok maybe not.

 

[leper-colony]

They could be considered to have been around as early as 1876:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbrush
http://www.airbrushmuseum.com/airbrush_ ... meline.htm

 

[a2jacketpatches]

i'm no expert, for sure, but the theater jackets i've seen look to be painted with whatever they had around. some look very artistic, some look as though a third grader did it. the repro paint jobs look way too good, a little wet sanding and its "time worn" BULLSH*T. we forget that at the time, the a-2 was an issues jacket, prized yes, but it didn't cost a weeks pay, thats why, for one reason it was a canvas. I cant say why they did it, but it is a cool as hell topic. BTW, they didnt have air brushes in 1944. thats my 2 seconds worth.

True, whatever they had around, most likely oil paint, I knew a jacket artist from the 401st Bomb Group personally who said to me "what else?" Oil Paint widely available anywhere in Europe forever ago. Acrylics, were not for sure, and wet sanded acrylics look like wet sanded acrylics. ELC's UMBRIAGO looks authentic, no question, not wet sanded, that would wear the high points, obviously.

False, airbrushes were around long before 1944, not used on flight jackets, but in existence. I was just saying how I used it to make things quicker and it was my way of making a job worth doing and cost effective for my customer. Again, I can paint as good as you'd like or as simple as you'd like, by hand, or airbrush, whatever. The point is that unless you walk the walk, you can't really talk the talk.

BTW, I speak of modern repros (weeks pay) as not just a 50- canvas, justifying only one of the factors of why repro artists charge what they do.

Also, oil paint formula has change little over the years, you can still buy lead white, I just wouldn't paint your walls with it.

 

[Rutger]

Ok, all points quickly viewed (maybe too quickly, but stressed up with work today).

So how much would I be paying for a decent back painting similar to that from ELC ?

Is my guess of about 380 GBP one that would make both the owner happy and the painter satisfied?

 

[a2jacketpatches]

http://www.peters-group.com/jacket_art_prices.htm
This guy has been around for years, outstanding artist, hand painted with paint brush, acrylic paint.

Acrylic paint is essentially liquid plastic, the only way to even remotely resemble ELC's time worn look using this paint, is to mix a color similar to the base leather, thin it down and let it seep into the texture to dry. But then you have also tinted the original colors, and it looks like exactly what it is, an acrylic color wash over acrylic paint. You could wet sand it after, and it would look like an acrylic painting with an acrylic wash after rolling around in a parking lot.

I'm experimenting with vintage oil paints to get the same look ELC has accomplished, still can't get it just right but I will. Once I get it figured out, Ebay and my new web site will offer painted patches as authentic reproductions using the same materials as an original period piece. After all, linseed oil and age old pigment is and has been the same basic formula for centuries. They'll have to cost quite a bit more than my past acrylic painted patches because the process is complicated. I probably won't offer this technique as direct painted jacket art due to the risk involved using such expensive canvas.

 

[a2jacketpatches]

Ok, all points quickly viewed (maybe too quickly, but stressed up with work today).

So how much would I be paying for a decent back painting similar to that from ELC ?

Is my guess of about 380 GBP one that would make both the owner happy and the painter satisfied?

Personally, I'd pass right now because I haven't got the technique down yet to where I could guarantee the integrity of the artwork, unless it was a simple job done in acrylics, and artificially aged using the very limited techniques with this plastic paint. The design is very simple but even with acrylic, you have to be very careful. I guess about a full 8 hour day at 60 bucks an hour.