Vera Voulik Leather Artworks

[ausreenactor]

Great job!

Looks awesome. Strap yourself in... will be one jacket after another for a while.

 

[Spitfireace]

Are you using acrylic or enamel paint? I know as an artist acrylic is much easier to use as it is waterbased. You don't need to use thinner etc. Originally they used enamel as that is what they had on hand (aircraft paint or even house paint). Acrylics weren't introduced until the 1950's, but that doesn't detract from a reproduction jacket. It's just much easier to use.

 

[VeraVoulik]

Are you using acrylic or enamel paint? I know as an artist acrylic is much easier to use as it is waterbased. You don't need to use thinner etc. Originally they used enamel as that is what they had on hand (aircraft paint or even house paint). Acrylics weren't introduced until the 1950's, but that doesn't detract from a reproduction jacket. It's just much easier to use.

I mainly use acrylics as it is far more easier to use nowadays and it stays better on leather, some brands are very high quality. I also use enamels when it's specifically asked. Some of my paints are a mix of both style.

On 'Lady from Hades', I used acrylics for skin and stockings but the specific red (for dress and lettering) is enamel paint, far more brighter.

On 'Paper Dream', the specific askings was pastel color, there acrylics are best choice to do it.

To finish, most people think the original paintings are naive cause artists weren't good, it is a wromg idea: most of them were very good but they didn't have proper brushes and painting they have were far more difficult to use!

 

[Spitfireace]

I never really thought about using both paints together. That's a novelty. I thought it was either one or the other, but you can do both, why not? Also we remember that the enamel paint cracked on the original jackets and that is the way enamel goes. So ya, acrylic will not crack, not age.

 

[VeraVoulik]

I never really thought about using both paints together. That's a novelty. I thought it was either one or the other, but you can do both, why not? Also we remember that the enamel paint cracked on the original jackets and that is the way enamel goes. So ya, acrylic will not crack, not age.

One way to prevent crackings is to make a white acrylic layer first on the whole paint area. Your enamels, properly thinned, will be far more durable

 

[Spitfireace]

The originals paint cracked so that is what makes them look as they do. No other jackets look like that. The flaking paint is patina that can't be reproduced. That's not a putdown of what you are doing, just an observation about artwork on jackets.

 

[VeraVoulik]

The originals paint cracked so that is what makes them look as they do. No other jackets look like that. The flaking paint is patina that can't be reproduced. That's not a putdown of what you are doing, just an observation about artwork on jackets.

For sure, but people asking for jacket art nowadays prefer to have something which resist better than original ones. I also make patina when asked but, truly, I use to advice not to do so to customers.

 

[Spitfireace]

How do you age the paint? Hairdryer?

 

[VeraVoulik]

How do you age the paint? Hairdryer?

God no! I use liquid oil paint 'juice' (sorry don't know if it's the corect word in english), light color dry bushes and colored waxes.

 

[Spitfireace]

Here's something I painted. I don't do figures. This is my one and only leather patch painting so far. I think it turned ok.

 

[Kermit3D]

I mainly use acrylics as it is far more easier to use nowadays and it stays better on leather, some brands are very high quality. I also use enamels when it's specifically asked. Some of my paints are a mix of both style.

On 'Lady from Hades', I used acrylics for skin and stockings but the specific red (for dress and lettering) is enamel paint, far more brighter.

On 'Paper Dream', the specific askings was pastel color, there acrylics are best choice to do it.

To finish, most people think the original paintings are naive cause artists weren't good, it is a wromg idea: most of them were very good but they didn't have proper brushes and painting they have were far more difficult to use!



View attachment 66307

View attachment 66308

Very nice work ! This is some of most beautiful paintings I've seen on a jacket. You did really well on the faces, and I know how hard it is.
I especially like the rendering of the "coat".

I would love to try to paint a jacket one day... I draw a little too, but it requires a very particular technique that I don't master.

 

[leper-colony]

To finish, most people think the original paintings are naive cause artists weren't good, it is a wromg idea: most of them were very good but they didn't have proper brushes and painting they have were far more difficult to use!

A friend was a radio man in the 7th AF and painted nose art on multiple aircraft. As they hopped across the Pacific, he favored boar bristles (from the rear- lol), collected in the wild, and made brushes from that.

 

[VeraVoulik]

Here's something I painted. I don't do figures. This is my one and only leather patch painting so far. I think it turned ok.View attachment 66316

Not the same but it reminds me this:

 

[VeraVoulik]

Working on an ELC Rough Wear B-3, 100th BG. Picture shows patches on an A-2 and on the B-3. Customer wanted a worn style on the B-3. I'm working on the back's artwork now

 

[VeraVoulik]

New US customer's commission work is about to begin on a Type A-2 jacket, which will first have a standard cleaning. This artwork will include a reconnaissance P-38 in the sky, 9th AF sleeve insignia and a leather patch from 34th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron, 10th PRG.

 

[VeraVoulik]

Ending the p-38 on this a-2's back.

Soon adding 9th AF sleeve insignia and painted patch.

 

[Flightengineer]

Great job, but I'd like to fix the star on the wing badge a bit

 

[flyincowboy]

Nice as usual Vera you have done a very good job with this P38.

 

[VeraVoulik]

Began the work on the patch for the p-38's jacket.

 

[Cocker]

@VeraVoulik do you know why the owner decided to opt for a text in French and not something in english to stay with the theme? any historical background to it, maybe?

P.S.: I see that you're using Greg Pons' amazing article from the Fana as a reference . He's a gold mine of information on the subject!