From this (for direct comparison) ...
After one aborted attempt, I reset the DG and am now much happier with the "direction" this one is taking.
The background of the first (6-inches wide) color study was in a dominant lower key, to help "pop" the Corsair, but I just didn't like it (I'm trying to be the best Wade Meyers, not the second-best Bill Phillips!), so I grabbed a 9 x 12 canvas panel I had primed a while back, used the 9" side as the width, and cut off the "height" at the same aspect ratio as the final planned 24 x 32 canvas.
This study is 6.75 x 9 inches, oil on panel. I'm counting on the red surrounds to the national insignia (and the red prop hub) to add a bit of color. Notice that the wing insignia is sans red surround. I'm going to let the paint dry a wee bit before I smear some red in there.
The final art will have both canopies OPEN (I think). I hope to get a bit of "driver" in there with his sleeves wind-whipped.
It's tough for me to do, but these smallest of studies are part of the "weeding-out" process - thank goodness I didn't invest much time in the original (aborted) oil study - best to figure things out before I'm too committed . . . thus, the emphasis here is on basic color and value - not detail. The best way to avoid getting too involved with detail is to make them quite small:
Wade