Fw 190 (JG 1) painting update ...

[chicoartist]

Hey guys,

A couple of update pictures.





Wade

[WEISNER]

Looking good Wade, I think it is neet to see art in progress, Keep up the good work and also share more of this work as in progress of you would?
Kevin

[Rob Romero]

TOCH!!!

[Pilot]

Look very nice and of interest is the orange as background color

[chicoartist]

Originally Posted by Pilot

Look very nice and of interest is the orange as background color

Thx all ... that "orange" is a light acrylic wash of Burnt Sienna. The theory is that it lends a "warmth" to the overlying colors, but I don't know, since my style is to overpaint in opaques. I can see how it would influence more transparent layering styles, though.

I've decided that from now on I'm just going to use the plain old white of the gesso-primed surface!

Wade

[Pilot]

Hi Wade,

this is nice background from my point of view. I work complete different- I paint full background and then work object on it. Today I have just start new art with the Fokker Dr.I in flight, continue with Fokker D.XXI and next day will start with Fokker D.VII. In some reason all Fokkers and all in oils.

Best of your art is the influence of the old tradition of impressionism which gives full feeling of the atmosphere in the object you paint. Really nice dynamics and composition in your art.

Thank you for this last update and keep on good art

[chicoartist]

Originally Posted by Pilot

Hi Wade,

this is nice background from my point of view. I work complete different- I paint full background and then work object on it.

I've done that, too. I've painted the entire scene sans airplane a couple of times, and it works great. Problem is with oils you have to wait a few weeks before adding the aircraft, though!

Originally Posted by Pilot

. . . Best of your art is the influence of the old tradition of impressionism which gives full feeling of the atmosphere in the object you paint. Really nice dynamics and composition in your art.

Thanks! I do try to "infuse" the ambient atmosphere surrounding the aircraft "into" the surfaces as I paint, depending on the sun's lighting and the acute angle between the "planes" of the aircraft surface(s) and the viewer's eye.

Each surface "plane", especially with an aircraft at altitude, will take on a "mirror" effect, reflecting the light behind the viewer, above the viewer, or what have you. Even with dull, matt paint jobs, you'll still get "atmosphere" bouncing around the surfaces of the aircraft. This effect is seen to full effect if the aircraft is backlit. Wonderful for artists, but confusing for photography.

Unlike the magical human eye, the camera, post-production PhotoShop nothwithstanding, can't properly compensate for the full spectrum of light and shadow at the same time. Shoot for the darks, and you blow out the lights, right? The artist (or photographer later in PhotoShop - like Ansel Adams did with his darkroom magic) can show both a full tonal range of lights and darks at the same time . . .

. . . and that's what I try to do with my art.

Wade

[Leo Etgen]

Hi Wade and everybody

Great artwork! This is a great piece of artwork and the Fw 190s of I./JG 1 were among the most colorful Luftwaffe fighters. Just one nitpick if I may, though... I am nearly 100% sure that Schott's Fw 190 A-6 "White 11" (W.Nr. 550 476) did not have the outer wing bulges for the MK 108 30-mm cannon. These were fitted only later on the A-7/R2 and standardized on the A-8. I hope that other, more knowledgeable persons will comment. The only reason I bring this up is with such nice artwork Wade I am sure that you would want it to be as accurate as possible. Keep up the great work!

Horrido!

Leo

[Pilot]

Problem is with oils you have to wait a few weeks before adding the aircraft, though!

This is the fact. Even if you use fast drying thinner situation is the same. In other hand you can start few paintings and let them dry in various stage. But then is maybe problem with space... today I have made one drying box for this purpose.

Thank you for reply Wade

[chicoartist]

Originally Posted by Leo Etgen

. . . Schott's Fw 190 A-6 "White 11" (W.Nr. 550 476) did not have the outer wing bulges for the MK 108 30-mm cannon.

Schott's 190 A-6 carried the MG 151 20mm cannon in the outer wings, same as the inner wing units, and those cannon did require the bulges. A quick scan of my refs shows several A-6 references showing the bulges in the outer wings.

Originally Posted by Leo Etgen

. . . The only reason I bring this up is with such nice artwork Wade I am sure that you would want it to be as accurate as possible.

What I do is use credible sources, and cross-reference them with each other for all possible details. Human error will creep in, and I don't mean to imply it's a zero-sum game, but at the final bell, artistic quality far outweighs rivet-counting. What I mean is that perfect historical accuracy (does that exist?) won't save a POS painting! So, I count heavily on the refs to guide me, than I put them aside and worry about the art.

Wade