Warbird Artists?
Latosha Washington
WWII aircraft oil paintings?
I'd be interested in looking at some of the best artwork.
Thanks.
Jon Blackheart
As an artist myself I can tell you with absolute certainty that "who"
you might consider the "best artist for military aviation art in oils"
may NOT be to someone else no matter what public opinion may be nor the
reviews the artist has received for his/her work.
I have two highly prized military aviation paintings that were
commissioned and cost me a large sum of money.
Who was the artist, someone known for specializing in military aviation
art?
No sir, he was my fellow art student Kenneth B******** and his
paintings which cost me several hundred dollars each are now insured at
over $2,000 a piece. (I have omitted most of his surname so as not to
have anyone research my art- sorry).
That might not seem like a lot to you but for a struggling artist like
myself who does a lot of pencils, inks, colors, charcoals, oils, and
even cardboard painting... it was a lot to invest at the time.
I have seen many fantastic pieces of aviation art online and in
galleries, but I am satisfied with the art I have since it is OOAK.
My military aviation paintings "Thunder Strike" and "Ye Olde Black
Bess" have had offers for up to $2k each but I'll never sell them, even
if I was starving to death. They are invaluable and to my knowledge no
other artist has done the two aircraft I had depicted.
If you like a certain aircraft and can find a good artist I would go
with commissioned work.
The work is so much more rewarding knowing you had this art made just
for you and not for just anyone.
Try to find rare or virtually unknown aircraft as well, because if a
famous artist does not know about such aircraft he/she can't paint
them; hence, OOAK artworks that only increase in value. If the artwork
is good and the artist becomes famous that will increase the painting's
value, but more so if the artist remains obscure and the art OOAK.
No famous artist I know of can reproduce my two aircraft, that's why I
never post them online and do not allow visitors nor friends to take
photos of them in my home. The photos I have of them are locked in a
safety box, not in my photo albums. I also would never invite a famous
artist into my home with those paintings on the wall for fear of
reproduction.
One time a few years back I had to go by ambulance to the hospital and
an aviation fan who was an EMT marveled at "Ye Olde Black Bess". He
apparently was a huge Mustang fan and his jaw dropped when he saw the
Black Bess. He asked what kind of British aircraft that was but I
refused to tell him. He then asked me if it would better a Mustang in
combat, what type of engine it had, and how fast it could go. When I
told him he said, "That's impossible" and I laughed and asked him if he
knew the legend of the real "Black Bess". He said No so I told him to
look it up.
The guy took my home phone number from my medical info sheet at the
hospital and called me at home a week later with an offer of $1,000
cash to buy the painting!!! I told him I would never sell it and he was
very disappointed. That scared me more than the hospital visit.
So, I would advise commissioned work and OOAK aircraft. Immediately get
insurance on it too!
Regards and best luck,
Jon
Latosha Washington
Now, if for the mean time, I wanted to peruse some posters or lithos of some
of the more respected artists, would you recommend a few names? Or no?
"Jon Blackheart" <B44Th...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1144656791.6...@i39g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
Ed Rasimus
wrote:
There are a lot of folks who have done some great work on WWII
aircraft, simply google "WWII aircraft art" and I'm sure you'll find
many. Or, vist the USAF art collection
(http://www.afapo.hq.af.mil/Presentation/main/Index.cfm) and you can
research by aircraft type or artist (they are listed alphbetically--so
if you see a style or aircraft painting you like you can then go to
the entire collection by that artist.)
One of my favorites who has done some WW II work as well as Vietnam,
Korea and recent, is Keith Ferris. Keith did some great F-105 and F-4
pictures and was kind enough to let me use one of them for the cover
of "When Thunder Rolled"--even to the point of allowing us to
Photoshop the tail codes off of the airplanes to make it more
authentic for the period the book covers.
Ferris' work is characterized by depicting actual events. He
researches the aircraft, tail number, crew, mission, day/time, etc.
When you view a Ferris painting you see the proper orientation,
landscape, sun angles, etc. It's pretty incredible work. One of his
most famous paintings is a B-17 mural that is on the wall at
Smithsonian Air & Space Museum.
Ed Rasimus
Fighter Pilot (USAF-Ret)
"When Thunder Rolled"
www.thunderchief.org
www.thundertales.blogspot.com
Jon Blackheart
Latosha Washington wrote:
> Thanks Jon, good points.
>
> Now, if for the mean time, I wanted to peruse some posters or lithos of some
> of the more respected artists, would you recommend a few names? Or no?
I'm sorry, I didn't notice your name when I replied so I hope you'll
forgive me if you are female.
To answer your requestion, why don't you first try to locate a gallery
in your own area that may specialize in military aviation art? Try
Googling "military aviation art, (your city,state) and see what pops
up. If nothing, then just try the state. I'm sure you will find many
hits.
You can also punch in the topic "military aviation artists" or "art"
and see what shows up.
I personally either generate my own art or buy on commission, so I am
not into prints.
Mind you, there a legions of artists that do various forms of military
artwork.
What aircraft are you particularly looking for, if you don't mind me
asking? You must have some idea of what you want to see on your walls.
If there is a specific battle scene you might want to ask an artist
that has painted your aircraft if he does commission work and describe
what you want to see.
For my works I did the initial artwork and then asked a better artist
to refine and define it according to my detailed desciption. They came
out fantastic!
I wish you all the luck in the world,
Jon
"Art is more than just creativity brought to life, it IS life"
Cub Driver
>Anyone know which artists are considered top of the game when it comes to
>WWII aircraft oil paintings?
>
>I'd be interested in looking at some of the best artwork.
There was a book published last year (possibly 2004) that gave a
selection from all wars. The one that blew my socks off was a Sam
Lyons painting of one Huey returning from a mission in Vietnam, as
seen from the cabin of a second Huey.
I have a selection of my favorite Lyons prints at
www.warbirdforum.com/lyonsmil.htm
-- all the best, Dan Ford
email: usenet AT danford DOT net
Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
In Search of Lost Time: www.readingproust.com
Jon Blackheart
Interesting title... "When Thunder Rolled".
I too am a fan of Thunder aircraft, but I'm not speaking of the F-105
;)
Regards,
Jon