This painting was
quite an involved project. I began with a concept of two SAAF Gripen flying
over the Swartberg Pass in the South African Swartberg Mountains. My inspiration
came from experiencing a pair of these aircraft low flying over the area whilst
I was out walking at a place called Groenfontein.
I had taken a photograph
from the top of the pass so had a backdrop from a fair height looking south. For
the aircraft image, I used my Airfix 1:72 scale model of a SAAB Gripen. I
placed it in different poses on a flat surface, and photographed it with a
digital camera.
Composition
These photographs (Image 1) were
then rather crudely combined using Microsoft PowerPoint. The resulting image /
slide was saved as a jpg format file and posted in the Aviation Art forum on
Wet Canvas. This has proved to be a fairly reliable and constructive source of
advice on matters relating to aviation and art. I have used it for several
years and like it.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOiiZGTcuVd3RqGO3hPtp-EoGPB-qiEl5MLck18HpF9kjEzV7O1JkYBjCNB3uHRoKxjAxDaRc5BYVNkQvH8-pw8S5RbaLLxRe2k9nOs7AjoIfFlcF9l2tViDYO3vcVpJ1Vmwuf9xw6wLg/w640-h360/1+Gripen+mock+up+02977small.jpg) |
Image 1 - Airfix model mock up |
One member of the
forum advised me to use a free software package called ’Sketchup’; it has a
library of three dimensional models of most aircraft which can be positioned
and posed easily in a virtual space. I did this and then placed the resulting
images into my PowerPoint background and posed a selection of compositions on
the Wet Canvas forum for additional ideas and criticism (Image 2).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLnvLGZnlQIGoT5WcdTrLvdRCGktiPUuLTbOtwKhhDRSgv_eUc1Gtg9bq_GRGYaMu8f9LAmcFYGxNgOP75vHEanXsksqc30nEwA5L8q6Ad2hVOw5ogHQLGcjrz8j_MN4owCZgqo-1l4OY/w640-h480/2+Gripen+thumbnails+v6.jpg) |
Image 2 - Thumbnails of Sketchup composition |
From these ideas and
with some ‘votes’ from the forum members I selected version two as the basis
for the eventual painting.
Artwork development
I usually start my
artwork with pencil drawings. I find this provides me with a feel for how much tonal
range I need to use to give the feeling of depth to an image. I am basically
creating atmospheric perspective. The drawing process also assists me in
becoming familiar with the shape and salient features of the subject (Image 3).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwL1xCNWk06n_5hfyk8KSCS8Afl24gfQD1PJ9tu4n_x-c3_x5ttyPRi195hsBXHV_ItJ0kgB2lpb6O-U-u2Zb14mpnqjiBVKYFW8RhiGkr7C8GGc6rruON3s9Hvd9tFJkdgy7TLlh4GkE/w640-h416/3+A4+initial+drawing+small.jpg) |
Image 3 - Initial A4 drawings |
Once I was happy with
the pencil drawings, the ones above were an A4 initial sketch. I worked from
them on A3 paper to re draw them in more detail.
Watercolour work
Following the drawing
stage I moved to the colour decision process. I restored an airbrush and
compressor arrangement that has languished in my cupboard for many years and
used it to create a background wash. Onto this wash I then painted the two
aircraft (Image 4).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzDeaS0zQ-462kt3tSW7U1ACXNNV5WLBS2WXGuIfuQyRDK63v21Sy9fO-wPrl71Cecw0E2v2o2d-aCpY9_IcbvIi36Vv7aYMxeCWnopMSnQT6nbjIrrrw20mBLof9ea7crpTNJVxT_OZ0/w640-h466/4+Gripen+watercolour+small++2634.jpg) |
Image 4 - Watercolour study |
I can’t say I was
particularly happy with the result as a piece of art in its own right. But felt
it served its purpose. How wrong I was!
My main reason for
producing a watercolour in one of these projects is to create a full colour
idea of what the final painting will look like. It tells me what colours to use
and where they may clash. Except in this case I did not pay enough attention to
the small issue of aircraft camouflage!
The oil painting
The process I am
describing started in August 2020, by the time I started on the Oil painting
proper it was October.
I outlined my composition
and created a Burnt Umber under painting of the aircraft, then worked over this
with Payne’s Grey. After that I glazed in some hues that I thought would serve
as the basis for the landscape behind the aircraft.
I then painted over
the aircraft in a colour mix that more closely met the colours visible on
photographs of the real aircraft in service with the SAAF. This is where I
began to see a problem. The SAAF colour scheme is designed to make the aircraft
fade into the haze of distant clouds or landscapes (Image 5).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8m5Z6vqWtbKXf_L8j7ewfxOU5ojcWC9mflYMFb_Rqn2tGs6RNZ5ABBzNxI2HoncrdhTm6Af0wjw5F4ILc0fRAnnUJRwR8RBMrMDqd_Cn1LzQXbKWFcUCe8RaNpe23uz-J-orTaCQVGPQ/w640-h422/5+small+Gripen+201111+PS+4554.jpg) |
Image 5 - Initial oil painting |
I decided at this
point that the landscape had to be darker than the aircraft so that they would
stand out. So I duly spent some ‘happy time’ rendering a suitably realistic
landscape behind the aircraft (Image 6).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMKBSdmdYWtR9dgtxAIm8HTz_TbsWyFQKb-HZvAMUfgObwLWjOwexwAGTwrGzitR5u7bzyfCt6UzxDG4XXZww9EoTul7Rjdxa-94z8rFJ0dI6pB7OdNzYIQbktkaZIwIttFr-zoFjXC4/w640-h420/6+small+Gripen+PS+201125++4687.jpg) |
Image 6 - Adjusted painting with landscape completed |
This looked quite
hopeful until I converted the image to greyscale. I could see tone was an issue
and any ideas of glazing in a distant haze would also allow the aircraft to
blend in! (Image 7)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUYIJtoBajkmjRCiSCNDBRkNQ2lbXQedPdHWnIF6WrwJZcb5rcGKHlHWLNlAhZG2U0mUndC9aetkP6dmJkwOTqnMIyZoru2RKZHmyjSMCIPlMncLRGymkGcdOCxRJyX-O1sONIT0jas00/w640-h420/7+small+Greyscale+Gripen+PS+201125+4687.jpg) |
Image 7 - Greyscale of adjusted painting |
As a result I worked
this version over with some Umber to darken the background and ‘cool it down’
so it would recede (Image 8).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgidtDsFZE8sfEdTxigPm3qAvYv-1vaTWskWNXORi6OntGUaXoeUNSYuIMDMsdOLYRXt7IlHbZPplhu9GdSN2JiyWeat8vxnV629LR_KXqEXGUiI4i75lHo4fLbpJLy_hVAeZY8tfkc02I/w640-h420/8+small+SAAF+Gripen+210420+6323.jpg) |
Image 8 - Landscape with Umber glaze |
This worked though I
lost some of my lovely landscape details. With the addition of some contrails I
did manage to gain a feel for movement and speed in the image. Many aviation
paintings depict the aircraft in perfect focus and detail which makes the
machine hang motionless in the air.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkVkxFlFbWUI1kg0Elt8JkyMsWoUTgb5-NF8HeHAlv9JxfNf4jmpuYVeg8VmNzuDG0nuHlpJxfM83AAChyphenhyphenfbl2AqGWelj5J7RAe-EB5uFugl4OCXLmjzU2SZ-Nm3-NYpExyhLqMPyur3g/w640-h420/9+small+SAAF+Gripen+monochrome+6323.JPG) |
Image 9 Greyscale image of Umber glaze |
A monochrome version
of the image revealed that the tonal range, plus the contrast with the
landscape, now brought the aircraft into the foreground (Image 9).
My final step was to
complete the detailing of the aircraft and enhance the contrails to strengthen the
feel for speed (Image 10).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghleEpDnNmN6bIJWlw4VlNJPFOZ09Pkt5aJy8vK12LACpXzVQAApDRLMuaUOrOtPfzR9s0mb2ssN60CSd9D9WXtLDPhcR0v2KePCti70fS1dblSHC-qUg-sEEbL2-FPEUofhV099IeUNU/w640-h416/10+small+SAAF+Gripen+PS+6426.jpg) |
Image 10 - Final painting / artwork |
Winsor & Newton Artisan
(water mixable oils) colours on Fredix canvas board. (50 x 76 cm).