Delta Sky Club Commission: Painting No. 5 - Tail

Delta Commission: Tail  |  16 x 16  |  Oil on panel

The completion of the tail section brings the commission to a close. I won't be able to fully relax until these are in the hands of the client, but overall this was a really fun, albeit stressful endeavor. I love painting aircraft, and this commission got me cranked to do a large warbird painting sometime this year using one of the images I got at the Reno Air Races last fall. 

Now it's time to get working on a two person show I'll be sharing with my wife Karen for Tree's Place Gallery at the end of August. I also need to get new paintings to my other galleries as well. Karen and I haven't joined forces for a show since 2007 and I'm looking forward to it. We're thinking of including another visit to NYC either before or after the opening on Cape Cod. We had a great time there last year, and it would also give me a chance to visit my little brother again. 

Delta Sky Club Commission: Painting No. 4 - Wing

Delta Commission: Wing  |  16 x 16  |  Oil on panel

In the final stretch. I've been going back and forth with the last two paintings, working on various parts of one while various parts of the other were drying. Number five will be completed today, which coincidentally is my deadline day to finish. Whew! This commission took every minute of my allotted time. Now all I have to do is let them dry, varnish and deliver. If these are in the hands of the client on the 9th I'll breath a huge sigh of relief. I might even take a day off and go see a movie.

Delta Sky Club Commission: Painting No. 3 - Nose

Delta Commission: Nose  |  16 x 16  |  Oil on panel

Moving along, here is the third painting for JFK. Although this seems to be a less complicated composition than the previous two, for me, it was the most difficult to paint. The reflections in the body of the aircraft were a real challenge. I think I achieved my goal with this piece, but it was a real bear. The next two paintings will include the tail section, and so will add a bit of color. I'm really looking forward to putting in that blast of red in the Delta logo.

Delta Sky Club Commission: Painting No. 2 - Engine

Delta Commission: Engine  |  16 x 16  |  Oil on panel

This is the second of five commissioned paintings for the Delta Sky Club at JFK. It's funny, when I was in tech school working towards my Airframe & Powerplant license, my classmates would often comment on the notes I'd take in class. They were usually embellished with little drawings and they would say, "man, why are you here, you should be an artist!". My hope, at that time was that I would upon graduation go to work for Delta Airlines. That didn't happen, but now 30+ years later I'm actually working as an artist, and will have my paintings hanging in the Delta Airlines Sky Club. 

Delta Sky Club Commission: Painting No. 1 - Fuselage

Delta Commission: Fuselage  |  16 x 16  |  Oil on panel

Here is an image of the first of five paintings slated for the Delta Airlines Sky Club at JFK. Each of the five represents a specific component of the aircraft, starting with the nose and yes ending with the tail. These will not be completed any particular order, but hopefully will be presented on site running nose to tail. I'm starting on the second pass of the engine composition today, and when it's complete I'll post its' image. I've got two weeks to complete the next four paintings. Long days ahead.

Delta Commission: First Pass

The Delta Commission is coming along. I'm really working like a dog to get these done in the timeframe I've been given. But they are fun. At this point I've got the under painting done for each of the five pieces. Each composition has taken two to three days to complete its' first pass. 

*I didn't put much time into color correcting these images since they are each still very rough.

This first pass has been spent basically blocking in the components. The colors are close but need work and the highlights and shadows will be enhanced in successive passes. The sky also needs to be blended and grayed down a bit. 

At this point in the process I essentially want to see all of the components of the aircraft working together as a single unit, and have the sense that the structure has mass.

Since painting at this stage is mostly mid-tones they do look a little boring, that's why I really love the second and third passes. When you start to refine the detail and enhance the colors, shadows and highlights the piece really starts to come alive.

One of my favorite compositions of the group is the view of engine number one. I don't know, I just love that crop.

So now it's on to the second pass. Two passes will probably be sufficient for some of these compositions, and others may take three. I'll most likely hold off on any more in progress shots and wait to reveal all of the completed pieces at one time.