'Twin-tailed Dragons' pencil sketch ...

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chicoartist

Airman 1st Class
Hi guys,

Just finished this little pencil sketch for my upcoming Twin-tailed Dragons. The final canvas will be 24 x 32.

Next step is to do a small oil sketch the same size as this pencil sketch to nail down the values and colors. After THAT, I have to put this project aside and finish the final 48" wide The Debden Kidd canvas. The final P-38 canvas is going to the same home as The Debden Kidd, so no problem mixing and matching my time on these two!

I didn't bother with much detail or markings at this small size, but I did 'hint' at the distinctive dragon motif art on the booms (459th FS; Chittagong, India).

The painting will show a few P-38s in mid-May 1944 led by Capt. Walter F. "Bill" Duke's Miss-V. Duke, a 13-victory ace, was KIA in this plane after a sweep over Heho/Meiktila airfield on 6 June 44 when he voluntarily returned to find his missing wingman after the wingman failed to join up after they cleared the target area. Duke said he had plenty of gas and circled back.

Japanese fighters flying at altitude saw his lone P-38 and attacked. After the war Japanese records investigated by US officers confirmed that Duke knocked down three of his attackers before he was shot down himself. These last three victories do not show up on some "official" lists. His wingman actually made it home OK.

The second ship is being flown by Maj. Willard J. Webb.

Twin-tailed Dragons
Pencil on paper
8 x 10 5/8

 
lesofprimus said:
I would think that with such a distinctive art job, dragon tails on the booms, that u would have attempted to highlight this area, rather than show the -38 coming almost head on, thereby limitating the view of the booms....

Very good question and observation, but it was a compromise ... I chose a more dynamic view than a "sitting pretty" side view. Gosh, I'm tired of those (for now). Plus, almost every "good" side view photograph of P-38s shows the plane from the side and slightly above so that you can see the other boom ... You rarely see a good action shot as I show it - from the front.

All my rough sketches kept bringing me back to this arrangment, like you're sitting in a hot air balloon and they're ZOOMING past you. Conveys speed and power. That's the effect I wanted.

The 'compromise' is that the booms aren't as visible as they would be from the side. That being said, the front of the dragon motif is highly visible on both sides (one side visible on each boom), and you will be able to see the 'tail' snaking back on the plane's left boom, so it will actually be visible on the final art.

Wade
 
the lancaster kicks ass said:
i can't draw for sh*t

Why would you want to anyway, shit is an inanimate object and cannot appreciate the efforts of skillful drawing

I dabble in a bit of drawing every now and then, im not very good at all though. If I had the time I would do so a lot more.
 
Update: a collector sent me this photo - I've decided to make it the main subject of my painting. I love the nose art.

The pilot, 2Lt William G. "Bill" Baumeister, Jr. isn't credited with any aerial victories, so it will also represent the vast majority of the non-aces who hung it out there right beside the more famous types.

Oh - in answer to a question above, pls check out my website to see all my completed works in oil *and* pencil

Wade

 

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