Halberstadt CL.II

Russell Smith · 3 October 2006, 09:03 AM

Thats right. 2 of 'em. I painted one and then decided it wasn't quite what I had in mind, so I painted the scene again. The difference isn't huge, but it is evident. I won't tell you guys yet which one will be the model for the big painting. I'm curious to hear your thoughts on each.

I had originally planned to avoid using the Schlasta 26b markings, as they tend to get used a lot. I finally realized, though, that those markings would work really well with the lighting. Besides, lets face it, that flame motif is really cool.

BTW, the studies are currently available. They measure 11" x 7" and are $350 each. Email me or PM me if you are interested in one.

Russ

Taz · 3 October 2006, 09:31 AM

Russ- I like the one on the right better. The light coming down through the clouds seems more realistic and less distracting than in the other painting. Wild and bright color scheme on the aircraft which is harder to see on the left painting with so much light pouring in.

Taz
Terry Phillips

Russell Smith · 3 October 2006, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taz

Russ- I like the one on the right better. The light coming down through the clouds seems more realistic and less distracting than in the other painting. Wild and bright color scheme on the aircraft which is harder to see on the left painting with so much light pouring in.

Taz
Terry Phillips

Congrats, Taz, you nailed it. The right one is the model for the final piece. I wanted something really moody and dramatic. The left one was close, but the right one is more what I had in mind.

BTW, I forgot to mention that the name of the painting is "Into the War Zone".

Russ

margaret smith · 3 October 2006, 10:16 AM

Another winner, Russell! I like the one on the right better also as the gold lighting makes the plane show up better. Just beautiful!

SL DIII · 3 October 2006, 07:08 PM

Hi Russ,
I met you at the Dayton show last fall and picked up one of your Veltjens Albatros prints.

I just wanted to say that both Halberstadt paintings are beautiful! The one on the right does have that extra special touch, but they are both excellent.

Keep up the great work!
Best regards,
Tom Polapink

Russell Smith · 3 October 2006, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SL DIII

Hi Russ,
I met you at the Dayton show last fall and picked up one of your Veltjens Albatros prints.

I just wanted to say that both Halberstadt paintings are beautiful! The one on the right does have that extra special touch, but they are both excellent.

Keep up the great work!
Best regards,
Tom Polapink

Hey Tom, funny you should prefer the one on the right because a friend of yours picked it up this afternoon - but of course, I suppose you know that by now. He showed told me about your CLII model. Very neat.

cheers
Russ

GregorySharp · 4 October 2006, 12:58 PM

I prefer the one on the right too.

As it looks, around the middle right side of the painting, something like rain seen from a distance? Was that what you where shooting for?

Russell Smith · 4 October 2006, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GregorySharp

I prefer the one on the right too.

As it looks, around the middle right side of the painting, something like rain seen from a distance? Was that what you where shooting for?

Thanks Gregory. Actually thats supposed to be sunlight streaming through the clouds. Its hard to translate that in the wet-on-wet process that I use with my studies. If I tried to work the paint too much to hone that idea then that area would have ended up muddy. It'll be clearer on the big version where I can work in layers.

russ

Russell Smith · 5 October 2006, 08:15 AM

Someone over at the Great War Forum summed up the two studies nicely:

"Top one (left) looks like they are flying to Heaven.
Bottom one (right) looks like they are going to Hell."

He said better than I could.

russ

AAC Cadet Leader · 5 October 2006, 02:17 PM

Great works, Russ! Both beautifully painted.

Warmth through the colors.

Exciting instability through your differing directional lines - offset horizon, diagonal rays and or rain, climbing and banking angle of aeroplane.

Great shading and reflections on the aeroplane! Nice choice of one, too.

Nice treatment of the sunlight through the misty atmosphere - better done on right one, except for the sky to ground dark steak on left side of it (right painting) - streak is not believable going all the way to the ground.

Love the painterly clouds on the right one. Nice loose feel to them.

Landing gear on left painting is a bit better technically, but coloring is better in right painting and better overall - has more contrasts in values and warmer scheme than the left painting.

In the left painting I like the shapes of the farms better than the foreground in the right painting.

In the right painting, the river by the horizon is better, more distinct.

What are those spots just above the horizon? Zeppelins? Neat!

Inquiring minds want to know...
1) What surface did you paint these on?
2) Did you start with a photo landscape ground?
3) Oils? acrylics? both?
4) How big is the finished larger painting going to be?
5) Do you make/sell prints from your color studies?

Thanks for sharing with us!