D.VII Double Portrait Start to Finish

AAC Cadet Leader · 12 February 2007, 10:35 AM

This will be a long thread on a commissioned painting from start to finish. My kind patron is a fellow forum member and he has told me that he wants the painting to have lots of detail and that I should plan on taking as much time as I need in order to create my best work. He has written that I should take "a full year or even two years" to complete it. That luxury of time is much appreciated.

He has also encouraged me to create this thread to show the progress in stages as I have done on with other paintings. I think this will be a lot of fun - especially without a time constraint. I encourage all to offer your input and critiques as I go along. Dish it out, good and bad - don't hold back anything. Wait a minute, let me rethink that. All I ask is to be spared anything mean-spirited - not that anyone in this forum would do that.

At this point, my patron and I have have been discussing different composition ideas and he has provided me with some photos, with the promise of more photos from which to work. I've not put pencil to drawing paper nor paintbrush to canvas yet. So if you keep coming back, you'll see the whole thing as it happens. Kinda neat!

AAC Cadet Leader · 16 February 2007, 07:27 AM

substantial advance payment received. thank you, very much, art patron!

work begins early next week.

efmen · 16 February 2007, 07:54 AM

Such a sweet deal you've got. This will be one interesting thread. I'll be sending my critiques madame so be ready!

AAC Cadet Leader · 16 February 2007, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by efmen

Such a sweet deal you've got. This will be one interesting thread. I'll be sending my critiques madame so be ready!

efman,
Agreed it is a sweet deal, as my patron is being very generous and given that this will be only my second commissioned WW1 aviation (related) painting, I am both flattered and inspired that he has the confidence in me to do a great job. If I could get a commission like this once every month or so, I could quit my day job and start working as full time artist. For now that is still just a nice dream.

Lufbery · 16 February 2007, 12:06 PM

It's nice working on spec isn't it?

Please keep us posted.

AchimEngels · 16 February 2007, 01:02 PM

AAC Cadet Leader,

I can tell from experience, that dreams start to come true like this

Good luck and have a lot of fun!

Cheers!

Achim

Barker · 16 February 2007, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AchimEngels

AAC Cadet Leader,

I can tell from experience, that dreams start to come true like this

Good luck and have a lot of fun!

Cheers!

Achim

What he said.

Congratulations on your commission and a doff of cap also to that fine gent (or Lady).

AAC Cadet Leader · 17 February 2007, 09:27 AM

thanks also drew, achim, b. yep, this commissioned painting is gonna be fun!

today is a sunny and unusually warm day for february, here. gonna feel the sunshine on my face and warm up my chops by slinging some paint with a few students in locke town today.

AAC Cadet Leader · 18 February 2007, 11:34 AM

to my art patron, please do not worry. this is only a very rough, first thumbnail sketch(es) of more i plan to make before developing a detailed plan.

the purpose of thumbnail sketches is to warm up and get some ideas for composition and subject placement within the rectangular format. a specific size has not been committed, but the initial idea is to create a 28 x 40" painting. this dimension is not set in stone, nor is the plan to make it a horizontal format, rather than vertical.
as you can see, i began with a tiny thumbnail on the left, then started another, larger one to the right, and enlarged the boundaries of it two or three times.
more thumbnail ideas to come tomorrow. suggestions and input welcome - but not necessarily paid attention to.

AAC Cadet Leader · 19 February 2007, 09:33 AM