Eye to Eye, June 1916

[felixdk]

Hi,
This is my first post at the Aerodrome, although I've been visiting and browsing for quite a while. I've been developing an interest in WWI aviation, especially the Lafayette Escadrille and decided to have a try at a WWI painting, having previously confined myself mostly to the post WWII and Golden Age periods. There were a couple of somewhat contradictory impressions of Raoul Lufbery's a/c in the available books, so the colors may be off, but hopefully it's close.

Acryllic on canvasboard, 18"X24"



Don

[wacoavn]

Don,

I have been working on a biography of Lufbery biography for a couple of years now (still not done yet). I appreciate your interest in the Lafayette Escadrille and Lufbery.

Is this painting of a specific Lufbery mission in June of 1916? I don't have all the dates in front of me, but I believe he got his first un-confirmed kill in June 1916. Is that the action we are seeing here?

Also, I am a little confused in what I am seeing - the cockades on the other (non-German) aircraft in the distance look like American Cockades?

Also, I cannot blow up painting to check the Neuport serial number on Lufbery's rudder, but if you have not verified this, I might be able to get you can accurate number if you can tell me the date on which this painting is based.

Other than that, I like the over all look of this image.

Thank you for sharing.

Bill Jackson

[felixdk]

Hi Bill,

The serial number of the N.11 is 1256, which I got from info in "Nieuport Flyers of the Lafayette " by John Guttman. I wanted to do the other N.11 in a different camo scheme, so I chose Victor Chapman's plane, which supposedly had Russian type roundels. I guess that would place this action before June 17, when Chapman was shot up in that a/c. The painting doesn't portray any specific action, as it was started as a test of using 3D models to lay out the composition and perspectives for a 2D artwork. The simple N.11 and E.III models were created in Blender and then posed in a 3D program called Vue for the final composition. That sketch was transferred to the canvasboard and painted.

I'll be looking forward to your book on Lufbery. He lived in Wallingford, CT, about 20 miles away from my home, while he was in the States.

Thanks for your response,
Don

[rainbase]

Don,
I love it; it's beautiful! I'm also a real fan of Lufbery.... I'm in Danielson, Ct.

[rexee]

Hi Don

I like the interaction between the two pilots looking at each other and I like the angle of the "eindecker", It gives me a real sense of how exposed the pilot was in that machine

Cheers
Rexee

[felixdk]

Jan,
Thanks for the praise. I'm in Ivoryton. I'd like to try a portrait of Lufbery after I gather enough references. I'd show him playing with the lions.

Don

[felixdk]

Originally Posted by rexee

Hi Don

I like the interaction between the two pilots looking at each other and I like the angle of the "eindecker", It gives me a real sense of how exposed the pilot was in that machine

Cheers
Rexee

Rexee,

I'm glad you picked that up. I've done mostly jet a/c and the idea of the low speeds and short distances involved in WWI made me want to show that personal aspect of the combat. I originally had the eindecker closer and larger in the comp, but decided that I wanted Lufbery's plane to be the undisputed focus.

Thanks,
Don

[djm]

Originally Posted by rainbase

Don,
I love it; it's beautiful! I'm also a real fan of Lufbery.... I'm in Danielson, Ct.

Great painting! Not to hijack the thread, but this is almost a gathering of the Clans...I was born and raised in Branford, CT, went to Eastern CT State University back in the 80's, and dated a girl from Pomfret.

Regards,
d

[felixdk]

Originally Posted by djm

Great painting! Not to hijack the thread, but this is almost a gathering of the Clans...I was born and raised in Branford, CT, went to Eastern CT State University back in the 80's, and dated a girl from Pomfret.

Regards,
d

Hi d,

I'm originally from East Haven, so, if it weren't for a difference in ages, we might have bumped into each other at a Turkey Day game.

Don

[felixdk]

After the obligatory cooling off period, I made some final changes including the under wing French insignia that I'd forgotten and a cast shadow on the clouds for Chapman's N.11. Now it's ready for varnishing.