Joined: Oct 09, 2004 Posts: 813 Location: cheshire, UK
Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 4:47 pm Post subject: A WIP from the client's perspective (EE Lightning)
As a collector have you ever thought of commissioning a painting, but held back for whatever reason?
Indulge me in my tale of my "First" commission
Just over 20 years ago on 17th Feb 1987 to be exact, I was an engineer in the RAF on 5 sqn Lightnings. A list had gone up in the crewroom at our temporary detachment base at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus for anyone wanting a trip in the sqn T-Bird. Over 10 years in the RAF my name had been put on many such lists, nothing ever happened. But on this occasion it did. My pilot for the flight of my life would be the sqn QWI Flt. Lt. Neil (Clachy) Maclachlan.
That 30 minute trip was as you can imagine fantastic, we climbed straight up from take-off to 30,000’, we went supersonic (mach 1.4 I seem to remember…I can still feel the kick in the back when the re-heat came in) we pulled 4g, I was given the stick(I’ve flown a Lightning). Anyway it inspired me to get on and stop delaying it and learn to fly myself (if you don’t know I’m now an airline pilot for easyjet). And unusually for a corporal and a Flt Lt became good friends with Neil and his new wife (well we met up a lot in the local pubs around Binbrook!!).
For some time now I’ve wanted to combine this occasion with my love of Aviation art and so decided to commission a painting.
Unfortunately my story has a sad ending and another reason for doing this commission. Shortly after my flight Neil was selected to join the Red Arrows. He joined the team at RAF Scampton but during training with them was sadly killed, practising one of their many difficult manoeuvres, my painting would have to incorporate something of him as well (which I think we did, tastefully as you will see)
First thing was to choose the right (And affordable!!! artist) sadly Robert Taylor answers to other masters, and anyway he doesn’t paint many jet aircraft, and easyjet don’t pay me that much!
This was the aircraft I flew in, sadly retired in an RAF hangar, never to fly again
And by chance I found it had escaped (just!!) the scrap metal man and is now cared for by enthusiasts at "Fenland & West Norfolk Aviation Museum" although outside in the British weather and painted a strange grey colour, But at least XS459 still exists
After many months of consideration I was sure I’d found the right artist whose previous work I love and in my opinion can paint jet aircraft well. Neil Hipkiss. I’d also met and kept in touch with him since buying another of his original paintings (this time of a Spitfire and called “Freedom”) see his excellent website if you haven’t already been there.
I contacted Neil with my idea and story to see if he would be willing to take on this painting and of course to see how busy he was. He readily accepted the challenge, the Lightning a favourite of his too.
Joined: Oct 09, 2004 Posts: 813 Location: cheshire, UK
Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 4:58 pm Post subject:
So began an extremely interesting and rewarding process, which with Neil’s (Hipkiss) permission I thought you might like to see a WIP from the client’s perspective. (Although now finished, I’ve been meaning to start this thread for a long time, but obviously haven’t got round to do it until now, I’ll keep the thread running with the progress and process as and when I can…..and of course if members jump in to comment the thread may lead anywhere (as often does here)
I’d taken my camera along for the flight and so was able to send Neil those, with these he was able to get the clouds, ground and sea colours and lighting of the actual day.
I also played around with different altitudes and angles of the Akrotiri Peninsula on Cyprus using google earth, and holding an old plastic model in front of my computer monitor tried to get the best profile of the Lightning.
The rest was over to Neil, he did a pencil sketch incorporating what he thought I'd wanted. Seeing that first pencil sketch was amazing, something that had lived in my head for so long had been captured so well by someone else. He just needed my approval of the pencil drawing, he needed to know what size canvass and with that was able to give me a price(again see his website for some idea of price) A deposit of 15% and the commission was on (up untill this stage there was no obligation for me to continue).
Joined: Jun 12, 2005 Posts: 1770 Location: Southeast US
Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 5:02 pm Post subject:
This is great, Daz! I love reading "aviation art" stories like this, especially WIPs from both sides. Please don't hesitate to keep us informed in this thread. Artists like myself can learn a lot from the "perspective" of the other half of the av art equation.
I too have flown in military jets, and it's a rush to see the occasional photo of "my" jets on the 'net.
Joined: Oct 09, 2004 Posts: 813 Location: cheshire, UK
Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 5:18 pm Post subject:
Wade thanks for the encouragement, one of the reasons I'd taken so long was I was not sure it would be seen as just another WIP, but like you say with the client perspective I hope it will develop. I'd actually discussed doing this with the artist Neil perhaps 3 or 4 months ago, he was OK with the idea but worried viewers would wonder at the initial stages of the painting it wasn't looking good. At every stage of it's progress he would caution me on what to expect and not pre-judge the final painting. I know some client's don't want to see any progress until the final thing.
Me I wanted to be involved in the whole process.
Anyway here's the pencil sketch....which I got to keep as well ....a work of art in it's own right
Joined: Jun 12, 2005 Posts: 1770 Location: Southeast US
Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 5:39 pm Post subject:
Daz wrote:
. . . I was not sure it would be seen as just another WIP, but like you say with the client perspective I hope it will develop.
But that is indeed what makes eHangar so special! Our special take on the subject is that we go in-depth on a wide range of av art topics, from what medium to use for that special effect (for artists) to considering purchasing special originals or prints (for collectors), and it's best to have a variety of "looks" at each subject. I personally enjoy reading the experiences of others in this regard - from both sides of the house.
Daz wrote:
. . . I'd actually discussed doing this with the artist Neil perhaps 3 or 4 months ago, he was OK with the idea but worried viewers would wonder at the initial stages of the painting it wasn't looking good. At every stage of it's progress he would caution me on what to expect and not pre-judge the final painting.
This is a very valid concern of Neil's. However, I think that this audience realizes that works 'develop', and sometimes start off looking, uh, "rough". Heh heh. We've all seen Mark Postlethwaite's WIPs here. As an artist I'm still amazed at how his aircraft start off very roughly, but evolve into images with powerful impact (perfect for those Osprey covers!) - I do the opposite, sort of, I try to make mine "finished" right from the start, then later I pile on paint till it does look right!
Daz wrote:
. . . here's the pencil sketch....which I got to keep as well ....a work of art in it's own right
Yes, indeed. Framed and matted it will look great next to the final canvas.
Speaking of final canvases, my 'break' is over - time to pick up the brush again.
Yes keep this going Daz, great story, I'm sure I'm not alone in envying your flight just looking at your photo's from the cockpit have me drooling.
Great choice of artist too, your right he can paint jets, I saw his work at last years GaVa exhibition, I remember one was also a Lightning called "Ligtning Bolt" I seem to remember, And I've always liked his Typhoon painting on his website
Looking forward to seeing your painting evolve, and Wade is right that pencil sketch framed up will look great, should be on ehangar thread of original pencil drawings
Joined: Oct 09, 2004 Posts: 813 Location: cheshire, UK
Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 1:54 pm Post subject:
Chicoartist wrote:
Daz wrote:
. . . I was not sure it would be seen as just another WIP, but like you say with the client perspective I hope it will develop.
But that is indeed what makes eHangar so special! Wade
A new day and re-read my words.....Firstly I think I need to offer all artist members here an apology, I can see "just another WIP" with hindsight was not a clever thing to say SORRY . I like all members love watching the WIP's threads, I was trying (poorly) to say I wanted this to be a WIP from another angle......perhaps I should stop before I dig my hole deeper.
Thanks all for your thoughts
So the next step in the commission process, after agreeing that the artist was far better at composition than my feeble efforts, and still amazed he'd manage to capture my thoughts on to paper, I said yes to him to go ahead AND put a cheque in the post for the deposit
I should say Neil and I live maybe 100miles apart, most of our correspondence was via email and telephone. I was still going through my books on the Lightning for suitable source material and he of course had his own. I was still trying to think of a suitable way to include a tribute to my pilot "Clachy".....a single Red Arrow Hawk in the distance, the whole formation in the background (The Reds do use Akrotiri as a training area)
So anyway a few weeks went by before this email attachment arrived, the inked outline drawn onto the canvass
By the way Ultra you are correct Neil did submit "Lightning Bolt" at last years Guild along with 3 other paintings see the Guilds site they are there, and last I spoke to Neil that one is still available to purchase
Joined: Apr 12, 2006 Posts: 1352 Location: 5,280 ft ASL
Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 4:15 pm Post subject:
Daz,
I'm stoked that you are sharing your experience with us!
It is a thrill to buy an original painting right off of the gallery wall. But that experience can be magnified ten-fold when you get to take part in the before canvas part of the process. In my case, it takes an artist with an infinite amount of patience.
That is such an under-utilized part of eHangar, and I'm glad that you are shedding some light on it. A lot of collectors + many accomplished artists has to = something!
Joined: Jun 12, 2005 Posts: 1770 Location: Southeast US
Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 5:55 pm Post subject:
Daz wrote:
. . . A new day and re-read my words.....Firstly I think I need to offer all artist members here an apology, I can see "just another WIP" with hindsight was not a clever thing to say
I too offer an apology, for evidently misleading you - I didn't highlight the words in red to show that I was taking offense, rather I wanted to highlight that posts such as yours and others are very important to eHangar, and NOT "just another" WIP thread to be endured . . . group hug!
Joined: Oct 09, 2004 Posts: 813 Location: cheshire, UK
Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 4:28 pm Post subject:
Chicoartist wrote:
..... group hug!
Wade
blacksheep wrote:
I'm stoked that you are sharing your experience with us!
I assume thats a good thing?
Next stage in the process came a few weeks later with a caveat warning message from Neil " Darryl, Please don't be alarmed by it's appearance at this stage as it is purely a very rough primer coat giving general form. The emphasis on VERY rough."
At this stage Neil informs me, the painting as seen after receiving the blanking coat. Next will come the undercoat.
Maybe artist members here could shed light on these terms and processes, on watching the many WIP's here not all seem to work in the same way.
Needless to say, myself as the client I wasn't "alarmed", just fascinated with the process, but at every stage throughout the commission it was great to receive such advise and comfort from the artist, and what in effect was a commentary of what was happening.
And of course at this stage it was great to see colour, Neil Hipkiss and myself had both spoken about the potential of the painting with reference to the azure blue of The Mediteranean sea and the bright colours on the island of Cyprus. One of the features I'd wanted as well as the Akrotiri peninsula was Mount Olympus (a prominent feature wherever you are around the Island)
Joined: Jun 12, 2005 Posts: 1770 Location: Southeast US
Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 7:00 pm Post subject:
I won't be so bold as to try to explain Neil's process to you, but if you ever feel a tinge of doubt, just go back to his site (and the original you already bought from him) and look at his beautiful final results ... that's how yours is going to look, except yours is being done when he has more experience than he had with all those others!
Daz
You've picked a great subject , a very moving story . You've also picked a first rate artist who clearly knows jets and portrays them very skilfully . There's no doubt that this will be a superb painting .
I look forward ( as any Lightning fanatic will) to the finished article.)
Thanks to you both for sharing the WIP.
Hi Daz,
Really interesting reading about the processes from the clients view as opposed to the artists and about the background story behind the painting. As Wade says, I can understand any reluctance (on the artists part) to reveal progress at the very early stages for the same reasons. It can also be very handy though, to get some feedback on whether it's starting to head in the right direction and in my limited experience, it's easier to make alterations at the early stages than later, so it may not be a bad idea to reveal early progress after all.
Great stuff anyway (love the lightning).
cheers, Bob.
Joined: Oct 09, 2004 Posts: 813 Location: cheshire, UK
Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 12:05 pm Post subject:
Thanks for the continued interest, both on the thread and the PM's.
Hi Neil and Bob.
Here's the next installment:-
Described by Neil as an undercoat, "It's still in a rough state and will require another coat before the colours are exact but it is starting to take on more of the finished form"
For me it's good to see some of the background detail being added, the outline of the Akrotiri runway coming to view, a big feature of the peninsula (apart from the RAF presence!!) is a huge salt lake to the north this can also be seen just behind the aircraft exhaust.
Some of the wonderful Mediteranean blue is starting to show.
I think it was at this stage and after much thought I'd decided against the Red Arrow's ideas I'd had earlier. The inspiration for the painting was the memorable day I got a trip in the Lightning, Clachy's Red Arrow connection came later. So my idea to include a tribute to him was to put his name on the cockpit side. As anyone who knows military aircraft this is a common feature and certainly true of the Lightning. And so although to my knowledge his name wasn't one XS459, it surely would be good artistic license and Neil was agreeable to add this to the finished painting.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Forum FAQ
Search
Usergroups
Profile
Log in
just looking at your photo's from the cockpit have me drooling.
. I like all members love watching the WIP's threads, I was trying (poorly) to say I wanted this to be a WIP from another angle......perhaps I should stop before I dig my hole deeper.
