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  • #994655
    Chas McHugh
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        One Artist and his subject matter.

        Hoping to complete a 30″ x 20″ oil painting of this little bird for completion before the end of January. We will see.

        © Copyright Charles E McHugh 2019
        www.aeroartist.com

        #1261741
        Trumper
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            Ohhh,will we be getting a W I P —Please :)

            #1261725
            NeilF92
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                Plenty of colour and contrast to work with in that challenge Chas.

                #1261754
                Chas McHugh
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                    There are numerous scenario options available to me, not least because the aircraft had wheels and skids and floats at various stages. I do intend to include SnoCat vehicles in the composition and perhaps a tented camp. Having watched plenty of ‘Ice pilots’ on TV, I think there is scope for a small cloud of condensation from the exhaust to exploit in the name of movement. The sky may well be a deep blue void of any evidence of cloud or pollution / haze.

                    I will be avoiding raw Titanium white which for an icescape will be interesting. I would like to capture the extreme cold which of course is in itself invisible. Hows that for a challenge – but of course there is a wind that may add to atmosphere.

                    I have no idea why I am doing this – not to get too deep, I awoke early one morning with a complete composition as a vision, and I hope to complete it quickly rather then the many months my work usually takes. If it ends up as a disaster; then so be it – it was meant to be.

                    Penguins …. Don’t start me 😎

                    © Copyright Charles E McHugh 2019
                    www.aeroartist.com

                    #1261732
                    shadwell
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                        the orange and blue is working for me already , should make a colour vibrant picture with clear air ,,, good to see you doing another WIP in here

                        [FONT=Fixedsys]if at first you don't succede !!!![/COLOR]
                        [FONT=Fixedsys]give skydiving a miss !![/COLOR]

                        [FONT=Fixedsys]
                        #1261807
                        Ian
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                            Depicting ‘cold’ without being corny about it with furs and icicles will certainly be a challenge!
                            I would guess a lack of warm colours would contribute – wow!, its a real thought provoker!

                            http://ianrevealed.deviantart.com/
                            https://ianrevealed.blogspot.com/

                            #1261755
                            Chas McHugh
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                                I have had sufficient positive feedback from members who appreciate following the creative process to justify running a ‘work-in-progress’ that takes nothing for granted.

                                This painting will be on a 30″ x 20″ pre-stretched canvas. The first task is to select four books that will sit beneath the canvas protecting it when I lean on the canvas. I require this because my work station is a drawing board rather then an easel ~ which I do also use on occasions during the process. Having selected the books, I will now apply an additional layer of gesso undercoat stained with acrylic paint so that I am not painting shades of white onto a white surface, and in order to prevent the weave tooth obstructing a free flow of paint when blending.

                                Once that is dry – we are prepared and ready to start the next painting.

                                © Copyright Charles E McHugh 2019
                                www.aeroartist.com

                                #1261805
                                Puffman
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                                    What about this story for a possible idea behind the painting Chas

                                    https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/polar-record/article/william-harvie-tommy-thomson-dsc-19222012/0FA08B792B94C8F5811BF6A4B71AC589/core-reader

                                    I was lucky enough to know Tommy in the last three years of his life..what a wonderful man…there is a section on his work in the Auster

                                    Tommy’s first civilian job was as a partner in a London disinfestation business, essentially a rat-catcher, in restaurants and factories. One evening by chance he met James Marr, formerly of Shackleton’s Quest expedition, who had lately returned from leading Operation Tabarin, the fore-runner of the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey. Marr was recruiting for FIDS. Tommy expressed interest, and some months later he was offered the post of pilot for the survey’s work in Graham Land. Tommy accepted, quickly married Nan Metcalf (the sister of a wartime colleague), and managed a brief four-day honeymoon before shipping off to Antarctica late in 1946.

                                    Assigned to Base E, Stonington Island, then the survey’s main base, Tommy flew the ski-equipped Auster Autocrat on reconnaissance and depot-laying flights. This lasted only until mid-September. In a joint operation with the Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition, the aircraft was forced down by bad weather to crash-land on the sea ice some 60 miles south of base. Tommy, his co-pilot Bernard Stonehouse and observer Reg. Freeman were fortunate to emerge with little damage, but suffered a hazardous week of walking back over shifting sea ice toward base. A fuller account is given in Kevin Walton’s Two years in the Antarctic, which properly appreciates the outstanding efforts of both British and US colleagues to find the lost fliers during a week of foul weather. These efforts culminated in their rescue and safe return.

                                    #1261756
                                    Chas McHugh
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                                        Having prepared the canvas with stained gesso; I now create a montage with photographs sized and resized until they work together. At that stage I will have created a new image, and I can then focus on ensuring that light and shade is consistent across the board. I usually use my own photographs but on this occasion the expedition was before I was born; therefore I am reliant on official photographs taken at the time. The collective image will be a new image in its own right.

                                        © Copyright Charles E McHugh 2019
                                        www.aeroartist.com

                                        #1261742
                                        Trumper
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                                            We really do need a like button. :)

                                            #1261749
                                            gebhm
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                                                The plane at the top and the one in the montage are different which one do we expect? Love the idea!

                                                #1261757
                                                Chas McHugh
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                                                    There were three types of aircraft used on the 1955 expedition:
                                                    * Auster T7
                                                    * DHC Beaver
                                                    * DHC Otter
                                                    I will include both Otter and Auster in this composition. The engines were often kept running when away from base to prevent them freezing. Thus the Otter on the ground will be engine running and an Auster will be seen in the overhead.
                                                    Both aircraft and SnoCat share common paint schemes with little tonal variation, and there is a danger of too much colour clash. I will include to bare rock in the background landscape to remind everyone that the Antarctic is a land mass unlike the Arctic which is just ice. The Otter was a UK military aircraft and I believe the only example of the type to ever wear a British serial be it military or civil. My only worry is achieving a satisfactory effect to the snow as there is a danger of a flat representation.

                                                    © Copyright Charles E McHugh 2019
                                                    www.aeroartist.com

                                                    #1261743
                                                    Trumper
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                                                        We still get the Dash 7 visiting Duxford quite a lot. https://www.bas.ac.uk/polar-operations/sites-and-facilities/facility/dash-7-aircraft/

                                                        I must visit the Scott polar museum as well . http://www.spri.cam.ac.uk/museum/

                                                        #1261758
                                                        Chas McHugh
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                                                            The De Havilland (Canada) Otter aircraft will be in the centre of the canvas and therefore is the Master element of the ground activities. The perspective lines will in turn dictate a horizon line and a vanishing point that the other ground elements must adhere to for the whole composition to work. On this painting the Otter vanishing point is off the canvas but there are ways that this can be managed such as a line of string. The outline has been done with a fine black drawing pen.

                                                            © Copyright Charles E McHugh 2019
                                                            www.aeroartist.com

                                                            #1261733
                                                            shadwell
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                                                                it’s a bit round for an auster that buddy it might be me but I think the problems in the cowl !! :lol: gonna be great tho ..

                                                                [FONT=Fixedsys]if at first you don't succede !!!![/COLOR]
                                                                [FONT=Fixedsys]give skydiving a miss !![/COLOR]

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