Sunday, October 18, 2015

Journey to Colorado


Come with Jeanette and me on a sketching journey across America. Destination— the high mountains of Colorado, where we'll meet up with our sons.  


We'll explore some fascinating sketching opportunities of the USA. We're in Ohio now along the Interstate, but we'll soon be on the smaller roads. 

We visit the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, which has three huge hangars full of military aircraft, ranging from the early days of flight to the present. 


All the machines are intimidating and impressive in different ways. I'm attracted to the Sikorsky MH-53 special ops search-and-rescue helicopter, which flew all the way from the Vietnam War until 2008.


I use black and white gouache in a watercolor sketchbook to describe the details of the cockpit. I love the red glow of the inside, and I imagine the chopper lifting off in the dawn light, with dust kicking up from the left. For the smoke, I use white Nupastel after the gouache dries. 

Next, on to Missouri. 
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6 comments:

A Colonel of Truth said...

Good work! Captured as if on mission. Have flown on many a CH-53 (Sea Stallion) - Marine Corps variant. And they're still flying.
S/ Andy Weddington, U. S. Marine (Ret)

Krystal said...

Magnificent ! I really like the way the painting is vanishing into the foggy part on the left. Very arty :-)

Gyrforce said...

Colorado is my state! Wouldn't that be something to meet you there? I really truly enjoy seeing your work; it's a great source of information and inspiration.

Chris Jouan said...

The Air Force Museum is one of my favorite places for reference of planes and spacecraft. Hopefully you also viewed the Shuttle Simulator (seen behind the CH-53). Hard to believe crews would spend days in that tiny space!

trowbridge chronicles said...

I wonder if you saw any Hueys at the Air Force Museum. I was an illustrator in the Vietnam War. My first ever magazine cover illustration was a CH-47 Chinook for the cover of Avian 34 Magazine in Vietnam. As the war extended, American military magazines, radio and TV sprang up. I worked at AFVN radio and TV in Saigon.I was a cartooning weathercaster. Also at AFVN was Adrian Chronauer ("Good Morning, Vietnam!") and a young broadcaster named Pat Sajak.

Carol said...

My husband and I have been to the Air Force Museum twice! Did lots of sketching both times. There was also the AF art exhibits and Wilson Hurley's paintings of Vietnam memories.