How To Draw Aircraft - Plane and simple
Are you interested in aviation? Do you want to know how I draw the aircraft that feature on my Aviation art prints? If so then read on.
Working on my latest aviation art collection has been a fun project but not one without challenges. Namely how can I get the aircraft at the angles I want? I like to exaggerate the lines and use forced perspective to create energy in the airplanes and helicopters. There are some copyright free images online like Pixabay but many photos are static looking or are simply not what I was after. So what's the solution?
Model behaviour
The trick is to use small scale models. My son has a shelf full - perfect for me to have a snoop and see what I can find. They're usually detailed enough for what I need after all my style relies on simplification so this is a good strategy. I take a photo usually with a strong directional light, often my office window is enough but if not a good old fashioned torch does the job.
Choosing Colours
You may have noticed that my colours are not representational :) and you won't be surprised to know that the Blackbird SR-71 Stealth Bomber was never kitted out in a pink, purple and red livery. There are plenty of highly skilled aviation artists out there whose work represents the details and technical accuracy of the aircraft. Here I'm hoping to offer something a little different. Sure, they won't be for everyone, I know that but I like bold colours and I know many of my customers do too. I've chosen colour palettes that can stand alone or work together within a gallery wall - you can choose from Olive, Raspberry, Tangerine or Blueberry - every plane offered in every colour.
Olive
Raspberry
Tangerine
Blueberry
Highlight and Shadows
My work is all about the highlights and the shadows. Looking for the interesting lines and angles is a really fun part of my job. I'm constantly thinking what can I leave out and it still be recognisable. Highlights help me pick out a simplified shape and shadows often let me hide the detail - our brains fill in the gaps. Check out my blog for other process insights.
Aviation Art - Collection
You can see my full range of aviation art here on my website. My collection is growing rapidly so if I haven't created artwork of your favourite plane yet, keep checking in or drop me a message. Over and out.