Good week for sales after all

Skyhawk, M8a mclaren, M14 mclaren, Chevron, Anglia and some F5000 cars ..... It's all good

must be the after Christmas rush... lol

Wow! some progress on an OIL painting!

The Golden Centennial Skyhawk is progressing over Christmas/New Year!
Its in oils! I'd forgotten how damn messy oils can be, no wonder they use smocks!
The picture is taken in bright sunlight so the sparkles are off the highlights of thickish oil paint.

This will need a few more layers of paint Im sure but hey.. its progress!!!

Seasons Greetings

A Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year to all of you who have viewed our art work.

We hope to bring you more representations of transport with a Kiwi theme in 2011.

Brett & Warwick

Pre Christmas Rush

Another good day scribbling.

Brett has essentially finished the PDL Mustang - must say it looks great in real life, especially the hindquarters. Nice one, Brett.


He has also started his next masterpiece - a racing Escort.


And I have finished the Aston.


My next effort will be NZR Ab 608 'Passchendaele'.

Electric Blue and 180mph!

The old PDL Mustang I
This has got to be one of my favourite racing cars...
It took a long time to find the makings for this drawing. An old very fuzzy black and white shot and multiple colour photos have become a set of reference material and its slowly taking shape..

But I just Love it!!!

The Trio of SE5as

Thought Id better post the (almost) final pic of the planes..

Came out rather well if I do say so myself... Now Im going to scan it and apply a gradient based colour layer for the background which should really bring out the planes.. the rigging will be hell but should be OK...

Drawing in Quick Time

Brett has decided to knock off a quick one. Thankfully he'll be doing most of it on his own...

A good solid two hours drawing. Brett has finished the WWI aircraft image and started a new drawing today (and I've caught him improvising & interpreting, tch tch) - Mustang No 1 ...


... and I have nearly finished the DB5.

Trials and Tribulations # 2

I have agreed to the following in regards to my drawings of MSHT's locomotives:

1) for each locomotive drawing that I produce I will donate 4 copies to Mainline Steam so that they can raffle them on their excursions;
2) somewhere on each print will be an acknowledgement that the locomotive belongs to Mainline Steam. This will include their web address www.mainlinesteam.co.nz. Since their logo includes their web address I may opt to use that; and
3) whenever I advertise prints of their locomotives I will include a link to their website .

This is an excellent outcome and I look forward to producing further drawings of MSHT's locomotives.

Plane crazy

Good progress on the Se5as over the weekend..

Might even get them finished this week!

Art shop is selling block mounted pics well and has asked for more so another batch going up this week.

Into the evening

Hour and a half in the Studio at my place for both of us tonight.
I guess the good news today that our pics were being sold through an art shop now prompted an unusual burst of activity.
Good progress on both pictures but Warwick lamented leaving his blues and browns and greys behind..
That car is proving very subtle and tedious but should be very rewarding once completed.

The planes are coming along but need a tad more darkness.. Neither photo is super good but gives some idea.

Grilled breakfast...

I spent an hour this morning re-shaping the Aston's grille and finishing the bumpers. I'm beginning to imagine colours in the highly reflective chrome that I'm sure are just transient - there one moment, gone when I look again. Argh! The colour that Brett alludes to is a light pinkish fuschia maybe magenta made by Texta - available in NZ as part of a set but not sold singly. I purchased a couple of Prisma blenders and a greyed Lavender off the internet this morning. My poor ol' eyes just aren't coping, what with imaginary shades and strobing grilles. And to think I thought the DB5 would be 'easy' - just a few shades of grey (well, Champagne Silver, actually). My only consolation is that Brett is having similar troubles with the SE5As - too many colours.

The grills... the grills!!

so sayeth Warwick after another 2 hr marathon round my place this evening.

The aston Martin grill is an opticalillusion re being straight... its NOT!
andb the colours are very subtle and not to be given to biting one..

The SE5a was pretty tricky too... layers upon layers of colour..

But we both agreed the new Prismacolor blender pencil was very very good!

and Warwick now needs to find a special texta purple/red/brown pencil thats un-named...heh

chocks away

The SE5as are coming on slowly as its been a busy week with the IPMS meeting, going out to a mates to check some d/loads and dealing with 1/43rd Trademe car sales...
no trademe sales but Ive taken advantage of an ebay offer for free auction listings over Christmas New Year and had a couple of sales there... woohoo..

heres the progress on the planes.

Found a few good colour shots of the Mk1 PDL Mustang and Moffats Monza so that electric blue muzzie might be next.... finally!

A new start

After a 2 week hiatus, Brett & I finally met over coffee & biscuits. Grotty day out - circulating air with a high moisture content, but at least it wasn't horizontal. Oh, and we did some drawing. Brett continued his flock of SE5As ...

... whilst I returned ET to the pending file and started... a car! Well, if Brett can draw WWI stringbags I can attempt a car, albeit a road car. The astute amongst you will recognise the numberplate - James Bond's gadget-laden Aston Martin DB5:

Subject Swap

sooo... 2 hours at Warwicks after 2 weeks absence..
and guess what, Im doing a plane and he's doing a car!!!

As I said before Im into a WW1 trio of Se5a's.. based on a montage of photos I took at the last Hood aerodrome air show...

Its coming along nicely I think.

Ill let Warwick tell you about his car...

Mustang Commission

Finally completed and to the clients enthusiastic appreciation...
Just proves you should Never Give Up!
The grass finally explained the lower body reflection and the logo filled in a large blank white space and balanced the whole composition.
Will make a great Christmas present I think!

Now onto a plane... WW1 plane I think.. an SE5a based on my own photo. Keep watching.

Mustang Mania

all of a sudden I have lots of sales...
4 Mustangs today...

 

and 8 prints last week too... plus I might have another commission...
wheeee.

Feilding calls...

No drawing this morning. Brett was at Manfield watching his loves running - not sure if his wife was with him or not.

I've been commissioned to do a drawing of a 617 Squadron Lancaster - very, very specific requirements that will need some careful research. Even the viewpoint of the Lanc has been specified. This will be a real challenge, but the beauty is I have the same passion for the concept as the guy who's asked me to draw it.

Nothing further from MSHT, but I hope we can come to an arrangement.

Trials and Tribulations # 1

Brett has alluded to some 'ups and downs' I have been experiencing...

On Friday, 29 October 2010 I contacted the Mainline Steam Heritage Trust (MSHT), owners of J1211 'Gloria', informing them that I had commenced a series of drawings of NZR locomotives and was wondered if they were interested in copies of J1211 'Gloria'. I received a reply from their Marketing & Operations Manager informing me that I did not have their permission to sell my prints of their locomotives on a commercial basis as they hold the rights to the locomotives. Apparently the MSHT actively pursue people who use images of their locomotives commercially. However, he did add that if I would like to use the images and sell them they would be happy to work out a commercial arrangement with me.

I had no idea I was infringing copyright and, of course, I have no desire to do so. Or get off-side with Mainline Steam as I get much pleasure from the efforts the members of the Trust undertake in keeping New Zealand's steam heritage available for all to enjoy. After all, they spend a fortune maintaining and running them.

I have opted to draw the locomotives because NZ steam holds an interest for me and, I think, a large number of New Zealanders as well as overseas visitors. My art work is not in the realms of David Shepherd or Terrence Cuneo but I do think I offer a slightly more personalised view of the locomotives depicted than a photograph does. I feel a painting/drawing to be more evocative than a photograph (although I have spent decades photographing NZ locomotives).

My drawings do not command much in the way of money & the sales volumes are very small so I'm not making a huge fortune. I would like to come to some arrangement with Mainline Steam (or any other owners for that matter) to acknowledge their ownership. I would be more than happy to include a royalty payment per print. As I've said, this is a low volume, low cost exercise but if my sales can contribute to MSHT in any way then I would be more than happy to be involved at that level.

To date I have had no response from Mainline Steam. Hopefully we can reach an agreement as I would like to continue drawing NZ Steam locomotives. Watch this space.

Eight for a mate

Good sale this week of a selection of 8 cars and planes to an old online racing friend.
Plus a rally car

and there's a couple with bids on the auction site coming up... THATS better!

Course I've already spent it on models and books but....

Big weekend next week.. Ww1 planes at masterton Saturday and classic car racing on Sunday. I'll need a day off after that!

muzzie progress

finally stole a half hour this evening and progressed the Stang.
I hope its Jade enough?

Finally sold the T70 Lola (Denny Hulme) to the Australian lady too so thats on its way tomorrow.

Warwick is selling bulk Aoteas too... those trains are going well!

all arms and angles

Finished the Anglia and it was purchased straight away... caught me on the hop a bit so have had to scan it asap.. In researching it I was contacted by the editor of a local well known magazine who may even do a wee news item on it.. could be useful.

now onto the Mustang, and maybe start a WW1 plane...

Warwicks had his ups and downs this week but Ill let him explain if he wishes..

Idol chatter

Pints? A few pints? Oh, you said prints. Damn.

I did drop off a framed version of J1211 at Capitol Books on Saturday, so...

I rather liked Elbow's Grounds for Divorce played by the Matinee Idolists and (from Chris Whitta's Labour Day National Program's morning program), Peter Gabriel's cover version of Elbow's Mirrorball. Ouroboros, anyone?

Idle chat

and dont forget the framed Vulcan Warwick... bought from Capital Books last week... Thats worth a few prints....

and hey... Matinee Idle is back on... Dead Puppies!!!

The Anglebox looks better..

Love it...

Brett has sold a Corsair and a PDL Mustang & I've just sold another J1211 Gloria....

A Labour of Love

Today was spent at Brett's. Just to be different. And that meant different biscuits - more chocolate based. Nice. Lots of swearing, too. Brett's finding the Mustang a real challenge, but I must admit that it's looking really good, despite the difficulty with coping with grass reflected in blue paintwork. At least it's not sky reflected in black paintwork. After an hour, he swapped to the black & white Anglia. More swearing. Monochromatic artwork is really different - there are many shades of grey (as my BR 9F proved) - but the Anglia is taking shape. I too resorted to a lot of swearing. Mainly because I hadn't taken my full set of pencils - just those yellows I thought I'd be needing. Silly boy. I didn't have the oranges, reds, or greys necessary to portray the weathered yellow safety livery that the front of the EM is painted in. But we managed 2 hours of good work, chocolate biscuits & some swearing. A labour day of loves.

Hard to image there's over two hours work just to produce a door and folded footplate...

Labour Day Looms

It the wednesday before Labour day and I finally sold another print. Been a slow couple of weeks for sure. Warwick has been cock a hoop with his 3 (count'em... THREE) sales of the new Train. (But I knew that one was a winner... Go Rick....)..

Anyway to offset the Muzzie (which is proving a 'difficult' colour as it reflects the grass, Ive started a quickie Black and white study of the Gary Sprague Anglia. V cool...

Yellow is the colour...

Another intensive session. Brett's persisting with the Mustang drawing although at times it seems a trial. He started this morning's session with a lot of swearing and cursing but soon settled down - may have been the superb coffee I brewed & the lemon biscuits he ate.


I've decided to draw a TranzMetro Ganz Mavag ET unit, possibly because it's mostly yellow and it will be a refreshing change from the recent reds and blacks.

'Nuff said...

It's not often I sell more than Brett, so I'll take this opportunity... two J1211 prints in 36 hours.

I see the spots on the visitor's map are growing - the Northern hemisphere is definitely outnumbering the Southern more than I would've expected since Brett & I are 'specialising' in NZ-themed vehicles (cars, planes & trains).

Arranged for Dave to generate a few J1211 prints - they're looking good. Pity the smaller versions on this page don't do them justice.

I managed to resolve my scanning issues (I had had to ask Brett to scan the FE 2B for me) by burrowing deep into the network & printer settings to over-ride the colour & A3 restrictions. After a discussion with Ray (who bought one of my RM30 prints) about the local (TranzMetro) passenger units I thought I might do a series of local trains. We'll have to see what Sunday brings - FE 2B, Sopwith Pup, Ganz Mavag EM or English Electric DM? I will definitely be drawing Cyclops and The Phoenix multiple units at some stage.

tuff couple of weeks

bugger all sales... 1 spitfire and possibly a framed McRae from the Barber shop in town (yet to be confirmed).
But Ive struggled on with the Muzzie and have more or less managed the wheels on the rear view now..

Did find a few nice black and whites to start maybe even at work at lunchtime... and got Warwick his new Fe 2B picture photo'd so he can scan it for a start. so not all doom and gloom but more sales would be cool!!!

Buggrit

A funny ol' day - cold & grey outside. Brett was a bit frustrated with his latest effort - kept muttering about lost Mojo's. I was frustrated as I hadn't managed to create an A3 sketch of my next aeroplane (an Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2b) so I 'finished' J1211 (at least the photo is a tad better)...


And here is Brett's Mustangs - you wouldn't believe just how much work goes into those wheels...

NZR J1211 'Gloria'

Forty NZR J class steam locomotives were all built by North British Locomotive Works, Scotland. The locomotive was notable in that it had a boiler that was partly streamlined. J1211 was purchased by a syndicate from NZR in 1971 and moved to Steam Incorporated's site at Paekakariki. In 1978, Ian Welch purchased it outright and moved it to Glenbrook Vintage Railway for restoration. J1211 is named 'Gloria' and has been fitted with original style streamlining. It was converted to oil firing in 1996. Here we see J1211 simmering in the afternoon sun.

Bugger me.

That was a very intensive drawing session! What with the background sounds of a couple of juvenile & neurotic lambs bleating next door, and an interview with Michael Caine on the National Programme, Brett and I hardly said a word to each other. It was just heads down and pencils pressing. I didn't look but I suspect our tongues were poking out, too. Two hours later we stopped - only to discover that our backs had locked in the sitting position and our legs had seized up.

So, Brett has started yet another wheel ("where's me special blue? What sort of yellow is that!"):



And I have discovered, yet again, that highly polished glossy black metal isn't black - it's an impossibly complex mix of reflective colours:

Slow week

no sales so far this week but have sent off the set of prints to Zoltan in Wanganui.
Wonder if they'll sell OK?

anyway, started the background on the Suzuki. Must admit Im never sure whether I should do backgrounds but this one seems a no brainer. It needs the sense of flying up a steep road. So this pic is in the early stages with a basic overlay of the painted background. Then will pencil over the top for detail...

We'll see how it goes I guess.

marketing

well well well...
contacted an art and picture framing place in Palmerston North today who sell racing car art from a  couple of similar artists. Seemed very keen to give my stuff a go as well.... May result in a few sales so definitely worth a punt.
Their address is: http://artandframing.digitalretail.co.nz/Products.aspx?path=Art+Shop/Auto+Art

Hope to see our art up there soon too eh?

Daylight slaving

A short day today - Daylight Saving kicked in at 2:00am this morning. Despite that, Brett and I spent a full two hours drawing. We were both pleased with the progress we made.

The first image for your delectation is Brett's Suzuki Grand Vitara:


followed closely by my streamlined Ja 1211 (although it's never going to win a 'race to the sky')...

It's too cold for Bananas

Okay. I hear you, Brett - here's a bad photo from a few days ago...



I've managed to find some Derwent pencils that will be useful in depicting locomotives as they are varying shades of grey-blue. I'm actually getting quite enthusiastic about this drawing - just wait until I post a decent version of the final image...

gone bananas again

two 5 pic sales this week plus a two-er plus two singles.. frick!
of course 2 of the 5 ship plane sale were warwicks and we did a great job (if I do say so myself) on darkening up the 109 and P-51. They looked great!
The Squark continues to sell well and Ole Dave has been great accomodating my timeframe and producing some very colour true prints.

and I even managed a couple of hours on the Suzy..  Now when is warwick gonna post a pic of that new Train. C'mon matey.. marketing!!!

Stormy Saturday

Not!  brilliant blue sky actually but was supposed to be a big storm...
Have done some on the Suzuki this week but slow going... Cant do drawing at Warwicks tomorrow as have been shanghied to go to a movie... in the morning!!!

have also started looking at the Skyhawk oil painting... decided I needed a clear purple so the warehouse stationery obliged.

also sold Warwicks mates mirror spitfire during the week. Thought it'd go well...

Raining Supreme

A wet day in Wellington - light vertical drizzle, no wind and mild enough to have the doors and windows open. Brett has started a new drawing (Monster Tajima's Grand Vitara Suzuki from the Silverstone Race to the Skies 2000) whilst I have continued with J1211. Coincidentally, another J (non-streamlined Ja1271) steamed it's way up the Hutt Valley this morning. I was alerted by the very distinctive chime whistle as it left Waterloo station and watched as the exhaust worked it's way northwards through the city. Presumably it's the Daffodil Express off to 'Middlerun', Gladstone in the Wairarapa. Bliss.

Slow Week

Just 1 sale this week... another Skyhawk...

But I busied myself by replacing the framed pics in Tracey's barber shop. She liked the idea of the Skyhawk as they have regular armed forces guys for haircuts. and we dropped the price substantially. We'll see I guess.
Also had an approach from the editor of a motor racing newsletter to use the new McRae in his next edition. Sure, why not, given the web site gets a plug.

started the Fahey Escort and discovered a nice shot of Monster Tajima's Suzuki in a mag so traced that too. Which one to start?  Leaning towards the Suzuki actually....

Busy week

Big order for 11 prints meant I had to rescan 3 drawings but they've come out good.
Also got an order from Graham mcraes nephews wife for the new GM1! And jeez it looks good as a print. And then gotta GM9 order as well.
Need it tho as my order for a hasegawa lotus 79 came in at modelcrafts so it's all good.

Looking forward to see war wicks new train when it's done tho.. Superb aspect, and practice makes perfect too. Should be a good seller!

Fathers Day

A cold day in Wellywood. Brett was lauding the Cantabrians for taking one for Wellington - I don't think any of us expected Christchurch to suffer from a 7.1 earthquake.

I continued the drawing of J1211...

...whilst Brett finished the McRae GM1 STP car...

... & then promptly started on another of his black and white series for his colouring-in book.

We were visited by Rowan, an old friend of mine, with some examples of his brilliant art form - laser cut personalised mirrors. He brought with him some Canon camera & Racing bike samples - these are really impressive - and gave a Spitfire to Brett (the black in the photo is actually the mirror surface).

STP

more colour appearing now and the logo is looking good...
9 prints this week.. keeping Ole Dave busy.. but its showing up the bad scans. Ive had to rescan 3 of them now.. different printing machines I guess.... very interesting tho..

Rainbow

just spread 'em out, Brett...


although I have to admit my current palette is just shades of dark grey and black with a splash of NZR red.

rainy sunday

Had to go to nieces for morning tea today so didnt get together with Warwick, nevertheless did a bit more on the McRae before lunch. The red is coming along nicely but will need an overall touchup/levelling before its done.

I also scored a new pencil case... A 5 tier case from the Plastic Box place in Lower hutt... allows me to colour code the pencils and spread them out a bit. working well so far...