Ship paintings

[Canute]

Been there, done that, Lou. "Do you know where you are?" "Well, kinda"

[Vegaskip]

I was asked if I could put up a 'How I do it' series 

here it is hope it helps

jim

[lmagna]

2 hours ago, Canute said:

"Do you know where you are?" "Well, kinda"

I ALWAYS know where I am, I just don't always now how to get to where THERE is Ken!

 

On the other hand My wife is lucky if she can find her way across the street and back!

 

Jim, do you have an average time it takes you to make and average painting? It seems like you are a little like Bob Ross, cranking out another beautiful rendition every day or two! Also I can't help but wonder what you use as inspiration for each painting. They seem to run the gamut from aircraft to ships, calm weather to storms, modern to ancient. 

Edited January 31, 2019 by lmagna

[michaelpsutton2]

It's really amazing to see the development up from the conception sketch. Is the white on the sails, hull and foam still watercolor? I am guessing the sky/sea is a watercolor wet on wet blended technique. Thanks for the  demo

[Vegaskip]

This painting and similar, I usually do in an afternoon, 2 to 4 hours. Size  A3 about 15” X 11” some times it will run over into the next day for an hour or so. I seldom do preliminary sketches , I usually know what I want and can build on it as I go. I am not a 'Water Colourist' I just use watercolour paints. White, I use gouache. I don’t know much about the technical stuff. Nor the fancy named paints. Mine are, light, medium and dark, I don’t mix up umpteen colours to get Black, I use Payne’s Grey or black if I have it. Mistakes, if bad I dump it and start againusualy different setting. Minor just wet and dab out.

hope it helps.

jim

[Vegaskip]

I don’t know if I’ve posted this before.

A bit of American Heritage 
Ships of John Paul Jones's squadron pass the river Forth estuary. Later, they were involved in the battle of Flamburgh Head.
L to R Le Cerf , Pallas, Bonhomme Richard and Vengeance, September 1779
Jim

PS the ships are my own interpretation.

 

[Vegaskip]

The Ship Derwent in Capetown Docks from a photo taken by one of her crew. The red building is now a 'posh' hotel.
Commissioned by a descendant of the man who took the photo
Acrylic on Stretched canvas 18” X 12”ish
Jim

 

[Vegaskip]

Display 

Here is the finished Dunkeld Cathedral and the Scottish Horse dicplay. Features the painting of the Lynx Helicopter over the Cathedral. Regiment Cap Badge. Army Air Corps flashes, regimental Tartan and Blazer badge.
And for those who missed the original post. The history of the SH.
The Scottish Horse was a Yeomanry regiment of the British Army's Territorial Army raised in 1900 for service in the Second Boer War. It saw heavy fighting in both the First World War, as the 13th Battalion, Black Watch, and in the Second World War, as part of the Royal Artillery. It amalgamated with the Fife and Forfar Yeomanry to form the Fife and Forfar Yeomanry/Scottish Horse in 1956. The regiment also became part of the Army Air Corps 655 Squadron. 6th Regiment AAC. Originally raised around the village of Dunkeld the regiment's colours and archives are kept at Dunkeld Cathedral. The painting was commissioned by one of the keepers of the archives, it shows a Lynx Helicopter of 655 Sqdn AAC flying near Dunkeld Cathedral. 

[Vegaskip]

Dredging 

Shipping in an Estuary early 20th century.

jim

[Vegaskip]

Lower Thames

Dredger and a Hay Barge.

16.5” X 11.5” watercolour 

jim

[jud]

One seldom thinks about Hay, but within all industrial City's or Port's that become crowded populate centers, Hay is the fuel that kept the Draft Animals working. Without that hay the citizens would need to move back into a rural setting, industry at a large scale would have disappear, replaced by the local Black Smith, Millers, Harness Makers and a few others there to support the rural needs, there would have been few laborers because the majority would be working on small holdings to feed themselves and selling only in small units. Hay is what fed and supported early industry. Like your work, surprising how that work reveals History seldom considered, is that your unspoken intent or is it one heck of a good accident. Looking forward to your next offering.

 

 

[Vegaskip]

1 hour ago, jud said:

One seldom thinks about Hay, but within all industrial City's or Port's that become crowded populate centers, Hay is the fuel that kept the Draft Animals working. Without that hay the citizens would need to move back into a rural setting, industry at a large scale would have disappear, replaced by the local Black Smith, Millers, Harness Makers and a few others there to support the rural needs, there would have been few laborers because the majority would be working on small holdings to feed themselves and selling only in small units. Hay is what fed and supported early industry. Like your work, surprising how that work reveals History seldom considered, is that your unspoken intent or is it one heck of a good accident. Looking forward to your next offering.

 

 

The history part is intended. I also try to depict little known maritime events, and the humbler work a day vessels. You didn’t mention the end product of all that Hay. With several hundred thousand horses in London, it had to be moved. A lot of it went back to the farms it came from as fertilisers, not the most popular cargo!?

jim

[lmagna]

Used hay is still a unpopular yet profitable and necessary commodity.

 

LOVE your paintings Jim. I'm always looking forward to the next installment.

[Vegaskip]

No particular shipwreck, but everything is based on many similar events.
16” X 11” w/c 

[michaelpsutton2]

If I understand correctly the concept behind the paintings is not some photograph? I am truly impressed. The paintings look like they have been agonized over for day. To be able to go from the mind to such a completely articulated vision!!

[vossiewulf]

2 hours ago, michaelpsutton2 said:

If I understand correctly the concept behind the paintings is not some photograph? I am truly impressed. The paintings look like they have been agonized over for day. To be able to go from the mind to such a completely articulated vision!!

(Artist hat on) All of them are composed and executed well with good dynamic range, and they just feel lively and have good motion to them. I'd buy prints

 

Edited February 18, 2019 by vossiewulf

[Vegaskip]

Sometimes it is a photograph that sparks an idea. Or something I read about and try to 'illustrate'it.

 The previous ones of low flying a/c were commissioned by an enthusiast who had seen the actual event.

 He supplied photos of the locations, I also 'google earthed' it. Using photos of a/c from the squadrons, and where practical inserting the side numbers, serials, etc. I would say, half the fun is the research. Well actually that’s wrong one third, the fun is the research. Another third, the painting. And the last the look on the 'commissioner's' face.(so far I’ve been lucky, they have liked them!) 

When I started the wreck, I knew I wanted a square rigger, a lifeboat and a Tug. I wasn’t sure about the composition so painted the 'setting' first.(see pic). After looking at it for a while, I put in the ship, then the lifeboat then finally the Tug. I thought about a Rocket Rescue Unit from the cliffs but decided not to. 

Jim

[Vegaskip]

Hospital Ship UGANDA with a Chinook Helicopter unloading casualties off the Falkland Islands In 1982 while a Royal Navy WESSEX awaits its turn 
W/C 16” X 11”
Jim

[schiffebastler]

I have looked at all your posts here, these are really fantastic pictures that you show us here. I can't keep up with my own pictures. I'm looking forward to the next update.

Regards Joachim

[Vegaskip]

Murmansk

“It’s not over till the 'Fat Lady' sings” After Fighting it’s way across thousands of miles of hostile ocean, Russian Convoys still had to endure frequent air attacks. The 'Front Line' was less than 50 miles from Murmansk
W/C 16” X 11”
Jim

 

[ken@southside]

On 2/21/2019 at 8:30 PM, Vegaskip said:

Hospital Ship UGANDA with a Chinook Helicopter unloading casualties off the Falkland Islands In 1982 while a Royal Navy WESSEX awaits its turn 
W/C 16” X 11”
Jim

 

[ken@southside]

Jim,

 

I returned to the UK from the Falklands on SS Uganda,  my unit was the last unit to return by sea before the airport at Stanley re-opened.  I wonder if it is the same ship?

[Vegaskip]

It would be. After the war, she was chartered by HMG and converted for Trooping. I think she did about 6 trips.

jim

[ken@southside]

Hi Jim,

 

Brings back a lot of memories.  We boarded in the Falkland Sound using pontoons and disembarked by Wessex on the Ascension Island, all 600 plus.  Your work does it justice and very true to life.  Thank you.

 

Ken

[Sea Hoss]

Great work! You portray a "feeling" as well as a visual...I also work with water colors, although I have mostly directed my efforts doing portraiture, both human and animal. People love them and they make great gifts.

[J11]

These are wonderful and you have fabulous talent! Do you have any "American Civil War ship paintings"? Would love to see some of those also. Thank you very much for sharing. 

[Vegaskip]

Thank you all for your comments 

jim

[Vegaskip]

2 hours ago, Jonathan11 said:

These are wonderful and you have fabulous talent! Do you have any "American Civil War ship paintings"? Would love to see some of those also. Thank you very much for sharing. 

Sorry I don’t have any. However you have planted a seed!. So far it is a period I haven’t really looked at, so you never know.

jim

[Vegaskip]

On 2/26/2019 at 8:39 AM, Jonathan11 said:

These are wonderful and you have fabulous talent! Do you have any "American Civil War ship paintings"? Would love to see some of those also. Thank you very much for sharing. 

Sorry I don’t have any. However you have planted a seed!. So far it is a period I haven’t really looked at, so you never know.

jim

Fishing on the Grand Banks

jim

Edited February 28, 2019 by Vegaskip

[cog]

I've got a question. Since it's mostly water colour, the white horses on the sea and the white in the clouds, is it gouache or acrylic?