I am often asked "How long does it take you to complete a painting?". The answer to that question can vary, depending on the type and purpose of each painting. Quite often, I meet people who are under the misconception that a painter simply steps up to a canvas, begins painting, and within a short period of time emerges from the studio with a finished work of art. This may be the case with more conteporary styles of painting, but for a representational artist such as myself, the creation of a finished oil painting is a long and sometimes tedious process. Depending on the purpose and complexity of the painting, the process can take weeks, or even months, from start to finish. Some paintings, such as The Morning Job are only intended to be aircraft portraits - paintings that are only meant to highlight the lines of a particular aircraft. From the beginning concept sketches to the finished painting, these usually only take a few weeks to complete. Other paintings, particularly those historical narratives in which I am depicting a specific event, can involve much more preparation and can take several months to complete.

One concept that I often try to stress to younger artists is know the subject. An artist should have an in-depth knowledge of his or her chosen subject. The artist should be familiar with such things as: the subject's historical background (if applicable); the underlying structure of the subject; how the subject looks in a given environment; how light behaves on the surfaces and textures associated with the subject. This knowledge can be applied towards the creation of strong and fudamentaly sound artwork.

Although my ultimate goal on a painting is to create an aethetically pleasing work of art, I also strive to create narratives that are historically correct. Thus, my work requires that I be part artist, part amateur historian. Much of the beginning stages of a project are consumed with historical research, and I have been fortunate to work with some of the top WW1 Aviation Historians to ensure accuracy in my work.

The following article provides a general walk-through of my approach to painting historical aviation subjects. Although I continuously modify my approach in order to find better methods that help me improve my work, this should give you a general idea of what goes into the creation of a painting.

Introduction - My Approach
Step 1 - The Idea and the Research
Step 2 - Deciding on the Composition
Step 3 - Drawing the Aircraft - part 1
Step 4 - Drawing the Aircraft - part 2
Step 5 - Fine Tuning the Composition
Step 6 - Adding Color
Step 7 - Putting It On Canvas
Step 8 - Bringing it to Life
Step 9 - The Finishing Touches