One of my neighbours has just celebrated his 100th birthday and I wanted to paint him something special. He served on RAF rescue launches in world war two fishing downed pilots out of the English Channel. However there aren’t too many pictures to work from - there was a Pathe news film about them and Airfix honoured them by making a kit of their boats.
I didn’t want my painting to look like the Airfix Artwork but I did like the angle Roy Cross used as it showed more of the superstructure which helped me get the proportions right. More importantly I didn’t want my work just to be a copy I wanted it brighter more 3 dimensional and set on the Sussex coast with details for the specific launch (190) that my neighbour served on.
I started with the sky just a simple combination of two blues with a few wisp[y clouds inspired by seascapes of the channel and then added in some stylised cliffs along the coast between Brighton and Eastbourne. Getting the sea right was done with greens on the surface of the waves facing towards me with the reverse slopes in more of a blue as they would reflect the sky.
Then the trouble started. I could not get the launch to look like it was cutting through the waves properly to give an impression of the 36 knots she could do. What helped here is that my neighbour had that Airfix kit and he asked me to make this up. the shape of the hull is not obvious but seeing it in 3d really helped ..
I also found my initial attempts at the superstructure were to flat - exactly what I was trying to avoid. Also these launches changed over time with more guns and shrapnel protection being added so getting the details right was hard as well.
Finally I even had trouble finishing up because I’d used some diluted acrylic washes and these moved when applied excellent Liquitex varnish I use so note to self next time dilute with acrylic thinners :-(
However I am pretty pleased with the results of three days effort, but I don’t see me applying for a job with Airfix to do their box art!
they sea shall not have them
and now I have completed the model less rigging..
