Bill Thaw/Lafayette Escadrille color study

[Russell Smith]

Here is a new one to the mix. Commissioned by a close relative of Bill Thaw, it depicts Thaw presenting the "new" Indian head logo to Thenault as Cpl Suchet looks on. No name as of yet.

(Backstory: Bill Thaw, one of the founding members of the Lafayette Escadrille, is credited with the idea of using the now famous Indian Head as the squadron logo. After seeing the logo used on a box of ammunition from the Savage Arms company, he had Cpl Suchet paint the logo on a Nieuport. Pretty soon, it adorned all of the Escadrille aircraft).

This is the color study for the painting (which isn't started yet). It needs some changes before I commit to the larger canvas. Most notably the hangar in the background (and the Caudron within) needs to be moved to the right so that it doesn't come behind Thaw's head. His face will stand out more with the dark treeline behind it rather than the hangar.

i may move Thaw slightly to the left as well so that his hand and arm connect a little more with the Inddian head. That would strengthen that line up to his face. I may glaze a little exhaust smoke into the background to subdue it a little. The client has also requested that the sky not look quite so "ominous".

For some reason, this one was a headache to color correct this morning, so what you see onscreen isn't quite "there" in relation to the real thing. We'll call it "pretty darn close", though. Doesn't really matter anyway as the colors will be tweaked again in the final version.

Russ

[egbert]

Another perfect one

[spike10764]

Just seen this- brilliant....