Painted Flight Jackets - Planes, Names, and Dames

[Bingo]

A2 nose art

Hi.
Here's a link to a couple of jackets i painted. As I've not mastered how to put em up here yet.
I put a blog up to show how i painted 'Incendiary Blonde,' on
www.blogger.com Look up A2 jacket nose art.

B x

 

[442RCT]

Hi.
Here's a link to a couple of jackets i painted. As I've not mastered how to put em up here yet.
I put a blog up to show how i painted 'Incendiary Blonde,' on
www.blogger.com Look up A2 jacket nose art.

B x

Hi Bingo, I tried the link for blogger.com, couldn't find your blog. [huh]
I did find this url for "Nose Art", but it wasn't very helpful. :eusa_doh:
http://richadamsfineart.blogspot.com/2010/05/more-anatomical-sketches.html

Can you post the url for your A2 Jacket nose art blog ?

Thanks

 

[442RCT]

My artist friend just finished the 15th AF tribute jacket commissioned by a friend of mine. He copied an 8th AF B-24 painted by Jerome Urbaniak and modified it to a 15th AF B-24. I'm going to have him change the color scheme of the tail to the 461st BG colors.
The jacket was painted to honor his friend, Robert S. Staples, who flew 20 missions with the 461st out of Torretta Field, Italy.
http://www.15thaf.org/49th_BW/461st_BG/index.htm

 

[Silver Dollar]

Oh yeah !! That 15th AF painting is b e a u teefull. You did a great job on that. :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[Silver Dollar]

I decided to resurrect this thread with a new B10 jacket I just about finished painting. I'll still need to do some touch up and a few minor details but it's essentially done. I got the jacket from At The Front in Kentucky. Here goes.

 

[Phantomfixer]

Very Nice Silver Dollar. I like the effect with the shading. Good color choices.

 

[Silver Dollar]

Thanks Phantom. I got the color and style of the lettering from an original Silver Dollar jacket. I definitely did not duplicate the original jacket art but it seemed that the 100th BG used a lot of white and blue on their jackets. They also used either the squadron insignia or the words Century Bombers in a cirlce with 100 inside. I'm still not sure if I'm going to add anything on the left side of the jacket. I'll probably add a set of wings but I think that will be about it.

 

[442RCT]

Nice job Silver Dollar, I like the lettering. Was painting on cloth easier or harder than on leather ? With leather if you make a little boo-boo, :eusa_doh: you can wipe and repaint or over paint the boo-boo and re-do.

 

[Silver Dollar]

Thanks 442. It's no Jerome U. painting (that guy still amazes me) but it can still stand with the original stuff. If I say so myself, it's better than the B 10's in the AF museum.

Yes, it was a bit harder because cloth has a grain and it wicks the moisture out of the paint if it's too thin or you put too much on in one area. Also, when you make a boo boo on cloth, you have to redesign that area and paint over the boo boo somehow. You can't wipe that stuff off. Another thing is that cloth has a grain to it that makes painting a really sharp edge a lot more difficult. The way I solved that problem was to add a dark outline to whatever is a light color like the white or the yellow. You don't see the rough edge with the black outline like you can with the white. What's good about painting on fabric is you don't have to sand the leather to suede before you can start painting so the paint won't chip off. I scrub the first coat of paint right into the threads so it's mechanically locked in. It may crack a bit depending on what kind of paint you use i.e. acrylic vs enamel or lacquer but you won't have chunks of paint falling off.

I also use some good acrylic paint, not the kind usually advertized for fabric. I use either Liquitex or Windsor Newton paint. The colors are outstanding and they mix very well. I don't use the premixed paint. I dilute the acrylic with water until the mix is only very slightly gooey, not runny at all. You can also use alcohol as a solvent but I don't use it because it evaporates too quickly in the pallet and on the brush and it wicks a heck of a lot more that just plain tap H2O. The rest is SOP

 

[442RCT]

I've painted a couple of patches just to paint something.
These are what I'd call 'theatre made' patches.

 

[Silver Dollar]

They look pretty good to me. Theater made, huh? I just do mine at home instead of in the theater. Too dark. lol

You guys really got me going. I'm putting a blood chit on the back of a khaki work shirt. It's a lot cheaper than buying jackets. I may do a bunch more with all kinds of nose art on them. I wonder if I could sell them. Seems like some of the military stuff is coming back into style.

 

[Parkpiper]

Amazing Artwork!

I have been reading through this thread for a while and am just blown away by artwork on these jackets! I never thought of myself as an A-2 type of guy but some of these photos have made me re-think my decision. You guys are amazing. Keep up the great work!

Adam

 

[442RCT]

I may do a bunch more with all kinds of nose art on them. I wonder if I could sell them.

SD, let me know what you decide to paint, I'd buy your work...

 

[442RCT]

I have been reading through this thread for a while and am just blown away by artwork on these jackets! I never thought of myself as an A-2 type of guy but some of these photos have made me re-think my decision. You guys are amazing. Keep up the great work!

Adam

That's how I started 'collecting' A-2 jackets. I loved the artwork on jackets and wanted one of my own, now have a couple dozen jackets.
I buy three categories of jacket;
(1) nice unpainted A-2 for EDW (every day wearing)
(2) Pre-painted / patched jacket - jackets 'decorated' by someone.
(3) Painters or patchers - generally inexpensive jackets bought for 'projects'.

The ironic thing I've found with pre-decorated jackets is that they sell for far less than an untouched jacket. What's on a decorated jacket is generally a personal choice. A used ELC or Aero may fetch $ 400-500 but $100 less, if it's been painted, which is good for guys like me who like pre-painted jackets.

 

[Spitfire]

Just a heads up.
My more than 10 year old AVIREX is up for sale.
See more in Classified.

 

[Silver Dollar]

WOW. I remember those from years ago. That brings back a lot of memories.

 

[Spitfire]

WOW. I remember those from years ago. That brings back a lot of memories.

Yep - pure nostalgia!

 

[Silver Dollar]

It was that particular nose art that started me off on painting in the first place. One of the earlier jackets I did was the same Varga girl but with her looking in the opposite direction.

 

[Mr. K.L.Bowers]

When I was still in High School, (1970), I found a painted flight jacket in a 2nd hand / rummage store. I was so excited I grabbed it off the rack and tried it on. I crossed my arms to check the fit and RRRRRIIIIIIIIIIPPPPPPPPP! The back opened up. I ruined a real piece of history in less than two seconds.

I quietly put it back on the rack and split.

 

[PoohBang]

When I was still in High School, (1970), I found a painted flight jacket in a 2nd hand / rummage store. I was so excited I grabbed it off the rack and tried it on. I crossed my arms to check the fit and RRRRRIIIIIIIIIIPPPPPPPPP! The back opened up. I ruined a real piece of history in less than two seconds.

I quietly put it back on the rack and split.

don't feel bad, a true leather flight jacket from wwii doesn't have a split back, it's one piece...