My latest aviation artwork

[Dave Homewood]

Some time ago I had a vision of an artwork I really wanted to produce. It was of an RNZAF Lockheed Hudson flying low over the New Zealand coast, just crossing the beach. And the picture would be framed by pohutukawa trees.

I had a go at producing this nvision' with paint and paper, but the result was a total disappointment. I then decided to give it a go another way, using the computer. So here is the result, not great at all but a hell of a lot better than my painted attempt, believe me!

The Hudson is from a photo of the RAAF one at Temora which I found on airliners.net, which has been given a Pacific Blue coat of camouflage and an attempt at RNZAF operational roundels over the existing US Stars and Bars of the photo.

The shoreline is a complete composite from many different photos, so believe me this palce doesn't exist in reality, but I think is kind of representative of a North Island east coast scene, Coromandel way, or maybe Northland coast.

The results were then adapted to simulate watercolour as best I could.

Anyway, here it is.

[Dave Homewood]

For anyone interested here's the composite before it was made into a "painting"

[Dave Homewood]

Here is another I threw together, supposed to be No. 3 GR Squadron Hudsons at Whenuapai

[Dave Homewood]

And a variation on that theme, I call it Dawn Patrol

[Dave Homewood]

OK, so the ones above were not that great, but I hope I'm improving a little with each attempt. I have just completed another, this time Hudsons in the tropics, with the Pacific Blue and NZ Green camouflage. Again this is all from photos sourced on the net and adapted quite a bit through manipulation with Paint Shop Pro 7. The scene is inspired by a number of photos and Maurice Conly's artwork. I hope you like it.

[Dave Homewood]

Here's the scene before made to look like a painting

[Dave Homewood]

Here's a Vildebeest I just did, colourised from black and white and put back in its element

[stephen]

Hi Dave ...why not try some artwork on the whenuapai early morning departure of Hudsons to the pacific...oh,,by the way i think the vildebeest work is the pic of this work...excellent... the hudson over the beach is a little low ..don't you think...however there is a very kiwi feel to the beach scene

[Dave Homewood]

Cheers Stephen.

Yeah, the more I look at the first one, the more I hate it. I will try again on that one I think when I get in the mood.

I am really happy with the Vilde since it comes from an old prewar b&w photo.

My favoutie is the tropical Hudson scene though, it could use a little more work when i get onto it, but I just love the Hudsons... as you can tell.

The original thought for the Brown and Green Hudsons was to attempt to recreate that very scene you describe, the early morning departure. I'd like to attempt it, this was a dummy run of sorts. However I can't find any photos of Whenuapai airfield. Has anyone got any? It doesn't really matter if there's a plane on the paddock somewhere, any general shots of the landscape are required please.

I'd like to find some nice coloured flying shots of Venturas to dabble with them too. has anyone got shots of the RAAF Museum one when it was flying? Or any Venturas that may have been flying recently in the USA?