Can Do Trio

"Can-Do Trio" Drawing Completed

Starting off with aircraft 61-0269, an EC-135, I begin to develop the values for the clouds.

I'm keeping my pencil work rather loose

Some of the tools I'm using: Staedtler pencils (not shown); 4B mechanical for finer details; Sakura electric eraser with an eraser nib sharpened with sandpaper to produce fine white detail; drafting brush and gray scale & value finder

Having drawn the tankers, I still work on the background. I usually go from left to right, so as not to smudge with my hand, but I started off in the middle and just worked outward as I pleased.

Completed value study for my painting

The value study compared to my prepped board for painting for
size comparison. The board is Masonite prepped with multiple layers
of gesso and sanded between layers for ultra smoothness.

Can Do Trio

The "Can Do Trio" represents a scene of two KC-135A (61-0305 and 58-0126) aircraft in refueling formation. The aircraft were based at Grissom AFB, IN back when it was an active USAF base.

I start the pencil study so that I can work out how I want the aircraft and atmosphere to look in my painting. The painting will be a 36" x 24" oil painting.

The sun will be in a little lower, during a very late afternoon position in front of the aircraft, at about a 1 o'clock position and slightly above the aircraft, illuminating their starboard sides. The shadow of the fueling tanker casting a long shadow of it's wing upon the receiver aircraft underneath it.