"Tiger's Revenge" & the pilot's story behind air combat art

[Skyraider3D]

Hi all! Here is my latest artwork: "Tiger's Revenge"

http://skyraider3d.military-meshes.com/gallery/TigersRevenge/TigersRevenge_800_web.jpg

Earlier this year I was commissioned to make an artwork for veteran P-51 Mustang pilot Lt. William S. "Tiger" Lyons, who flew with the 357th FS/355th FG during World War 2. I had the pleasure of interviewing Mr Lyons over the telephone and pick his brain on his experiences over Germany during 1944/45. He told me about several air battles in which he took part, and I decided to portray the one in which he scored his second victory, on 9 February 1945. Rather than telling you what happened, I have added a cropped sound recording from this interview, in which Mr Lyons vividly describes his air battle with a German Messerschmitt 109! On this day he was flying wingman for Lt. Edward J. Moroney. Click the image below to download or listen to the sound recording.

http://skyraider3d.military-meshes.com/gallery/TigersRevenge/TigersRevenge_audio.jpg (http://skyraider3d.military-meshes.com/gallery/TigersRevenge/TigersRevenge_audio.mp3)

The "Tiger's Revenge" artwork was presented to Mr Lyons during the 355th Fighter Group reunion by Peter Randall of the Little Friends website (http://www.littlefriends.co.uk/), last October in Philadelphia. Here is a photo of Mr Lyons signing the prints (http://www.littlefriends.co.uk/news-home.php). Below a photo of Mr Lyons holding one of the prints:

http://skyraider3d.military-meshes.com/gallery/TigersRevenge/TigersRevenge_Lyons.jpg

Mr Lyons signed twenty large canvas prints for me, which are available here:
http://www.digitalaviationart.com/tigersrevenge_le.html
The prints are museum-quality giclee canvas prints at approximately A2 size.
If interested, don't wait too long - there are only seven pilot-signed prints left!
For those interested in a more affordable print, normal prints are available here as well:
http://www.digitalaviationart.com/tigersrevenge.html


For those interested in seeing how "Tiger's Revenge" was made, I have created a video which shows the buildup of the layers, which resulted in the final artwork. A high and low quality Quicktime has been uploaded. Hopefully it will be of interest:

http://skyraider3d.military-meshes.com/gallery/TigersRevenge/TigersRevenge_QT_high.jpg (http://skyraider3d.military-meshes.com/gallery/TigersRevenge/TigersRevenge_QT_high.mov) http://skyraider3d.military-meshes.com/gallery/TigersRevenge/TigersRevenge_QT_low.jpg (http://skyraider3d.military-meshes.com/gallery/TigersRevenge/TigersRevenge_QT_low.mov)


Last but definitely not least, "Tiger's Revenge" is currently exhibited in the Military Aviation Museum in Soesterberg, The Netherlands, amongst more aviation art by Wiek Luijken, John Wallin and myself. For the three of us this is our first exhibition, and needless to say we're very proud of this milestone in our aviation art careers! Many thanks to Wiek and the museum for making this possible.

http://skyraider3d.military-meshes.com/gallery/MLM_expo01.jpg

http://skyraider3d.military-meshes.com/gallery/MLM_expo02.jpg

[Martocticvs]

That's fabulous mate! One of your best yet I think. The build-up anim is a nice touch as well.

[Danoku]

Ronnie sincere thanks not only for a wonderful piece of work but for the audio and quicktime. The fact that all the contributors here are so giving of there time and frankly of there work for no other reason than to help others work, it is what makes this forum so wonderful to me. thank you.



...skyraider...

:lol:

[Galgot]

Tadaaaa ! VERY NICE !!!
So that was the one you was hiding :) Very cool.
And the Quicktime very impressing also. Say, did you "painted" that 109 ? Or is it a model ? From what i see it looks more like u've done the silhouette , then added details...Anyway it looks good.
I knew there was some "customisation" for Mustangs rearview mirrors ,but never saw these kinds, funny...

[MagnumHB]

Great image and presentation Ronnie. The QT and audio are very cool.

[digiartist]

nice mate! This is my second favourite of your Mustang renders behind 'Little Friends'.....nice presentation too

[Evan]

Great stuff (artwork, audio, video and presentation) Ronnie! Very nice bunch of goodies...Thanks!

[Hitori Kyo]

great work! Thanks for sharing this.

- Hitori kyo

[Big Red 11]

Say, did you "painted" that 109 ?

I was wondering that too.

Awesome job. I absolutely love the "full effect" of the piece - both the making of and the story behind it. Brilliant job on including the audio.

[Buelliful]

Very, very, nicely done Ronnie! :eek: Just being able to hear the story behind the lovely image you portray is wonderful.

Excellent work and thank you for sharing it all with us in this way.:salute:

[kevjon]

Great image Skyraider, I really like this one !

[cobra6]

Nice work. Looking at the video I see different stages of detail and lighting. Do you render each "part" individual, like the pilot and the markings and stuff?

Cobra 6

[peter]

Lovely image Ronnie! And thanks for sharing this image:) Now I feel I'm full of gun powder:)

[bmcaff]

Wow Ronnie.. I think this is by far the most perfect image you have done. It's great to see some great depth and though behind a 3D work. The layer build-up movie was very interesting as well. Keep it up mate.

[kiwi123]

Great background research and you must have felt so proud when you saw the pilot sign it !

The image isn't your best imho, that's still Daddy's Girl. This one desperately needs some highlight to break up the dark big mass of grey. It would really lift out the mustang if you would add that. But that's just my feel of course. It is still good, don't get me wrong.

Interesting way of doing the 109 as well.

[Lukem]

This is the best mustang render I've seen (I can't remember 'Daddies Girl' ATM) - awesome work and thanks for the video mate!

[Skyraider3D]

Thanks very much for the replies, guys!

Alright seems I owe you a little bit of an explanation on how I did that 109! :)
Basically it's a very elaborate photo edit, as I haven't modelled a 109 yet. Well not a 3D one that is, as I modelled a 1:48th scale plastic kit of the 109. I then photographed the unpainted grey plastic model and edited this photo until I could use it as an overlay layer. So that's where the highlights and shadows come from. It was quicker than modelling a low-detail 3D model, but it wasn't as quick as I hoped for and a lot of hours went into assembling, photographing and especially editing the model. But I feel it did the trick and may use this technique again in the future, though never for the main subject of course! :)


I absolutely love the "full effect" of the piece - both the making of and the story behind it. Brilliant job on including the audio.Thanks. That was precisely the effect I wanted to go for. More than 'just another Mustang image' :)
The audio was a little challenge in itself, trying to bring down 70+ minutes of interview into a more postable piece, without my mumbling interupting it and of course without losing the line of the story. Another evening well spent! ;)


I can't remember 'Daddies Girl' ATMIt's in my avatar!;)

[Archetype]

i still dont like the shading on the ME

the rest is awesome though

[fox51]

I need to remodel my mustang ...repaint the texture...after seeing your latest work;) ;)

[jkbon]

Very nice picture !

Just one thing, what is on the moving part of the canopy :err: a third mirror ? :confused:

[franken_johan]

Nice overall presentation and very nice render!

For me the blue in the top-right corner is just too dark. It works for drama but doesn't match your realistic ground-scenery.

[Mirko]

:eek: ......W O W !
Congratulations Ronnie! Beautiful image. I love it!!!
:salute:

[Lukem]

It's in my avatar!;)

Hah! That'll teach me to open my eyes!:)

I prefer 'Tiger's Revenge' personally.

[Skyraider3D]

Many thanks, guys!


I think this is by far the most perfect image you have done.Thanks! Personally I also feel this is my best image to date. Perhaps the Daddy's Girl one is more dynamic and the Little Friends one more atmospheric, but from a technical point of view this one is a good step forwards. Much more detail, more historic research, higher resolution, etc...
The Mustang model itself has evolved a good bit since Little Friends (2004) and its texture and materials in particular have improved a lot since then. All the experienced gained with the Mustang will be put in my Corsair (http://www.military-meshes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=121) model, which already has a lot more geometry detail and the textures will be of a much higher resolution as well. It will get full rivetting, full stencilling and I may attempt to create a fully photorealistic image, although I have to say this is not my goal per se! My main goal is to make eye catching aviation art, with a strong historic background and technical accuracy.


I noticed some confusion about the rearview mirrors. Originally "Tiger's Revenge" was delivered with one rearview mirror on the sliding part of the canopy, mounted underneath a transparent aerodynamic fairing. But as was common practise with the 357th FS, two Spitfire mirrors were mounted on the windshield, the centre mirror being removed shortly afterwards. At the time of this air battle, both the Spitfire mirrors had been added, but it is possible the centre mirror hadn't been removed yet. Since Bill Lyons couldn't remember, we agreed to go with all three mirrors, as it adds a nice bit of detail. Judging from your replies, it certainly attracted attention! ;)

Here are two photos of the real "Tiger's Revenge":
http://www.littlefriends.co.uk/gallery.php?Group=355&Style=item&origStyle=list&Item=26&Temp=261&searchString=
http://www.littlefriends.co.uk/gallery.php?Group=355&Style=item&origStyle=list&Item=27&Temp=261
This photo was taken shortly after the aircraft being delivered to the unit. Still shiny and new and without the customised rearview mirrors.


Do you render each "part" individual, like the pilot and the markings and stuff?Some of the layers in the Quicktime are just to show some of the work done in 3D. My PSD doesn't contain a wireframe layer for instance, but I thought it was interesting to add.
The pilot was what I call photo bashed. Basically I rendered out my 20th-century vintage pilot moel, which looks terrible, then added in several edited photographs to turn him into a realistic pilot. For this purpose I use airshow photos, but occassionally also pictures from sites like Ebay, to scrape together all the bits and pieces I need. Helmet, goggles, mask, Mae West, flightsuit, etc... One day in the future I will create a new pilot model, but until then it's gonna be a combination of a crappy 3D model and some photo bashing :)
I believe on the old forum, before the big server crash, I showed a step-by-step image of how I photobashed the pilot on the Little Friends image. I am afraid I've lost this image, but perhaps somebody still has it...?

[kevjon]

Posted by Skyraider
I believe on the old forum, before the big server crash, I showed a step-by-step image of how I photobashed the pilot on the Little Friends image. I am afraid I've lost this image, but perhaps somebody still has it...?

I'm pretty certain I still have it, will have a look tonight and email you.

[krazycolin]

well.... it's nice.,.. but... i do agree with Kiwi that it's too grey massish....

and it reminds me somehow of another 3d model of a phantom.... but i can't remember.....

a 1/48 scale model of a 109, ey? isn't that ... cheating???

:D

[Supah]

Strange how tastes can differ ronnie :) This one is nice but I like your previous Mustang images better. Something about the composition just isnt as great as the others :) But then again tastes differ!

[Skyraider3D]

Of course it's personal taste, but I personally disagree with the grey mass comments. I think the shadow side shows lots of nice detail and reflections. I particularly like how the wingroot came out. Mustangs weren't mirrors you know and since this wasn't the most elaborately decorated machine, it was a bit of a "grey mass" in real life! :D


isn't that ... cheating???
I don't think so. Are we prohibited of using photo editing for the backgrounds now? There was more proper artwork involved making the 109 look good than doing the reflections on the Mustang ;)
In the end it's the final result that counts, whatever the medium. The main subject is 100% 3D so it still firmly classifies as 3D art, me thinks. I'd have loved to make a fully detailed 3D model of the 109 (and no doubt I will too, in the future), but there simply wasn't time.


I'm pretty certain I still have it, will have a look tonight and email you.Thanks very much, Kevin!
I've attached the image. Here's the text that came with it:
I take my 3D render of the basic 3D pilot from max, paint out the face, then substitute with photographs. In this case three different pictures were used:
(1) photo of airshow pilot
(2) colourised photo of actual pilot's face (remember it was for a veteran)
(3) some wool picture from the web, edited to make a collar
Then I added the shadow from the windshield back on his face and did the rest of the post processing as I normally would.
PS. No worries, the pilot now has an oxygen mask hose too ;)

[Capt.FlushGarden]

Dude, sweet yo! seen this printed on the wall too, makes a good picture ;)

I must say you suck balls tho cause yo forgot propeller manufacture markings, how stupid can you be? the ignorance of skipping them is making me all red faced...you're so arrogant...

NO but wicked job man, now do a fw 190!

[Skyraider3D]

LOL! :lol:

Fw 190 is on the menu, but not till later this year.

[kiwi123]

Quite funny how you managed to become the first 3d artist ever to be featured on the frontpage of CGtalk with a plastic kit...hahahaha

[Skyraider3D]

LOL yeah they did manage to make a very effective crop there! :lol:

[Galgot]

Hehe... Yes saw your Hasegawa 109 on CGTalk header yesterday. Congrat !:D

[Skyraider3D]

Hasegawa 109Worse, it was a 1979 Revell model I got off ebay for 3 quid! :lol:
I told you it needed alot of work! ;)

[Supah]

Of course it's personal taste, but I personally disagree with the grey mass comments. I think the shadow side shows lots of nice detail and reflections. I particularly like how the wingroot came out. Mustangs weren't mirrors you know and since this wasn't the most elaborately decorated machine, it was a bit of a "grey mass" in real life! :D



A bit of wisdom most artists, texturers and warbird owners don't understand. Everytime I see one of these super polished planes it makes me cringe. Do people honestly believe that operational machines looked like mirrors? When the thing flies everyday on a 6 hour mission to berlin from places like Fowlmere, supposedly a grass runway but in winter that soon became a mud runway, and you need all your time to keep it operational would a mechanic really spend another 5 hours polishing it to a high gloss? I don't think so :) Keep it a "Grey mass" ronnie, I think it looks more realistic that way.

BTW ronnie, what are you thoughts about modding this into a P-51K and doing some KNIL birds? I have a good book about them and wouldn't mind scanning stuff for you :)

[kiwi123]

I wasn't talking about your materials at all. I was talking about breaking up the grey mass with a rim light or something along those lines

[Skyraider3D]

BTW ronnie, what are you thoughts about modding this into a P-51K and doing some KNIL birds? I have a good book about them and wouldn't mind scanning stuff for youThanks for the offer. The K is pretty much identical when the prop is running, and yes I do intend to do a Dutch one as well - one with a nice shark mouth. If you've got any good photos of those... please! :)


As for breaking up the dark side with a bit of light... it would just look like a flying spotlight. I wouldn't know where this light should come from and I feel it would just look "odd". Also don't forget there's the propeller blade making it darker as well, its position being pre-defined by the fact I didn't want to obscure the nose art. I'm happy with the way it looks, and it's too late to change it now, but thanks for the suggestion anyway :)

[pccdtk]

Beautiful posture !!! Olso , thank's for *.mov realisation tips ....

[Supah]

Thanks for the offer. The K is pretty much identical when the prop is running, and yes I do intend to do a Dutch one as well - one with a nice shark mouth. If you've got any good photos of those... please! :)


As for breaking up the dark side with a bit of light... it would just look like a flying spotlight. I wouldn't know where this light should come from and I feel it would just look "odd". Also don't forget there's the propeller blade making it darker as well, its position being pre-defined by the fact I didn't want to obscure the nose art. I'm happy with the way it looks, and it's too late to change it now, but thanks for the suggestion anyway :)


Hi Ronnie,

I believe the one you are talking about actually was a D model. They used the D and the K together in indonesia. I'll scan the pictures this afternoon :)

[Skyraider3D]

Scan received, thanks Lieuwe :)

[Skyraider3D]

In response to... http://www.military-meshes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=902 :p

There's a good few things that need fixing, mate.

For the Mustang...
- no Hamilton Standard logo on the propeller blades
- panel lines look a bit big on the wing, the Mustang had a laminar flow wing, you know
- the surface is too shiny, the natural metal finish was quite dull in reality
- the hole on the tip of the spinner isn't dark enough
For the 109...
- are you sure it's a G-10, not a K-4
- it seems to be lacking any Reichsverteidigungs band
- there doesn't seem to be a number on the fuselage
- the collar of the pilot's flight suit should be a bit darker
For the background...
- it's February, your scenery is way too green

And so on...

n00b!

:lol: :p ;) :D

[Skyraider3D]

Seriously again... I just remembered another explanation for the "grey mass". The fuselage is actually reflecting the cloudbank Bill Lyons mentions in the interview. I put this in the reflection sphere that surrounds the model. Bill told me how one side of the sky was cloudy, the other blue. They were flying on the 'edge' when the Messerschmitt jumped them.


By the way, some of you may have seen Bill Lyons on television once. He was one of the pilots interviewed in the History Channel program "Battle Stations: P-51 Mustang!".

[kiwi123]

Well, interesting point Ronnie, but I guess we are getting to the nitty gritty of it now. Is it a "technical accuracy" that needs to be explained or a "artistic issue" that we just disagree on ?

For me personally, in the end it is about what looks better. Breaking up that grey area should help the image enormously.

But maybe thats just me for working in a company that is full of people that you would call highlight-counscious, instead of rivet counters.

[Skyraider3D]

I guess it's personal flavour in the end.
Basically I set it up to be historically accurate and liked the way it came out. I think it's broken up enough by the reflections of the wings as well as the hint of blue sky on top of the engine :)

[kiwi123]

Glad to hear you're happy !

[Skyraider3D]

I’m so happy, ’cause today I’ve found my friends, they’re in my head :D

Back to Corsair wingfolding, flaps, landing gear and what more... ;)

[Lukem]

Nice to see this on the header - congratulations mate!

I still prefer this one over the other Mustangs you've done!

[songbird]

Congratulations Ronnie!:D
The composition is so cool...
Also thanks for showing us the video! It's very useful...

[Skyraider3D]

Thanks guys :)

[digiartist]

congrats on the header mate!

[Skyraider3D]

Update: there are only TWO pilot-signed prints left! So hurry if you want one! :D
http://www.digitalaviationart.com/tigersrevenge_le.html


Happy new year!

[anthsco]

Beautiful work, truly beautiful! I always did like the Mustang. And thank you for relating a story that is worth telling because we are losing alot of these vets every year!

Semper Fi, Carry On

[Skyraider3D]

Thanks! :)

Yes, it's a sad fact that soon all WW2 vets will be gone. I love hearing their stories. Already as a kid I was hearing my late grandfather out about his wartime experiences in occupied Holland.

Currently I am researching an incident whereby a Corsair pilot brought down a Japanese twin-engined reconnaissance aircraft with his propeller. Unfortunately this man, Lt. Klingman, has long gone. But to my great luck and surprise his son made a recording of him telling about his experiences, which can be downloaded here: http://www.mca-marines.org/leatherneck/podcast/LtCol%20Klingman.mp3
A fascinating story and likely subject to portray, when I get around to making artwork with my yet unfinished Corsair model!


PS. If anybody knows more links to similar veteran story recordings, please let us know!