Well, thought I would post a progress picture of my latest 2 drawings. So far they are only line images. Tone shading are to come. The top one is the Santa Fe 4-8-4 they are restoring in Albuquerque. Not shown in the image, but to the right, is the rest of the tender and first part of a baggage car. Behind it is the top part of the Belen Station, I don't think any of that is visible in the image as well. The second is the Pennsylvania T1, probably one of my all time favorites. Again, like above there is quite a bit more to the right, rest of tender, first part of car and I will put some sort of building behind it. The next step is to start putting the base tones in on the SF engines' boiler. This will be done with graphite pencils of varying lead numbers. I will post shots as I go along. These are the first 2, new, drawings I have done in over 6 years and am gald to be back to it. There is about 8 days of steady work here so far. I will include a shot of the Madame Queen I did some time ago so you can see what the final image is like.
Thank you! Lots of practice and years under my belt. I have been drawing for about 20+ years now. I see you are a member of the C&O historical society. I did the Yellowbelly and M1 turbine but can't show them or sell the prints anymore because of liscensing. I am sending in the application and money this summer though to CSX and hopefully will have them available again. If I do get liscensing I plan on doing full side views like this of the 2 I mentioned above that I have 3/4 yiews of plus some of the articulateds. Thank you again!
By the way...... Coming up later this summer/fall will be: Milwaukee 261 Hiawatha 4-6-4 Hiawatha 4-6-2 Hiawatha 4-4-2 Pennsy S1 6-4-4-6 Pennsy Q1 6-4-6-6 Pennsy Q2 6-6-4-6 SP #3900 2-8-8-4 (conventional NOT cab-forward, but with streamlining) BNSF GEVO and SD70ACE
That licensing issue kind of gets me irritated - but I guess that's what we have to live with in a corporate run litigious world. Have you ever contacted Robrt Hundman of Hundman publictions about some type of deal? He can be contacted at Hundman Publishing, Inc. 4204 Russell Road, Unit P, Mukilteo, WA 98275 (425) 493-6985 or email him at: hundman@earthlink.net
Thank you! Here is an updated shot of the SF 4-8-4, getting there. Probably wrapped up this next week and then on to the T1.
:thumbs_up: Just so you know there a lotof lurkers who appreciate your skill and talent... we're waiting for the finals!! :shade:
Thank you for the kind words! It is appreciated! Here is a shot of the final product for the SF drawing. I am sorry about the copyright issue but you can't be too careful and I have had problems in the past. So, I try to cover all bases now. The prints, for the group restoring it, will obviously not have that on the print. It is just done digitally for this image, but you should be able to see all the important details. Got a bit of a slow start to the T1 but it is well under way now.
That's terrific! You have a real talent and I hope you can successfully market these. Even before adding the shading, the line drawings rank right up there with the late Bill Berkompas, whom I admired very much.
Thought I would put a brief history of myself up here. Most of you probably don't know my work as it is primarily collected by those who work for the railroads. So, here we go (I hope it doesn't get too long but there is some neat stuff there and worth the read): Railroads have always been a part of my life as far back as I can remember. My Grandfather worked for the Santa Fe and retired as the Master Machinest in Albuquerque, NM. My Dad worked for them for a brief time before moving on to other things. My father is also an avid HO modeler and there has always been a layout about. I have had close Uncles that worked most of their lives for railroads such as the Southern Pacific and Denver and Rio Grande. So, I grew up with a pretty big influence in trains from early on. However, for most of my young life I really had no interest in trains even though it was all around. I did love to draw though. Then about 17 years ago I decided to do my first railroad drawing for my Dad for a birthday present. Once people saw it all comments suggested I should try to do more and sell them. Which, at the time, sounded like a good idea since I had not found a subject matter that I really enjoyed doing yet. The second and third drawings followed quickly. I should put in here as a side note that I am a primarily self-taught artist. Other that basic art courses in public schools I have had no official art training. But, the technical talent I get from both my father and grandfather. My grandfather holds several patents for items he designed for steam locomotives that the Santa Fe built and used. I have the patents around here somewhere. So, I guess it just comes down in the genes. Before I tried to market the prints I decided to enter my oringinals in national and international art competitions. By then I had about a dozen originals done and sent them all over the world for competition. I was up against all types of subject matter and media. These were open competitons, not relating to railroads, just regular art shows. I have a box of ribbons and awards to show for the effort. Everything from Best of Shows to Best in Divisions. Once I felt comfortable that the work was good enough I began producing prints. They were immediate hits. By this time I was a pretty familiar site at most train yards across New Mexico and Airzona. The Belen, NM yards were my favorite haunts. I got to know most of the office staff and yard crews there really well. It didn't take long before I was considered part of "the family". Which is how the railroad was run back then. All I had to do was check in to the office and let them know I was going to be on the premisis and I had complete access. I can remeber stting for hours at both the east and westbound fuel racks and watch the trains come and go. I got along so well with the crews that when something new came in I always got a tour. Which was a dream when the first modern Warbonnet's came out. I got to take a ride in the GP60M's and Dash940BW's. At the Belen yards family days picnics I would always donate framed and shrink wrapped prints for door prizes. I got to participate in the events just like I worked for them. Word spread through the system and pretty soon my works hung in most of the major offices from KC to LA. I was even invited to family function in LA. I got to know quite a few of the senior officals along the route and got to be good friends with most of them. Like I said this was back when it was like a family. I had a system pass, that I was issued, that all I had to do was show it when checking in to a yard to get access for photo's. So, over the years I did about 20 Santa Fe pieces which were pretty good hits. I ran ads in Trains magazine back in the early 1990's and sent prints all over the world. Then the Merger hit..... Things weren't quite the same after that. A lot of my good friends were given options of either moving to Illionis or taking a Buy Out. Most opted for the latter. About the same time, mid-90's, my wife got a great job offer up here in Omaha and we made a move up here. I have tried to stay in contact with all that I knew but that is hard to do. When we got here I went down to the BNSF yards in Lincoln, ex BN, and tried to develope the same kind of relations with them. I offered free framed prints for their walls, by then I had done several BN and BNSF pieces but was met with coldness. I could deffinatly tell who worked for the BN and who had been transfered up from the SF. But, most of the bigwigs here were BN guys and it was a dead end. About that time, late 90's, I had pretty much burned out. By then I had done about 100 works, and sold thousands of prints, and needed a break. The break wound up being longer than expected and I am just now getting back in to it. I will get back on the train show circuit later this year and we are contemplating a move to northern Illinois next summer. I remember those NM days with great fondness and sitting in the yards watching the actitvity and getting pictures. Those days are long gone now and being able to do something like that in todays world is an impossibilty. I do have my photos, memories and art to keep me company though. The thing I miss the most were all the great SF people. Sorry I rambled on a bit there. I hope it was not too much of a bore. I just thought I brief history would explain things a bit. I am not new to the railroads or art. Thank you to all for the kind words!
Been a while since I updated this. I got the T1 done last week and am about wrapped up with the SP Cab Forward, look for pictures next week of it. Here is the T1, again sorry about he copyright stuff, but you can pretty much see most of it.
Thank you, I am glad you like them! I have been debating on smoke or not on either of these two. Probably wont decide until right before I take them to the printers. I just sold my only 3 Hiawatha steam originals, so I will need to do more. Looks like I will be doing them shortly, all side views and full color as well. Probably get to them after the Cab Forward and DM&IR Yellowstone (both of which are completely sketched out and ready to go to shading and tones).
GCS, very impressive native talent and creativity. You're very fortunate that you didn't receive any "formal" training where, for many students, the instructors replace native talent with their own impression of what creativity should "really" look like....!
What you just described hits the nail right on the head. I took college for one year with the idea of majoring in art. This was at the University of New Mexico. I swear, my teachers had to be burned out hippies from the '60's. It was all "let you feelings flow!" "be one with the art!" What a load of C***! All I wanted was a degree and maybe learn some new techniques. Not "release my inner child". Gave up on the whole art "acedemic" scene and struck out on my own. Most of the artist I knew back then, in New Mexico, were all self taught and pretty successful. New Mexico has after all the biggest art community, per capita, in all the states. It was a great place to get started. Now in comparison, I have to have moved to one of the most barren of art community states I have ever seen. Most states have art guilds, coop's and the like. Not here, maybe one coop in a city with a population of almost 3/4 of a million. I love the people here but this is not a place to further ones art career. Next step will be moving to Illinios, northern outside of Chicago, next year. I have already looked into the area and the artists, and community backing them, is very active. Plus, you can't beat the area, in the upper midwest, for trains.
I know CSX and BNSF require licensing, and I'm under the impression that both roads don't ask for nearly as much $$$$ as the Yellow Peril does. How much would you have to send in to get blessings from the folks at CSX? And BTW, your drawings- most impressive- I can't draw a straight line with a ruler- your work is awesome!
As a native Husker, I take absolutely no offense- shoot, even I wouldn't live there again!!! Life revolves around three things, getting the corn planted, getting the corn harvested, and watching Cornhusker football (which takes place over all activities on Saturday afternoons, even funerals- ask me how I know about that one) Were it not for BNSF, UP and shortline railroading, the whole darn state would be boring as hell. I have cousins who have lived in Gage County, NE all their lives, and can't see going anywhere else....pity. At least you have SOME subjects to draw- the Big Boy & Centennial on display at Omaha, the various coalies run by BNSF and UP, Bailey Yard at North Platte- gotta beat corn shocks.
