This is a fairly small piece (17" x 10"). It isn't a color study, but it is a preliminary study for a larger piece that I'll be working on soon featuring the same DII (the difference being that a color study is just a miniature prep for a larger, identical painting - this is a finished painting).
For my lighting reference I used the Encore Models 1/32 Albatros D.II. I am no master modeler by any means, but I do try to achieve the correct colors and finished so that my references will be fairly accurate. Once completed, I mount my models on an armature, which helps give sufficient distance from the camera lens and is much less intrusive in the photos than my hand!
The markings come from Jim Miller, author of the recent Air Power Editions volume on MvR. I was originally going to base the markings off of what he featured in his book, but just prior to starting the painting he emailed me saying "stop the press - I changed my mind about the markings on this aircraft." According to Jim, Richthofen's D.II was overpainted in "earth tones", and accounts from Lothar von Richthofen substantiate this. He couldn't say what color exactly, but one possibility was reddish-brown, which is what I went with. Jim also pointed out that he now thinks that the wing cross fields were overpainted.
With that information in hand and with my lighting reference as a guide (despite the now incorrect markings) I was able to churn this one out fairly quickly. I saturated the colors slightly more on the upper surfaces in order to add a little more visual interest and to prevent them from getting lost in the background.
Young Eagle
17" x 10"
oil on linen on masonite
