Nose Art (fictional)

[wellsprop]

Clues in the title

Hi all,

Well basically i like nose art and want to paint some on future models. However, i am the least arty person in the world so i have come here for some help. Heres a few desings i have odne myself, (im only happy with the middle top).

Itd be very much appreiciated if we could get some ideas and designs flowing so anyone could use them or get inspiration from them my girlfriend is going to draw some nose art for me (shes off doing an art degree in a couple months so she knows her stuff) so ill upload pics of them when it comes around.

Cheers all,

Ben.

Note: no copyright infringement intended, i do not own the graphics, i take no credit for them, copyright to their repsective owners... Etc...

Edited June 20, 2013 by wellsprop

[wellsprop]

In fact, heres an interesting (unfinished) Zeke design, courtesy of my girlfriend ofc


Wasp Zero

Ben

Edited December 15, 2013 by wellsprop

[Giorgio N]

Ben,

interesting concept ! If I can comment on the nose arts shown above, they all look very "american" in style, so I'd paint them on a spitfire piloted by a Yankee pilot

For what is worth, my favourite is the middle one in the mid row

[wellsprop]

I totally agree with you on that, most raf nose art was much more subtle and usually cartoon style rather than pin up. Johnny johnson had, on his first griffon spitfire, a pinup girl riding a v1. Im just playing with artistic license

[Aero Imageworks]

Clues in the title

Hi all,

Well basically i like nose art and want to paint some on future models. However, i am the least arty person in the world so i have come here for some help. Heres a few desings i have odne myself, (im only happy with the middle top).

Itd be very much appreiciated if we could get some ideas and designs flowing so anyone could use them or get inspiration from them my girlfriend is going to draw some nose art for me (shes off doing an art degree in a couple months so she knows her stuff) so ill upload pics of them when it comes around.

Cheers all,

Ben.

Note: no copyright infringement intended, i do not own the graphics, i take no credit for them, copyright to their repsective owners... Etc...

its a toss up between the middle one, bottom row or maybe at a pinch the one on the right, bottom row.

[Edgar]

Wartime U.S.A.A.F artists seem to have got their inspiration from Varga Esquire calender centrefolds, which might have been fairly scarce in RAF crew rooms.

There's a book, by Tom Robotham, entitled "Varga," ISBN 1-57145-222-2, which might give you further ideas; there are some images, in there, which have definitely appeared on some genuine airframes.

Edgar

[wellsprop]

Wartime U.S.A.A.F artists seem to have got their inspiration from Varga Esquire calender centrefolds, which might have been fairly scarce in RAF crew rooms.

There's a book, by Tom Robotham, entitled "Varga," ISBN 1-57145-222-2, which imight give you further ideas; there are some images, in there, which have definitely appeared on some genuine airframes.

Edgar

Ahah cheers Edgar,

I know its not particularly accurate having pinups on RAF a/c but the Spitfire that i will make will be a modern day restoration.

Has anyone got any ideas what would be more typical of RAF nose art (i.e. Less american)

Cheers,

Ben

[Edgar]

Nose art (the published kind) seems to have been mainly cartoon (or lampooned) characters, with the like of bulldogs and stylized Churchill figures. If you're looking for something less American, Google Blighty, Tit-bits (down boy,) and Reveille magazines.

Edgar

[Giorgio N]

If you can find it, Hikoki published a book on RAF and RCAF nose arts. Most of those in the book were on bombers but there are also some pictures of art on fighters.

Mind, one spitfire carried a very large pinup style nose art but this was on loan to the USAAF for testing. Decals were made for this by Pyn Up Decals:

http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Rev1/601-700/Rev651-PYND48008/00.shtm

As you're doing a modern restoration, and in any case you're doing a project for your fun, you could find some inspiration in the nose arts carried by several RAF types during the Gulf War. Here the RAF "artists" showed they had nothing to envy to the US ones. Interestingly RAF nose arts during that wars often featured girls while the ones appearing on US aircrafts mainly had gothic designs showing ghosts, death and similar subjects. Gone seem to be the days of the magnificent nudes appearing on B-29s in WW2 and the Korean war. And if you're interested in the evolution of nose arts on US planes, look for the 3 volumes of "Planes Names and Dames" by Squadron Signal. These books can be found cheap and are a joy to look at.

P.S.: as Edgar mentioned Vargas, I believe some of the pinups in your original post are indeed by him.

[greatgonzo]

Alberto Vargas work seems to be inspiration for most nosearts of the time. You can also find other artists, whose pin-ups appeared on fuselages of mostly American planes though. Gil Elvgren, Billy De Vorss and Peter Driben would surely be among them.

http://www.thepinupfiles.com/index.html#.UcRU-pxF2So

Two examples of nose art on Polish Spits:

http://modelwork.pl/viewtopic.php?p=576989

Scroll down the page here:

http://pwm.org.pl/viewtopic.php?f=3&p=111499

Edited June 21, 2013 by greatgonzo