ARTIST |
ARTIST |
The Jaguar E-type is undoubtedly one of the most iconic and best looking cars ever created. The shape is perfection, as if sculpted by an artist. The E-type naturally appeals artistically, and when I saw this particular example parked outside of the headquarters of the Cosford Air Museum, I took the chance to accumulate plenty of reference for a painting.
I was attracted by the gentle sweeping lines of the 1960s E-type juxtaposed against the harsh lines of the building behind it. I attempted to use this contrast to create an interesting image.
Painting a subject like this is all about reflections and light. I found I had to be very careful with my brushwork when painting the bodywork because if I included any marks that were slightly untidy, they looked like imperfections in the panels of the car itself.
This painting is available for sale priced £350.00 (Framed)
This was a painting produced as part of a college project during the final year of my degree. My theme was to convey the essence of smell with transport subjects including steam locomotives and racing cars.
This painting was based on a photograph I took at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2004. This event is special with allowing visitors to access the paddock areas where the cars are kept in between demonstration runs up the famous hill. You can walk up to and around nearly all of the cars, and experience the deafening sound of classic racing cars being started up only a few feet away. Standing in such close proximity causes you to breathe in great gulps of exhaust fumes, burnt rubber and hot engine oil. Lovely!
I prefer the racing cars of the 1950s and 1960s to the sponsor-laden machines of more modern times. Cars like the Maserati 250F were much more organic, with none of the electronic gizmos that are part of current designs. They somehow have more character and provide much richer artistic opportunities than contemporarily inspired scenes would allow.
This painting is available for sale priced £550.00 (Unframed)
This painting was commissioned by a fan of Michael Schumacher, who has followed his career from his first race with Jordan.
Whilst I was preparing for this painting the outcome of the 2003 Formula 1 World Championship remained undecided, and so it was decided to use the previous year's car from his World Championship winning season.
I wanted to focus entirely on the sense of speed of a Formula 1 car, and so a side-on 'panned' approach was followed. The format was almost a 'letter-box' shape and I limited all vertical lines within the painting to emphasise the sense of speed as much as possible. The glowing brake discs, after heavy braking from a high speed, add to the drama.
The replicating of all the logos and sponsors lettering was both time consuming and tedious, but ultimately worthwhile when the distinct appearance of the Ferrari F2002 started to come through on the canvas.
The original painting is now part of a private collection in Wiltshire.
This was a very challenging painting for me to complete, in particular with the tyres being of such a tricky shape, in perspective with all surfaces exposed. The grooves in the tyres only serve to add to their complexity. The front wing too was a difficult item to paint with its intricate shape. Even the main colour for the car, Ferrari red, was difficult to build up because of the low opacity of the paint. Many coats were required to build up sufficient depth and vibrancy of colour before the sponsors lettering could then be added.
As a result of the complexity of this painting, I found the finished work to be particularly satisfying and part of me still regrets letting the original go so soon after it was completed. It is now part of a private collection in Wiltshire.
This was a commissioned drawing for the owner of a new Mini Cooper, which therefore demanded a high standard if the drawing was to pass muster!
I enjoyed producing this drawing, with the reflections in the glass and body panels allowing me to be quite creative with my pencil work. The shape of these cars is very distinctive and I found this technical challenge to be quite a satisfying one to overcome.
The original is now part of a private collection in Wiltshire.
Copyright © Craig Tiley
No images may be reproduced without the written consent of the artist