Matthews Aviation Art

[john_matthews129]

Hello everyone!

I'm John.  I'm a member of the secretprojects.co.uk forum where GTX was kind enough to invite me here to share with you some of my artwork.  After looking around here, I see I'm in good company with all of your creativity.  Looking forward to getting to know all of you.

I'm an ex-US Air Force Security Specialist Sergeant and I live in the State of Missouri with my wife and kids.  I've been an aviation buff/model builder/artist for a long time.  I enjoy doing renderings of little-known aircraft since some of them just aren't around for us to appreciate in-person.  My first two subjects were a "paper plane" (Lockheed's L-133 proposal to the USAAF) and an experimental bomber (Martin's XB-51).  Hope you enjoy them!

[Tophe]

Wellcome. Great pictures, thanks for sharing them here...

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Great introduction!  Wonderful work and interesting subjects that you have brought to life in your artwork.

[AXOR]

Great work John! :)

[john_matthews129]

Thank you Tophe, Jeffry, and Alex for your kind words.  I'm glad you liked them.   

Those were two planes I worked on for quite some time in between work, going to my sons' ballgames, life, etc.  The L-133 was the first one I did, followed by the XB-51.  I hate to tell you how long the L-133 took.  It was my first 3D aircraft, and presented a few "teething problems" as I learned how to create a good mesh and then apply texture maps.  I have no personal tie to either plane, other than being fascinated by their respective designs and histories.  I also wondered what they would have looked like had they ever been produced.  Since neither of the two planes are around for anyone to actually see and appreciate, I thought I would start publishing artwork featuring them, followed by other works featuring other planes in the near future. 

Here are a couple I did of the XB-51 as if it had been chosen instead of the B-57 Canberra:


This is called "Sylvia and the Wench", and depicts two B-51 wearing tail codes and nose art of the 13th Bomb Group. 


Here are the same two ships, just at a bit lower altitude, looking as though they're perhaps beginning to turn toward a target.

Here's another I did of the L-133:


I'm working on an F-105D right now:


This is the second version of the fuselage.  I think I'm on the right track and fairly happy with the way it's taking shape.


I haven't decided yet about any markings it will wear once completed.  SEA paint scheme, but undecided regarding any unit markings.

Please let me know what you think and, wherever you are, I hope you're having a great weekend.


-John

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Eye candy with wings!  :)

F-105 Thunderchief has always been one of my favorite aircraft subjects. 

[AXOR]

Yes,excellent images John,L-133 and XB-51 have an incredible design,especially L-133!

[GTX_Admin]

 :)

[john_matthews129]

Eye candy with wings!  :)

F-105 Thunderchief has always been one of my favorite aircraft subjects.

Thank you so much Jeffry!  The 105 has been a favorite of mine forever.  I think it was the first model kit I ever put together when I was around seven or so.  If I remember correctly it was this Revell kit:



Probably turned out to be a glue bomb, but I remember thinking it was pretty cool.

Like all of my artwork, this has to start as a 3D model.  I'm working hard to keep the model easy to apply textures (paint) to later and I want it to be as authentic as I can possibly make it.  I'll make sure to post updates.

-John

[john_matthews129]

Yes,excellent images John,L-133 and XB-51 have an incredible design,especially L-133!

Thanks Alex!  I had never heard of the L-133 before checking out the secretprojects.co.uk website.  For a late 1930's design, it looked pretty cool.  Can't imagine how dominant it may have been over Europe or the Pacific if it had been green-lighted for development.  I was really captivated by it.  Scott Lowther published an article about it in his Aerospace Projects Review series (still available at http://www.aerospaceprojectsreview.com/ev1n4.htm).  That had a lot of internal and external arrangement illustrations.  There was also a great "Air Classics" article about it a couple years ago in which the son of one of the designers (Hawkins, I think?) was interviewed.  I must have made at least six attempts to get that fuselage right.  It's all blended, and there aren't many straight lines on it, so there was a lot of sculpting going on with that one.  There are a couple areas I'd do better, but at some point it's time to step back, say "finished", and move forward, you know?  In comparison, the XB-51 was a bit easier to model, but still presented some challenges.

 

Lots of innovation in the XB-51 also.  More than many take into account, I think.



On my website I always write something initially regarding the history of the aircraft and its relevance.  Hopefully it's not a crashing bore, but I think it's important.

It's always rewarding to grab something from your mind, a photo, or a set of drawings and turn it into something fun.  One of the reasons I turned those into tribute artwork is that there are so few people (outside of propeller heads like those of us here) who have ever heard of them.  Then there are others who do know about them, but only have images from the Internet available.  I wanted to do something so anyone who appreciated these (or any of the art I create) can have something to enjoy. 

Thanks again for the compliment!

-John

[john_matthews129]

:)

  Thank you, sir!  And many thanks for your kind invitation to become a member here and display some of my work!

-John

[The Big Gimper]

Hi John:

Welcome to the land of non-conformists aka BTS.

Your work is outstanding. I just wish there were cheaper to acquire 1/72 versions of the L-133 and XB-51.

I was an armourer on Voodoos so I was wondering if the F-101 is in your virtual hanger or inbound?

Carl

[AXOR]

  I must have made at least six attempts to get that fuselage right.  It's all blended, and there aren't many straight lines on it, so there was a lot of sculpting going on with that one.  There are a couple areas I'd do better, but at some point it's time to step back, say "finished", and move forward, you know?

John

I know what you mean.
Few years ago I tried to make a line drawing for L-133 and I didn't managed to finish it.Although it doesn't seem complicated the rear wing area is slightly more difficult to reproduce if you don't use lights and shadows...I didn't like the result and I abandoned it.
Anyway, I'm glad you joined our forum and look forward to see new works from you.

Cheers

[Kerick]

Your work is extraordinary!! Keep it up!

[elmayerle]

Beautiful.  Actually, that was a multi-part (three, IIRC) article in Air Classics and it was quite interesting.

[Old Wombat]

Some great CG work there! :)

The L-133 would be a great starting point for something Science Fiction-ish & would only need minor modifications to be way out there!

[john_matthews129]

Hi John:

Welcome to the land of non-conformists aka BTS.

Your work is outstanding. I just wish there were cheaper to acquire 1/72 versions of the L-133 and XB-51.

I was an armourer on Voodoos so I was wondering if the F-101 is in your virtual hanger or inbound?

Carl

Hi Carl!  Great having another Air Force guy here.  Thank you so much for your compliment!

I haven't priced kits of either plane, but I can imagine either one being expensive since they're both kind of "left field", as a friend of mine would describe them.  I was thinking about trying to have them printed.  If I ever do that I'll make sure to post pictures.

Yep, the F-101 is definitely on the horizon!  Since I'm from the St. Louis area,  I want to make a collection of McDonnell/McDonnell Douglas aircraft.  There's even an F-101b near my house for reference.  I can't say when, but I will most certainly make one.  I had a great teacher who was a back seater in the 101, so it's been on my list.

Thanks again!

-John

[john_matthews129]

  I must have made at least six attempts to get that fuselage right.  It's all blended, and there aren't many straight lines on it, so there was a lot of sculpting going on with that one.  There are a couple areas I'd do better, but at some point it's time to step back, say "finished", and move forward, you know?

John

I know what you mean.
Few years ago I tried to make a line drawing for L-133 and I didn't managed to finish it.Although it doesn't seem complicated the rear wing area is slightly more difficult to reproduce if you don't use lights and shadows...I didn't like the result and I abandoned it.
Anyway, I'm glad you joined our forum and look forward to see new works from you.

Cheers

There's a funny transition there where it stops being the wing and starts being the exhaust.  I know what you mean.  It took me a while to learn how to model that.  You really ought to give it another try.  I bet it will look great and I'd love to see it once it's finished!  The wing of the L-133 looks like it was used for the F-80, if you compare both.

-John

[john_matthews129]

Beautiful.  Actually, that was a multi-part (three, IIRC) article in Air Classics and it was quite interesting.

That I didn't know.  Thanks for telling me that!  I'm going to have to see if they're available as back issues.  Just what the wife wanted; more magazines coming into the house.  Ha!

Thanks again!

-John

[GTX_Admin]

Great having another Air Force guy here. 

There are a few of us around...

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Strike Voodoo based on the F-101B... 

[CiTrus90]

Great artworks

[john_matthews129]

Your work is extraordinary!! Keep it up!

Thanks a lot Kerick!  I'm happy you enjoy it 

[john_matthews129]

Some great CG work there! :)

The L-133 would be a great starting point for something Science Fiction-ish & would only need minor modifications to be way out there!

Thank you very much sir!  You know, I wrote something like that on my website within the "completed work" section regarding this plane.  I thought it looked like something straight out of Buck Rogers (might have also been what the USAAF thought when they saw the proposal... Ha!).

[john_matthews129]

Strike Voodoo based on the F-101B... 

Sounds good.  Probably do a 101B.  Really miss that era since so many of the Century Series had some really colorful paint schemes applied to them.  And then there's the Navy aircraft, which had some very cool paint schemes also.