Miles M.39B libellula (a flying machine, of course.)

[gray]

Miles aircraft had some unique and interesting plane designs during the war years.
The Miles M.39B was a 5/8 scale prototype Miles built for a fast bomber project.
The plane directly behind is a Miles M.28 Mercury trainer and off to the right is a Miles M.20 emergency fighter.

The planes are 100% vector and the landscape is drawn and colour blocked in vector, then touched up in raster.

[gwpriester]

Splendid image Graham. Do you create your own clouds? And if so it would make a great tutorial. Clouds are so difficult.

[Boy]

Great image and great composition with a sense of movement.

[gray]

Thanks Gary, Boy for leaving a comment.

Gary, it's all created. The problem is I normally use a mix of vector and raster for the backgrounds. TG probably prefers straight vector for tuts.
I'll post a few steps below to show the work flow.

[wizard509]

I really like that Graham. Some times I wish I could look over your shoulder when you do your clouds.

[Albacore]

Graham you've cornered the market in planes as Ron has done with cars. Do you post your drawings in other forums, like flying ones where owners post pictures of there own planes? There must be a market some where around there for you to print and frame a picture of there plane flying with there own personal Aircraft Registration Prefixes. You might be surprised by the amount people are willing to pay for that privilege!
By the way the drawing is great as well

[theinonen]

Great work.

So, you first model your planes in 3D software and then use that as a reference image for you vector work?

[Ron Duke]

Magnifique! as always, Gray!

[gray]

Larry, thanks so much.

Albacore thanks, I do post on a couple of other sites.
Drawing planes is a fun hobby to waste a little time in the winter months, but that's about as far as it goes. I have no ambitions to try and sell it.
Thanks again for your kind words.

theinonen, that's right, I create 3D wire frames first. That frees me from trying to use photos or photographing models. It allows me to draw planes of all kinds.
Some types have no photos or very few grainy images. You can be a lot more creative in your compositions for you illustration as well. And of course the 3D can be used for all kinds of subjects, not just planes.

Ron, thanks so much for your comment my friend.

[Big Frank]

Your letting us in to your workflow methods is both enlightening and educating. Thanks for letting us in for a few brief moments. You have given me food for thought. I need to find both the technical ability and certainly the patience to reach your level. I have a drawing of a bison skull that has languished unfinished for a decade because I cannot find the time nor the energy to draw it.

Another great illustration, of course. Please keep them coming.