I've done my due diligence searchwise and found a number of threads dealing with which paint to use, but what leather is best for painting on? Goat or horsehide? Aniline, semi-aniline, oil-pull? Veg or chrome? Russet or seal color? What about spray-on coatings such as Aero uses on its seal brown jackets? (Not picking on Aero; I'm considering buying either an Anniversary or a USAAF Type A-2.) Does the type of paint (acrylic, enamel) affect the choice of leather? I'm having custom art designed but haven't selected a jacket. This is in regard to large artwork on the back of a jacket. The jacket probably won't get regular daily wear, just special occasions.
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Best leather for painting jacket art
- Thread starter vesicant
- Start date
I have found seal horse to be the best. Goat can be a little sealed in to accept the paint but not always.
Oil pull... forget it.
Acrylic paint lasts better than oil based due to its flexibility but will not weather and crack like original if that was a factor. I use acrylic.
Oil pull... forget it.
Acrylic paint lasts better than oil based due to its flexibility but will not weather and crack like original if that was a factor. I use acrylic.
442RCT
New Member
To be honest, I've never given this topic any thought...to me leather was leather. 
The difference between goat, horse or cowhide would be the surface grain and each has it's on characteristic for painting.
As far as russet or seal, that's a personal preference and somewhat dependent on the design elements. To me, something like a light colored plane looks better done on seal.
I don't have any experience with oil pull, etc. When the jacket is prepped for painting, the surface glaze of the leather needs to be wiped with some type of mild cleaning solvent (i.e.- rubbing alcohol, acetone, etc.), so the water based acrylic paint will 'stick' to the leather, otherwise it'll run off when you try to paint.
If you can get a sample of the leather from Aero, ELC, you can test paint on it to see how it takes the paint.
To me, this design wouldn't look good on russet:
Whereas this looks great on russet:
Jerome's site will give you more pics of different designs on russet and seal.
http://www.picturetrail.com/jrome
Here's a painted jacket thread on the Fedora Lounge that might have some info on painting.
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?46204-Painted-Flight-Jackets-Planes-Names-and-Dames
The difference between goat, horse or cowhide would be the surface grain and each has it's on characteristic for painting.
As far as russet or seal, that's a personal preference and somewhat dependent on the design elements. To me, something like a light colored plane looks better done on seal.
I don't have any experience with oil pull, etc. When the jacket is prepped for painting, the surface glaze of the leather needs to be wiped with some type of mild cleaning solvent (i.e.- rubbing alcohol, acetone, etc.), so the water based acrylic paint will 'stick' to the leather, otherwise it'll run off when you try to paint.
If you can get a sample of the leather from Aero, ELC, you can test paint on it to see how it takes the paint.
To me, this design wouldn't look good on russet:
Whereas this looks great on russet:
Jerome's site will give you more pics of different designs on russet and seal.
http://www.picturetrail.com/jrome
Here's a painted jacket thread on the Fedora Lounge that might have some info on painting.
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?46204-Painted-Flight-Jackets-Planes-Names-and-Dames
442RCT
New Member
vesicant said:
:lol: I've got 3 jackets in the paint shop. Two should be finished soon, a third jacket I sent to the artist without a design, he's an artist I really wanted to work with. A fourth project will be started by the artist when he completes the jacket project he's currently finishing for me. :roll:
442RCT
New Member
grommet said:
What can I say, I luv jacket art and I enjoy and like to encourage the work of other artists. :lol:
The local artist wanted to 'learn' how to paint a jacket and get into the business. He sent pics of his pin-up work and decided to give him a commission. This artist is good with pin-up girls, but new to painting airplanes. So far, from looking at the pics he's sending me, it looks promising.
The artist I'm working with for my yet to be designed jacket, is a well established aviation artist who's painted jackets before and wants to do it as a new product line for his art work.
The third artist that I've commissioned a jacket from, is a professional jacket, patch, and aviation 'nose art' panel artist. Based on pics on his website of of one of his jackets, I asked him to copy Jerome's "Dragon Lady" jacket design on a seal ELC A-2.
Jaguar46
New Member
442RCT said:
I just found this site. Anyone here have a jacket they have had Daniel McQuality do for them?
http://www.noseartismypassion.com/default.html
I'll chime in. Something that has been apparent to me is the perfection found in many of these modern "art" jackets. It is as if all these great artists are aspiring to do Robert Taylor-like paintings only on leather. When it is this detailed with such intricate blending and shadowing, the feeling is lost IMO. This is no discredit to the abilities of those discussed and I know that it depends on what you are trying to achieve.
Many would say, ".... if they had the abilities, paints, etc. we have today then they would have done it this way too." The fact is they didn't and few ever committed the time and attention this level of detail commands. Some were not even very good, some even crude - like they painted with white-out while riding a horse. I wouldn't follow that line of repro art but there is a balance if authentic realism (as opposed to true realism) is your goal. I'd run from the look of limited edition plates or airshow T-shirts. A good thing is that these will likely never be sold as authentic period paintings 50 yrs from now at least not to anyone who has viewed many originals. Again no offense intended as it appears that "tribute" is often more of the theme.
If you are wanting a realistic depiction of jacket art from the period, stick with something simple - a plane or character and maybe bombs. Few had all the whistles. I have yet to see an original painting of a plane with rows of rivets or the stencils showing! Too much. Again, IF you are going for an original look, less is more.
I think many artists want to include every subject they can around the main topic so you end up with the American flag, the AAF logo, an aircraft name, a pinup girl(including a cute theme outfit), an aircraft usually flying off the jacket at you with guns a blazin', about 150 bombs, a couple swastikas in there, and several other symbols the artist likes all on one jacket.
I think the art of knowing when to stop has been lost.
JMO (Meant not to offend tastes but to offer real advice),
Dave
Many would say, ".... if they had the abilities, paints, etc. we have today then they would have done it this way too." The fact is they didn't and few ever committed the time and attention this level of detail commands. Some were not even very good, some even crude - like they painted with white-out while riding a horse. I wouldn't follow that line of repro art but there is a balance if authentic realism (as opposed to true realism) is your goal. I'd run from the look of limited edition plates or airshow T-shirts. A good thing is that these will likely never be sold as authentic period paintings 50 yrs from now at least not to anyone who has viewed many originals. Again no offense intended as it appears that "tribute" is often more of the theme.
If you are wanting a realistic depiction of jacket art from the period, stick with something simple - a plane or character and maybe bombs. Few had all the whistles. I have yet to see an original painting of a plane with rows of rivets or the stencils showing! Too much. Again, IF you are going for an original look, less is more.
I think many artists want to include every subject they can around the main topic so you end up with the American flag, the AAF logo, an aircraft name, a pinup girl(including a cute theme outfit), an aircraft usually flying off the jacket at you with guns a blazin', about 150 bombs, a couple swastikas in there, and several other symbols the artist likes all on one jacket.
I think the art of knowing when to stop has been lost.
JMO (Meant not to offend tastes but to offer real advice),
Dave
shedonwanna
Active Member
I've only painted one jacket and it was a very simple design using acrylic. I had been painting patches for the 388th BG for years and one veteran wanted his jacket painted. I declined the request for some time then after a 388th reunion his jacket showed up on my doorstep.
a2jacketpatches
Active Member
I agree about the overdone artwork taking the period look away, even though i do it myself ( at customer request )
Personally, I like this image in simple white and yellow, it looks great on A2's with just the simple line drawing. Green jackets done the same way with a black line drawing, red or yellow bombs, or even all white and all black.
Personally, I like this image in simple white and yellow, it looks great on A2's with just the simple line drawing. Green jackets done the same way with a black line drawing, red or yellow bombs, or even all white and all black.
unclegrumpy
Well-Known Member
Nicely said!dmar836 said:
Jaguar46
New Member
My question is if anyone has had any work done by this artist? Not to reproduce a war time jacket, but to do a painting of my car on a jacket, ( not on an A2 or G1). I am just trying to see if anyone on this site has had any contact? Perhaps I should have started a new thread.
a2jacketpatches
Active Member
I think the guy you're talking about was the original artist for the Cockpit catalog. If you look at his painted patches, they are exactly like the ones I used to copy from their 80's catalog, I remember the 14th AF facing to the left in particular, the design is exactly the same. At any rate, he looks quite capable of doing a car. This thread is a bit old, have you contacted him?
And as far as this comment goes-
"I think many artists want to include every subject they can around the main topic so you end up with the American flag, the AAF logo, an aircraft name, a pinup girl(including a cute theme outfit), an aircraft usually flying off the jacket at you with guns a blazin', about 150 bombs, a couple swastikas in there, and several other symbols the artist likes all on one jacket.
I think the art of knowing when to stop has been lost."
Being an actual artist, and an A2 a very expensive canvas, I think most simply want to present themselves as best they can like any other service in the world. If you don't like pickles, order your cheeseburger without them.
It's up to the customer to "stick with something simple"
( Honestly not meant to offend, but to offer an honest view from the other side )
And to honor the original point to this thread, oil pulled is asking for trouble, even if cleaned, it will eventually seep through again. Most other leathers are fine, and prep-solve designed for automotive preparation works great, It has never removed finish on me, and is actually designed for the job at hand. Alcohol can simply reactivate the finish, and move it around weakening it in the process.
And as far as this comment goes-
"I think many artists want to include every subject they can around the main topic so you end up with the American flag, the AAF logo, an aircraft name, a pinup girl(including a cute theme outfit), an aircraft usually flying off the jacket at you with guns a blazin', about 150 bombs, a couple swastikas in there, and several other symbols the artist likes all on one jacket.
I think the art of knowing when to stop has been lost."
Being an actual artist, and an A2 a very expensive canvas, I think most simply want to present themselves as best they can like any other service in the world. If you don't like pickles, order your cheeseburger without them.
It's up to the customer to "stick with something simple"
( Honestly not meant to offend, but to offer an honest view from the other side )
And to honor the original point to this thread, oil pulled is asking for trouble, even if cleaned, it will eventually seep through again. Most other leathers are fine, and prep-solve designed for automotive preparation works great, It has never removed finish on me, and is actually designed for the job at hand. Alcohol can simply reactivate the finish, and move it around weakening it in the process.
a2jacketpatches
Active Member
It's a cleaner used to wipe down the surface of a car to prep for painting, removing contaminates. It does not disturb or reactivate paint or finishes the way other solvents would. Autozone will have the name brand Prep-solve in their small auto body section, a 1 quart container for just a few bucks. A cheap alternative for lint free wiping material ( important ) is dinner napkins. I mentioned this some time back in a thread somewhere here, and of course a non-artist recommended not to use auto products on leather. But trust me, I have painted many a leather surface, and it works flawlessly.
Also, there is a product used in airbrushing by Media, leather cleaner, for prepping before using their acrylic paint. but works well before using any acrylic paint. With it, I would only do a couple of passes as it is rather harsh and softens the finish a bit.
No matter what is used, I'd alway do a test swab in the armpit or something to see the reaction. Each and every finish has it's own characteristics but are usually very similar.
The oil pull thing, stay away if intending to paint, and old Avirex A2's with a burgundy tint to the color, no way, the painting will go on ok but peel off like a sticker.
Also, there is a product used in airbrushing by Media, leather cleaner, for prepping before using their acrylic paint. but works well before using any acrylic paint. With it, I would only do a couple of passes as it is rather harsh and softens the finish a bit.
No matter what is used, I'd alway do a test swab in the armpit or something to see the reaction. Each and every finish has it's own characteristics but are usually very similar.
The oil pull thing, stay away if intending to paint, and old Avirex A2's with a burgundy tint to the color, no way, the painting will go on ok but peel off like a sticker.
"Other side"? I'm not offended as I don't really mind what people put on their jackets. I'm just suggesting the difference in the look of an original war-time painting rather than the overdone tribute jackets. People can request what they want - that's what it's about.
I will make my point with the jacket from today's air show. It speaks better than I can - simple, limited, well done!
Dave
I will make my point with the jacket from today's air show. It speaks better than I can - simple, limited, well done!
Dave
