MATT WHITBY
P H O T O G R A P H Y
PORTRAITS
My combat art aircraft skins are not restorations of war relics. The panels are original (re)creations that are rendered on aluminum panels and are .019", .020" or .022" in thickness and are full scale. Some are wood.
On metal skins each panel is riveted by hand using solid aluminum aircraft quality rivets. The skin is riveted to an extruded durable aluminum channel on the reverse side. The channel is pre-drilled and wired for easy wall hanging.
The insignia symbols are sized for a particular aircraft with regards to its placement as a fuselage, wing or tail symbol and are full scale.
The types of rivets used, their spacing and patterns for that aircraft are all taken into account during the creation process.
Colors and camouflage schemes are also accurate and some colors are custom mixed to achieve that depth of historical accuracy.*
All paints used are of contemporary manufacture origins and do not contain lead .
Weathering and aging techniques employ the use of elements found in nature and bullets fired from a variety of firearms.
Commissioned work is available on request. See Contact Tab for details.
Testimonials from previous clients are available on request.
*Finished panel colors will vary slightly from wartime color paint charts in shade & tone due to weathering and aging techniques employed.
Each panel is stamped on the reverse side with its own unique serial number, date of creation and my initials.
This panel's striations were implemented using a bayonet from WWI. And all the wood for this project was cut and shaped using vintage hand tools such as block planes, hand saws and spoke shaves.
Close attention was paid to detailing and aging of this panel. Its inspiration was that of a specific German aircraft that was destroyed by fire at the war's end. It was burned and immersed in smoke from the same type of materials that would have been onboard the actual aircraft.
THE ART OF WAR
A I R C R A F T I N S I G N I A
FULL SCALE
REPRODUCTIONS
O R I G I N A L R E N D E R I N G S
By J.A. Willoughby
Commissioned Work Only
My first book, This Side of Center, a collection of fifteen original short stories and illustrations,
is now available on Amazon.
Visit my home website for details.