'Flak Bait' - my attempt at a tribute on goatskin

[Jollygreenslugg]

G'day folks,

I'm sure that the Smithsonian's B-26 Marauder, 'Flak Bait' is known to pretty-much everyone here.


This shot by James L Board captures the nose-art quite well.

Five years ago, I had a go at painting this nose-art on a mall-variety A-2 ripoff jacket, as shown at the bottom of the page.That jacket, size-44, was a reward for losing around a hundred pounds (or fifty kilograms) of weight. It was never meant to be overly authentic, and was a fun attempt. Looking at it now, it isn't very good, nor is it particularly accurate, but it was a very good learning experience. I've since lost another fifty pounds, and now wear a size-40 jacket. I picked up a Cooper A-2, which will do me until I can afford a higher-end reproduction. I'm working on decorating this jacket with the correct patches and artwork to represent 'Flak Bait', and am part-way through. Thanks to WIX members, I've tried new techniques which seem to be working somewhat better than my earlier attempts.

So, here are the current progress shots of the jacket. Done with acrylic leather/fabric paint, they'll be sealed with a matte sealer. They seem to adhere to the Cooper goatskin better than the mall-variety leather of my earlier jackets. Must be whatever the earlier jackets were sealed with. Work continues...





For reference, here are my other, earlier jacket attempts (from most recent to oldest);











It's all good fun!

Cheers,
Matt

[The Inspector]

Lookin' good!!!

[Django]

Looks great!

[Pat Carry]

Kool 4 sure!

[lmritger]

Very impressive! So what brand paint are you using? I've got plans to paint the back of my A-2 knockoff (not sure of the brand, but it's the closest I've seen to a "real" A-2, including a full back piece instead of a 3-piece) to commemorate a particular B-25 from the 321st Bomb Group flown by a relative of mine during the war.

Keep up the good work!

Lynn

[Jerry O'Neill]

Beautiful job Matt.
Check your PM's.
Jerry

[Steve Nelson]

Cool!

I had a repro A-2 years ago. I toyed with adding some unit patches or artwork to it, but decided against it. I never served in the military, and in my mind I have no right to wear insignia I didn't earn.

SN

[Jollygreenslugg]

G'day folks,

Thanks for the kind feedback. I've been pottering along on the jacket and I'll post more pics when it's done. I'm currently trying to portray the mission-marker bombs. I don't have room for two hundred of them, but I'm not sure that six or seven (as on my attempt from five years ago) is enough. I'm open to suggestions. Maybe a single row across the back with about a dozen bombs, or a few on the left-hand side of the front (as facing the wearer).

Steve, have no problem with art, unit markings or AAF patches, but I draw the line at rank insignia on a jacket. I wonder if there is a general consensus as to what is apprpriate to be worn on a flying jacket these days?

Cheers,
Matt

[mlenoch]

Jollygreenslugg quote:
"Steve, have no problem with art, unit markings or AAF patches, but I draw the line at rank insignia on a jacket. I wonder if there is a general consensus as to what is apprpriate to be worn on a flying jacket these days?"

Do you mean your question from a historical perspective, as well?
I would add: was rank ever painted on those ETO jackets? Can't recall ever seeing such.
Thx in advance,
VL

[Jollygreenslugg]

G'day Vlado,

I was thinking more of rank insignia being worn on the epaulettes, rather than anything paint-wise. I've never seen painted rank insignia on a WW2-era USAAF flying jacket.

I possibly framed my statement poorly, but I was asking whether there was a consensus as to what could be worn and what shouldn't be worn by people these days who wear replica-WW2 flying jackets. I've seen plenty of people wearing WW2-type jackets with patches and nose-art, and I don't know that this would be a problem, but rank seems to be another issue entirely. I wouldn't wear rank insignia, having never served in the armed forces, but should this attitude extend to all military patches and artworks? Vlado, I'd be interested in your take on the matter, and I'm interested in anyone's considered thoughts.

Lynn,

Sorry I didn't reply earlier. I'm using 'Apple Barrel' paints, a hobby acrylic paint made by Plaid. They've lasted on my earlier jackets for up to five years use, which has included some pretty heavy wear and rough treatment. The earlier jackets have developed some cracks in the painted areas, which I think has added to the character.

Cheers,
Matt

[fritzthefox]

Nice work! I like it.

This is a photo of a jacket I recently completed. It is my first attempt on leather, also a Cooper goatskin...and I agree, it takes paint wonderfully. I used E'tac (an acrylic-polyurethane hybrid designed for textiles) and india ink, and it seems to be holding up very well so far. I opted for patches, but nothing I couldn't rationalize as earned. (I have a squadron patch from my EAA Warbirds chapter, which I also designed, and a flag.)



In retrospect, I think the hardest thing about working on leather is conquering the fear of it. (Same as working on a car, or any other expensive thing) I like it better than denim, which just drinks the paint.

[lmritger]

Matt, thanks for the reply- I'm familiar with Apple Barrel paints, I've been toying with whether to go with those or Model Master enamels. Sounds like the Apple Barrel stuff will do just great for my purposes, so I'll recommend them to my friend. (He's a fantastic artist, but hasn't done a jacket yet)

As far as the comments about what people wear on their jackets, here's the short version of the story; I had a relative, Lt. Frederic Ritger, who flew 68 missions in the 446th BS/321st BG. On one of those missions, he was command pilot of a plane named "The Little Admiral" and his turret gunner/engineer was SSgt James Utz. Ritger is my last name, and Utz is my wife's maiden name... neither is terribly common, and to have Ritger and Utz on the same plane on the same mission is just an incredible coincidence. So, to commemorate his service, and my family connection, I'm having a friend paint a Vargas girl on the back with "The Little Admiral" name above, and 68 small bomb markers below... I've already got a 446th BS patch on the front of it, and at some point want to get the "old style" XII Air Force patch for the left shoulder.

Here's the inspiration I'm using for the back- it's easily one of the most amazing jacket pieces I've ever seen.



Cheers,

Lynn

[Jerry O'Neill]

Cool!

I had a repro A-2 years ago. I toyed with adding some unit patches or artwork to it, but decided against it. I never served in the military, and in my mind I have no right to wear insignia I didn't earn.

SN

Why don't you just create your own? That's what I did. No reference to any original group, but elements I used were combined from several original images to create my own unique design.
Jerry

[fritzthefox]

I'm familiar with Apple Barrel paints, I've been toying with whether to go with those or Model Master enamels.

Guys, I would be wary of using hobby paints. If you really want your work to last, spend a little extra and get a true artist's acrylic. These normally have less catchy but more descriptive color names like "Titanium White" or "Cadmium Yellow" and are designed to be lightfast (i.e. the colors will not fade over time in exposure to sunlight) They will typically have a lightfastness rating on the package. You will have to do more mixing to get the colors and consistency you want, but the results will last longer. Acrylics will still crack over time, but there are some textile acrylics (often designed for airbrush use, like Golden or E'Tac) that have a good reputation for using quality pigments and should flex well with the leather. Make sure that you give the acrylics sufficient time to cure before wearing. Acrylics dry rapidly, but are not fully cured for days, and will not be very sturdy until they are. (Heating accelerates this process, but it is problematical to iron a leather jacket, so have patience). Putting paint on too thick, or leaving too little drying time between coats, will encourage cracking.

If you are going for an authentic look, then hand-painted hobby enamels are probably the best, since that was typically what was available to aviators of the 40's. But they will likely age the same way vintage jackets do, which means inevitable fading and cracking.

There are a few paints and dyes designed specifically for leather, but I have not tried any of them. A good leatherworking site may have more info.

If you want to paint something that will last as long (or longer) as a well cared for leather jacket, then spend the money on a good paint, and prep the leather properly. Also give careful thought to clear coating. I've seen a few schools of thought on this, and I've seen a few disasters. I personally stay away from rattle can clears and just spray a few extra layers of transparent acrylic medium. Some people like to use polyurethanes, but a poor choice can lead to cracking and yellowing. (They are also very toxic, so be safe if you spray)

Cracking can happen to anyone, since there are a lot of variables that can influence paint adhesion, and many are difficult to control. But fading is a known evil and can be avoided by using time-tested pigments. Spend the money and get a paint with pigments you can trust. Do your research. Most paint lines have both good and bad pigments. When in doubt, buy the expensive stuff.

[Jollygreenslugg]

G'day folks,

Thinking about it, I'd tend to agree that hobby paints might not be the best choice, given that there are indeed better paints out there. I mentioned them because I don't come from an art background so I don't really know what is available. I bought my current stock of Apple Barrel paints five years ago and used trial and error. I have been fortunate in that the artworks haven't faded, although five years may not be a long time in the big scheme of things. My main mistake with my first jacket was failing to seal the finished product, which has allowed it to craze somewhat.

I generally take my time and really try to avoid putting multiple layers on quickly or putting it on thick. I'll have to do some research on better paint for my next project. Oh, and I'd certainly agree that hardest part is indeed conquering one's fear of working with paint on leather.

Oh, and fritzthefox, I now have a problem! My younger daughter (as seen in the picture above) told me with sign language that she'd really like a copy of your Twin Mustang artwork on the back of her jacket! Looks like I'll have to try my hand at something similar!

Lynn, I admire your efforts to honour and give tribute to your relatives. Their service and sacrifice is certainly worth acknowledging in that way. I wish you luck and am sure you'll get a terrific result. I'm not game to attempt a Vargas or Petty girl!

Thanks for the advice and the continuing thoughts.

Cheers,
Matt