Alfred R. Waud

[civilwarincolor]

My image of Alfred R. Waud:

 

[kealbo54]

My image of Waud:

Very cool.I always wonder at how you guys that colorize come up with the clothing.I know there is a special chart,but in that photo,I cant see how it would help much. Cool though,because my sack coat is that same color. That experiance this summer was really neat. Been to Gettysburg,before,but my first pilgrimage to the Waud rock. Thought I was gonna sit there a minute,get my picture taken,and be done.Wrong.I sat there and held a class for tourists for about an hour,telling them about "special artists" during the war.
A really memorable experiance!
Cant wait for Chickamauga,because unlike Gettysburg,Vizetelly was THERE! He was out covering Vicksburg at the time of Gburg.

 

[civilwarincolor]

Very cool.I always wonder at how you guys that colorize come up with the clothing.I know there is a special chart,but in that photo,I cant see how it would help much.

No special chart. I do have a color chart for common things like uniform colors, skin tones, grass, sky, etc. but for civilian clothes it is more what looks good. I am a bit limited with choices, it would not for example be appropriate to have a hot pink coat on him. On the other hand research has shown some interesting color choices.

Michael O'Laughlen, Jr. for example has a green and purple vest. I had done the vest originally in more of a light brown, but had reached out to my CW contacts and reached a guy that is the official biographer for O'Laughlen. When I asked about clothing color he was able to find the court description from the trial that said his mother had made his pants and vest and described them as "green and purple". It also described the color of the coat, which turned out to be a boring dark charcoal.

So really no "special chart" really just more of hours and hours of research. I often spend longer researching an image than coloring it. Funny little things like that help. Been in contact with a descendant of Samuel Mudd's to get is hair color right, used images of Francis Brownell's uniform for his image. For the Custer as a Cadet one I just posted I got an image of the actual uniform (it still exists in the Little Bighorn museum).

The trick really is spending the time finding what is right. As for Waud, it was just a pure guess. Glad it worked out.

 

[kealbo54]

Investigating a little.Havent come up with mich info on the Waud watercolr wash of Cickamauga,but an interestin note on Vizetellys Hood wounding.
Written on the back of the original drawing is a note that its purely from memory.Even though he (Vizetelly) was there,he noted that he was unable to do any sketching during the actual battle.
Doesnt surprise me as Chick was such a fluid,see-saw event,he probably spent his time running back and forth with the troops.In talking with others it seems as though there wasnt much actually sketched from life,because of inacuracies in the drawings and in the surviving notes attached to them.
For instance,there is a famous drawing of Longstreets troops de-training and there is artillery in the sketch.Wouldnt have happened.Seperate trains,and aside from that,Longstreets artty didnt even arrive in time for the battle.I am convinced though(best hunch),that Wauds Chickamauga work is pure fabrication,drawn later,as I am positive he wasnt there.He never left the AoP for the entire war. Could be wrong. But if Vizetelly,used typical soldiers from other sketches for the Hood drawing,why not.
Besides,Waud just would not have been in a position to sketch from that pov.I will cont.my effoerts,though.

 

[kealbo54]

Outstanding stuff,civilwarincolor! hats off.I was told that there is a chart that some guys use,that roughly gives you the possible corresponding colors for different shades of gray.Even so,your way seems more beneficial,as the research is ALWAYS good to do.
As a painter,when I feel like messin around with CW subjects,I know that I have to research as well,rather than just guess,hehe.I have had my guess-work come back and bite me in the donkey,before

 

[civilwarincolor]

Outstanding stuff,civilwarincolor! hats off.I was told that there is a chart that some guys use,that roughly gives you the possible corresponding colors for different shades of gray.Even so,your way seems more beneficial,as the research is ALWAYS good to do.
As a painter,when I feel like messin around with CW subjects,I know that I have to research as well,rather than just guess,hehe.I have had my guess-work come back and bite me in the donkey,before

I have seen a grayscale colorization chart that was made to show possible color choices for B&W wetplate cameras. It does not really help though. For example if you see someone in a Union uniform and part of the uniform is in shadow and part in sunlight the gray for each is different, but we know that the coat is all one color. What I do is either go and take pictures of an original or reproduction if I have time, or scour the internet for that item. When I have the item I need I sample the color in Photoshop and then add that color in a separate layer that way if I find out later that something is wrong (i.e. Michael O'Laughlen having a green and purple vest/pants vs. the light brown I started with) I can just change that one piece and not have to redo the entire image.

Doing it like you do, painting must be much harder when you realize that something is wrong. Me, I can change it a year later in 5 minutes.

 

[kealbo54]

I did a big bunch of CW watercolor portraits for a show,a jazillion years ago.I guessed at a lot of things,and the one that STILL bothers me is Forrests hair.I just went off half-cocked without doing any research(was younger and knew everthing,at the time),and gave him brown hair.
I dont think I need to worry about it,much anymore.The painting was placed in the coffin with Andrew Nelson Lytle,one of Forrests biographers,so my mistake is forever covered up.God I will never get over being young and stupid.

 

[civilwarincolor]

The painting was placed in the coffin with Andrew Nelson Lytle,one of Forrests biographers,so my mistake is forever covered up.

Talk about "burying" your mistakes. I've made a few faux pas on hair color as well. Again more when I first started and was not as much into details. The internet certainly has made it easier to find out details like this. I would never say that my images are 100% right, but I am very glad that I can easily fix it when I find these things out.

This guy for example. I had done the image a few years ago and had someone via eBay contact me recently and indicated that the shoulder straps were wrong (I had the whole thing in gray). He referenced what type of coat it was and that it should have red ones. I researched the coat and saw many references to this image describing it with red shoulder straps. So a few minutes later it was fixed. He never said bought the image or even said thanks. I know it's right though, that's what is important.

Sorry about the graphic content, just trying to show the reference image.

 

[kealbo54]

Graphic content doesnt bother me.WE SHOULD see it once in a while to remind us that this stuff really happened to real people.At times its easy to forget that
One wonders how his shoulder strap got cut

 

[civilwarincolor]

Graphic content doesnt bother me.WE SHOULD see it once in a while to remind us that this stuff really happened to real people.At times its easy to forget that
One wonders how his shoulder strap got cut

Graphic content does not bother me either (although not my favorite to work on). I was thinking about the forum rules indicating using "graphic" marker for anything of this nature and now I hijacked your thread that was non-graphic. Never know if there is going to be a kid or someone that is a bit squeamish drop by.

 

[kealbo54]

not my thread.I get you,though. Artists of the civil war is a near and dear t my heart topic,and I love it when someone starts a Waud etc thread.Sides,it gives me a chance to toss a few of my sketches up here,hehe.Besides,I inevatably learn something new.