Miniatures

These four illustrations were produced size-as-is for a coffee-table book on ships in bottles, each painting highlighting a specific vignette pertaining to the featured ship. Click on each image to view an enlarged version:

Crest of the Canadian Coast Guard, rendered for the ice-breaking CCGS Samuel Risley.
Actual size: 42x80 mm (1.5x3.25 inches)

One unique aspect of illustrating in water colour is the ability to render your subject to an extremely small scale, not only dovetailing the size to suit the required format, but with enough detail to withstand substantial enlargement upon publication.

Transom of the brig-of-war Irene, a Dutch ship captured by the British in 1806 and renamed the HMS Grasshopper.
Actual size: 37x50mm (1.5x2 inches)

Using this method, I've been able to produce ready-for-print illustrations smaller than 5 by 5 centimeters (2 by 2 inches) by employing very fine brushes (00 and smaller) and utilizing the excellent fluidity of the watercolour medium, which can closely mimic the ease of painting with inks.

The four-masted brig Queen Margaret, lying wrecked and awash off the Lizard, in Cornwall, after the captain had sailed the ship too far inshore, simply to speak to the lighthouse keeper!
Actual size: 44x44mm (1.75x1.75 inches)

I find I can incorporate extremely fine textures and sharply-defined details with little difficulty, the only prerequisites being adequate lighting (sunlight preferred) and above average patience.

A Yak 21 VTOL (Vertical Take-off and Landing) fighter, one of the complement of aircraft on the Soviet aircraft carrier Kiev.
Actual size: 50x50mm (2x2 inches)

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