Preston's Pictures

Prince of the Seas

2006-11-02T17:37:00.000-08:00

HMS Royal Charles, flag ship that led the British fleet against the Dutch. Airbrush with photoshop.

"Lord willing, I Will Return to You, My Love"

2006-09-28T19:18:00.000-07:00

Confederate artillery officer saying his final goodbye to his wife before leaving for the battle fronts, sometime around 1862. Airbrush and photoshop.

"Ironclad to Reckon With"

2006-09-12T20:06:00.000-07:00

The Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia (Merrimac) sinks the USS Cumberland in a harbor near Hampton Road, Virginia, 1862. Photoshop and airbrush.

"Strike Eagles"

2006-09-06T21:24:00.000-07:00

Two F15 Strike eagles attacking scud missle sites. Photoshop with some airbrush.

"Bogie at Three O'clock

2006-09-05T18:43:00.000-07:00

F9 Panther pilot catching a fast glimpse of a North Korean Mig 15. Airbrush on canvas with some photoshop work.

USS New Jersey"

2006-09-04T18:14:00.000-07:00

Same image as the other with an improved dusk sky and the ship now has running lights.

USS New Jersey

2006-09-03T12:26:00.000-07:00

Evening skiies over Gulf of Tonkin, Vietnam, 1967. Photoshop with airbrush touch up.

"20MM Run"

2006-08-14T18:15:00.000-07:00

A4 Skyhawks attacking enemy Sam units near North Vietnam.

"20 MM Run"

2006-08-14T18:07:00.000-07:00

A4 Skyhawks attacking an enemy SAM unit near North Vietnam, 1968. Photoshhop with airbrush, image mounted on illustration board.

"A4 Meatball"

2006-08-13T11:56:00.000-07:00

Same image as before, but with canopy correction. Photoshop with airbrush.

"Night Hot"

2006-08-13T11:28:00.000-07:00

F8 Crusader taking out a Mig 21 over North Vietnam, 1970. Photoshop and airbrush

"His point of view"

2006-08-11T08:39:00.000-07:00

Carrier landing during the View Nam War on the Gulf of Tonkin, 1967. Photoshop and airbrush, mounted on illustration board.

"12 O'clock High Over Tokyo"

2006-08-07T10:10:00.000-07:00

B25's bombing Japanese ball bearing factories near Tokyo. Photoshop with airbrush.

"Nose High"

2006-08-02T20:36:00.000-07:00

F8 Crusader wqith full afterburner high over Mediterrenean Sea during a shake down cruise. Photoshop with airbrush, mounted on illustration board

"Double Trouble"

2006-05-12T10:07:00.000-07:00

A pair of A6 Intruders on a search and destroy mission against North Vietnamese surface-to-air missle sites: 1969. Photoshop with airbrush touch-up.

"Yamato's" Last Stand"

2006-04-06T22:45:00.000-07:00

Imperial Japanese Battleship Yamato under bomb attack by US Naval war planes, May, 1945. Her skipper ordered that she be channel locked and make a last ditch effort to ward off the attack by US Naval aircraft. She was sunk to the bottom of the Sea of Japan later in the afternoon. Her captain, along with a few loyal men, remained with her when she went down into her watery grave. Photoshop with acrylic airbrush touch-up. Mounted on illustration board.

"Bright Morning Run"

2006-04-02T11:42:00.000-07:00

Two Republic P47 "bubbletop" Thunderbolts of the 7th U.S. Air Force, 61st Fighter Squadron conducting a morning patrol somewhere over Belgium, 1945. Photoshop with airbrush, mounted on illustration board.

"On the Prowl"

2006-04-01T14:33:00.000-08:00

F4fPhantom fighter/bombers dropping napalm and GP bombs on sited North Vietnamese targets, 1968. Photoshop with airbrush on illustration board.

"Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo"

2006-03-27T18:50:00.000-08:00

LtC. James Doolittle's famous B25 bombing of Tokyo in April, 1942, a glorious payback to the Japanese Empire after Pearl Harbor. Photoshop with Acrylic Airbrush, mounted on illustration board.

"Final Approach"

2006-03-15T19:13:00.000-08:00

F4U Corsair on final approach toward USS Yorktown (CV10), 1944. Photoshop and airbrush.

Pipers in the Glen

2006-03-14T18:25:00.000-08:00

Pipers of the 42nd Highland Regiment (Black Watch) near Glencoe. Photoshop with airbrush.

Pipers in the Glen

2006-03-14T18:01:00.000-08:00

Pipers of the 42nd Highland Regiment (Black Watch) strolling by the skirl of their pipes near Glencoe. It's a switch from aircraft, but it's still military, and it's a big part of "me ain Scots bloodline" Photoshop with airbrush.

"Three Hundred Feet Above Hell"

2006-02-25T19:10:00.000-08:00

Consolidated B24 Liberators taking enemy flack while bombing petrol refineries in Ploesti. Airbrush and photoshop, mounted on illustration board.

"Tokyo Bound"

2006-02-23T20:23:00.000-08:00

One of the B25 Mitchell bombers taking off from the flight deck of USS Hornet, April, 1942, under the command of Col. James Doolittle, to bomb Tokyo, Japan. Photoshop and airbrush, mounted on illustration board.

"Hi-tech Warbird"

2006-02-18T19:11:00.000-08:00

A Messerschmitt ME262 "Schwalbe" jet fighter on the run against P47 Thunderbolts. This fighter/interceptor was in action only in the last few months of the war in Europe. Photoshop with airbrush. Mounted on illustration board.

"Dogfight"

2006-02-12T18:53:00.000-08:00

Aerial contest between Vickers Supermarine Mark V Spitfires and Messerschmitt BF109-E fighters during the Battle of Britain: 1940. Photoshop and airbrush. Image mounted on illustration board.

"Death from Above"

2006-02-10T15:37:00.000-08:00

Two JU87 (Stuka) dive bombers releasing their arsenal on Soviet ground forces during Operation Barbarossa, 1941. Photoshop with airbrush: Image to be mounted on illustration board.

"Serviced&Ready"

2006-02-09T20:02:00.000-08:00

Focke-Wulf
FW190 Ds armed and prepared by Luftwaffe ground crew for take-off. Photoshop and airbrush, mounted on illustration board.

"Bogie at 9 O'clock"

2006-02-08T20:52:00.000-08:00

FW 190 D9 fighter coming up for an attack on US B17's. Photoshop and airbrush.

"Bogie at 9 o'clock!!"

2006-02-08T20:34:00.000-08:00

An FW 190 D9 coming up for an attack on US B17's, late 1944. Photoshop and airbrush, mounted on illustration board.

"Interceptor"

2006-01-29T18:51:00.000-08:00

Focke-Wulf FW190/TA2 on patrol over Bavarian homefront, late 1944. Airbrush and photoshop, color printed and mounted on illustration board.

"In Hot pursuit"

2006-01-09T20:35:00.000-08:00

A Focke-Wulf FW 190 Luftwaffe fighter attempting to elude a North American P51 Mustang over German occupied Holland, 1944. Photoshop with airbrush, mounted on illustration board.

"Crusader Fury"

2006-01-06T19:29:00.000-08:00

Two Vought F8 Crusaders making a low high speed pass over waters of the Mediterranean, 1969. Photoshop and airbrush, mounted on matt board.

"Hostile Skies"

2006-01-05T20:18:00.000-08:00

F9F Panther {reconaissance} fighter eluding a Mig 15 interceptor over North Korea. Photoshop with airbrush.

"Silver Birds over Silver Clouds"

2006-01-02T13:40:00.000-08:00

B17 Flying Fortresses returning to their base somewhere in England. Photoshop with airbrush.

"Guardians over the Commonwealth"

2006-01-02T13:31:00.000-08:00

Two Hawker Hurricanes and one Spitfire on patrol over Southhampton, 1941. Photoshop and Airbrush.

B17's with P51 Escort. Photoshop with airbrush

2006-01-01T21:04:00.000-08:00

"Aircover" BF109E Messerschmitts of Jagdegeschwader 27 flying over Tiger tanks..N. Africa, 1941..photoshop with airbrush

2005-12-31T21:12:00.000-08:00

"Death of the Red Baron" Wing support cables added.

2005-12-26T16:06:00.000-08:00

"Death of the Red Baron...April 21, 1918. Photoshop with airbrush.

2005-12-25T21:07:00.000-08:00

"Over Hostile Skies"..An F9F Panther (Photo/reconaissance) flying over North Korea. Airbrush and Photoshop.

2005-12-24T20:17:00.000-08:00

"Pass in Review" F4U's returning home (USS Intrepid) after a long day of attack/bombing missions. Airbrush with photoshop

2005-12-19T19:36:00.000-08:00

"Fanciful Cold War Engagement"...between an F16 Fighting Falcon and a EuroFighter-turned-Mig39. Airbrush with photoshop

2005-12-09T10:29:00.000-08:00

A10 making a strike on Iraqi armor

2005-12-06T19:55:00.000-08:00

"Storm Mission" with slight improvements.

2005-12-02T20:24:00.000-08:00

Storm Mission: P38 Lightenings moving relentlessly through a thunderstorm toward their mission. Airbrush with some photoshop, to be mounted on illustr

2005-12-02T15:23:00.000-08:00

"Fly By" F/A18 Hornet doing a high pass over USS Nimitz

2005-12-01T19:23:00.000-08:00

F/A18 Hornet about to touch down on deck of USS Nimitz

2005-12-01T19:18:00.000-08:00

F4U off USS Yorktown somewhere in the North Pacific, 1944

2005-11-30T20:15:00.000-08:00

B17 Flying Fortresses on a Bombing Mission, 1944

2005-11-28T20:59:00.000-08:00

2005-11-25T21:13:00.000-08:00

F16 Fighting Falcons

2005-11-25T21:09:00.000-08:00

Dogfight Over Vietnam

2005-11-25T21:05:00.000-08:00

Vought F4U Corsairs Attacking Japanese Ground Forces on Palau

2005-11-19T20:56:00.000-08:00

2005-11-18T13:44:00.000-08:00

Vought F4U Corsair landing on USS Intrepid, 1944

2005-11-18T11:20:00.000-08:00

F4U Corsair off USS Intrepid, (CV11), 1944

2005-11-17T20:22:00.000-08:00

cemetery during rapture. photoshop with airbrush

2005-11-04T13:35:00.000-08:00

cemetery duing rapture. photoshop with airbrush

2005-11-04T10:29:00.000-08:00

2005-10-30T11:20:00.000-08:00

"Got me another one" Another Spitfire shooting down a Messerschmitt 109. Same renering technique.

2005-10-30T11:13:00.000-08:00

"Hellcat Launch" A Grumman F6F Hellcat up and away from the deck of USS Yorktown (CV10), during the closing days of WWII in the Pacific. Some airbrush was used following photoshop work. To be mounted on illustration board.

2005-10-27T15:01:00.000-07:00

"BF 109 Down" RAF Spitfire buzzing past his"kill," a Messerschmitt BF109, during the closing days of the Battle of Britain. Photoshop finished with airbrush touch-up, mounted on illustration board.

2005-10-25T20:13:00.000-07:00

"Enola Gay" The famous B29 Superfortress bomber that helped end the Second Wortld War in the Pacific. Photoshop and airbrush. Mounted on illustration board.

2005-10-22T20:08:00.000-07:00

F18 and Nightfall. Photoshop and airbrush finish, mounted on illustration board.

2005-10-21T13:33:00.000-07:00

"Royal Hero:" Supermarine Mark II Spitfire returning from inercepting German Heinkel bombers over Channel: Battle of Britain.

2005-10-13T20:57:00.000-07:00

F4F Phantom patroling over South Vietnam. 1/144th scale model set against early dusk sky and landscape. I can almost smell the jp5 exhaust and hear the ear-splitting thundering roar of the bird's powerful twin jet turbines.

2005-10-12T20:02:00.000-07:00

German Battleship Bismarck in the Denmark Strait. Photoshop with airbrush finish

2005-10-11T19:17:00.000-07:00

f4f Phantom over South Vietnam

2005-10-06T15:58:00.000-07:00

f18 about to touch down on USS Nimitz. Photoshop and airbrush (acrylic).

2005-09-29T20:21:00.000-07:00

F/A18 Superhornet making a 360 degree roll. Photshop and airbrush.

2005-09-27T09:44:00.000-07:00

F18 Hornet flying at high ceiling

2005-09-27T09:41:00.000-07:00

F18 Hornet launching from port catapult: USS NImitz. Photoshop using airbrush

2005-09-26T20:30:00.000-07:00

F/A18 Super Hornet of VFA14, USS Nimitz. Same pic, only this time, with a warm body inside the high-tech avionics cockpit.

2005-09-26T19:43:00.000-07:00

f18 not quite breaking sound barrier. I did everything with this little fellow in photoshop except (you guessed it) work in the pilot.

2005-09-26T19:40:00.000-07:00

F18 Hornet climbing

2005-09-26T19:39:00.000-07:00

another F18 supershot. 1/72nd scale model by Revell shot with Canon Icon 3.2

2005-09-26T19:35:00.000-07:00

F/A18 Superhornet. photshop and airbrush

2005-09-22T18:50:00.000-07:00

"Gatling Terror" This is another airbrush/photoshop depiction of an A 10 "tank killer" unleashing its incendiary 30 mm gatling gun rounds on threat units. ITs pilot is operating about a thousand feet above the target area.

2005-09-21T19:29:00.000-07:00

Same scene..only this time the pilot has discharged flares so as to avert a possible SAM strike on his plane. Note the flak from enemy ground fire to his left.

2005-09-21T19:08:00.000-07:00

"Warthog Alley" Another scene showing the A 10 in action during Operation Desert Storm. Here it is depicted pulling up and away right after dropping 2000 lbs of napalm on enemy armor. I used photoshop to take away the wood dowel used to pose my 1/72nd scale model and create the blistering, blinding effect of a napalm detonation. A little help from my Badger "Anthem" airbrush made the difference between a couple of acres of grass in back of our house, and the look of desert sands of the Persain Gulf region.

2005-09-20T18:41:00.000-07:00

Fairchild A 10 Thunderbolt (Warthog} firing a bullpup rocket on an enemy ground stronghold...1/72nd scale model by Revell...effects rendered in photoshop and airbrush touch-up.

2005-09-15T19:31:00.000-07:00

"Full Broadsides" USS New Jersey firing all her nine 16-inch guns at Japanese-held positions on Iwo Jima, 1945

2005-09-15T19:07:00.000-07:00

"Sea Trials" Another model (USS New Jersey, BB 62). After photographing wih my

2005-09-15T19:03:00.000-07:00

"Sea Trials" USS New Jersey, BB 62, undergoing her final sea trials prior to her deployment to the Pacific, 1943. No, this is not the real battlewagon, although some of my work mates thought it was. Acturally, it is a very detailed die cast metal model of this grand warship, and with a little help of photoshop, along with good ocean scene references, I was able to convey the feeling I once had of watching another ship pass along side the one on which I served.

2005-09-15T18:22:00.000-07:00

Another F 8 Crusader moving up and out with gusto..Camera: Canon 3.2 mega pixels. Subject: Tamiya 1/72d scale model. The early evening sky is the actual one the Lord made, and all I did was point my little plane model upwards about 45 degrees with the help of a metre-long dowel. After shooting on wideangle mode, I scanned it in photoshop and finished it out there. Voila! A hopefully convincing depiction of Cold War era US Naval airpower during which time I proudly served.

2005-09-15T17:40:00.000-07:00

Another Skyhawk. Same art and design techniques.

2005-09-15T17:35:00.000-07:00

"Skyhawk Memories" Yep! You guessed it. It's another little model. This A4 was made of basswood from detailed plans showing its front, side, top and bottom views. After dressing it up in photoshop, I added a little air brush touch-up just to bring out some nice atmosperic values.

2005-09-15T17:24:00.000-07:00

"Full Afterburner & Climbing" Like the A 4 Skyhawk dropping napalm, this started out as a 1/72d scale model I built with meticulous detail, digitally photographed it holding it up against the late after noon sky with a dowel up its tail pipe, then photoshoped it. Original is 8x10.

2005-09-15T17:14:00.000-07:00

"Napalm and Flak" Douglas A 4 Skyhawk doing a rapid pull out of a dive after delivering napalm on viet cong regulars. Photoshop and airbrush combination. Paper is mounted on illustration board.

2005-09-15T17:07:00.000-07:00

"Mig Killer" F 8 Crusader zooms past North Vietnamese Airforce Mig 17 after making hitting it with aburst of 20 mm cannon. Airbrush acrylic on canvas panel: 16 x 20

2005-09-15T16:41:00.000-07:00

uss new jersey firing her 16 inch guns off the coast of north vietnam

2005-08-05T14:58:00.000-07:00

FA18 hornet on final approach to USS JFK

2005-05-03T18:59:00.000-07:00

"Will There Be Time For Worship, Major?" Clergymen served as chaplains to the military on both sides during the War Between the States. This preacher is at Gettysburg. Watercolor on Arches cold press.

2005-05-03T18:55:00.000-07:00

"The Circuit Rider". This clergyman is visiting one of Col. Porter Alexander's artillery batteries just prior to the Battle of Fredericksburg. Watercolor on Arches cold press.

2005-05-03T18:52:00.000-07:00

"A Cup of Water in His Name". Dwight L. Moody giving aid and comforting words to wounded and dying soldiers after the Battle of Chickamauga. Watercolor on Arches cold press.

2005-05-03T18:49:00.000-07:00

Jefferson Davis, the only President of the Confederate States of America, was himself a soldier and West Point graduate. He distinguished himself in the war with Mexico. Although he was reluctant to see a rift in the Union, he was an ardent supporter of Southern states' rights. Watercolor on Arches cold press.

2005-05-03T18:44:00.000-07:00

General Thomas J. Jackson, known as "Stonewall". He was Lee's second in command, winning for the Confederate forces numerous victories until he was mortally wounded in 1862 during the Battle of Chancellorsville. Watercolor on Arches cold press.

2005-05-03T18:41:00.000-07:00

General Robert E. Lee, Commander of the Army of Northern Virginia. Watercolor on Arches cold press.

2005-04-28T17:45:00.000-07:00

Julius Caesar and his generals in Gaul

2005-04-28T16:02:00.000-07:00

Christmas in the Camp