I've gotten the next layer of paint down, this layer will make up a majority of what you will actually see on the finished painting. Everything is progressing well and I've reached a stopping point. There are still some areas that need to be worked, re-painted, touched-up, adjusted, etc., but for now I'm going to set it aside for a couple of weeks to let this layer dry in and to let my eyes have a rest from it.
I'm happy with the way its progressing. This is sort of a poor digital shot as the lighting is uneven and you can't pick up some of the little niceties. One thing in particular that you can't really tell here is that I'm trying to keep the background a bit more loose and painterly. Its providing a nice contrast to the aircraft. In the sky I'm borrowing a technique from the Western Artists that I admire - I'm brushing in strokes of light reds and yellows into the blue of the sky. They're subtle, but it really infuses the sky with a sense of warmth and light. I'm doing a bit of the same in the clouds, too.
I've also gotten the observers repositioned and repainted. I might crop the vertical dimensions just slightly, but I haven't made up my mind about that yet. I'll wait until the painting is finished before deciding that.
