For as long as I can remember the battle at the Little Big Horn has fascinated me, wether it is to read or visit the power of attraction over the years has not diminished with time. There are many interesting stories, plots and subplots to what happened, why and of course what could have happened. While I respect Custer for his courage in the Civil War and on the plains his ability as a tactician leaves much to be desired. On two different occasions I was part of the Davis Creek Camp learning horse and cavalry drills and participating in the battle reenactment, the second trip was from the Yellowstone river to the Little Big Horn sometimes sleeping in the same place Custer had 125 years to the day. I've made many thumbnail sketches based on these trips and information accumulated.

These three sketches were part of the journal I kept on the horseback ride from the Yellowstone river to the Little Big Horn. I took a little artistic license with some of what we saw and expanded on others. For example if we saw cattle they became buffalo.

The burial tree was based on a couple of cottonwood trees next to camp, with the light and coming storm the place took on a gloomy atmosphere a burial tree fit right into that feeling.

Memory drawing in the journal of our scout Lonesome Charlie Reynolds, his real name is Brad Edwards from Montana. Charlie Reynolds was killed with Custer on June 25th 1876

The next set of sketchbook drawings are more recent and based on my impressions of places or events I witnessed. The first is a night camp. On our second night out we slept in the same field Custer did on June 22nd 1876 you could imagine the fields full of troopers and horses, men playing cards or relaxing before turning in. Custers men did not bring shelter halfs for tents and would have fire restrictions to not tip off the Indians. This scene would have been played out many times in different places during the Indian War.

I took a walk away from camp at sunset and wondered what a picket soldier might see or feel in country with lots of hostile Indian signs about. Looking back on camp from the hill with the setting sun behind him the valley in shadow and small fires around the area.

Two drawings of the moment were Custer sees the size of the village and knows he needs more men and ammunition. He sends two messages to Benteen to come up, the second a order written out by Lt. Cooke.

These two drawings are preparations for two paintings 9" x 12" showing the opposing views of the fight. The first is one of the Companies deploying in a skirmish line with the horses being lead away. Cavalry tactics were for every forth man to take the horses to the rear and allow the other three to fight on foot. Fighting on horseback isn't very accurate and it makes you a bigger target. Cavalry troopers do not carry longer range weapons like rifles, the carry shorter range carbines. The enemy must get in closer for the carbine to be effective. Trying to hold or ride a horse in combat is just completely ineffective.

The second sketch would be the collapse of one of Custer's companies. Lots of dust and gun smoke would fill the air. A large portion of the fight was on foot, nobody was better at hunting men on the open prairie than the Native Americans. They would use the ground and sage brush for cover, pop up shoot then move before the soldiers could fix them as a target. If you have ever stood in a field watching lightning bugs and imagine those flashes as gun shots that would be a fair comparison to this combat. The Indians had no organized command structure like the army and fight as individuals. At the end there was no escape for the soldiers. The attackers rode in as command and soldiers were panicking knowing their time was up, the outcome decided.

After some delay I am happy to have the picture Valor at Nam Dong came back on the work schedule. The picture depicts the Viet Cong attack at the Special Forces camp Nam Dong, South Vietnam in 1964. There are three main figures in the picture, Roger Donlon, Mike Disser and Julian Olejniczak. Roger Donlon is the first Medal of Honor recipient for Special Forces and for Vietnam. In July the new Headquarters building for 7th Group Special Forces will be named for Roger Donlon and the painting will be part of the ceremony and hang in the entrance. There is a Pre-order page on my web site or just use this link http://larryselman.com/roger-donlon/ There will only be 64 prints signed by both Roger and Mike, 100 signed by Mike and 100 signed only by myself. I expect these to sell out very quickly, if you are interested I suggest you check contact me or use the pre-order page.

Figure reference is usually the first pictures taken either to line up with background reference or to establish the lighting for the rest of the picture. It is rare that I shoot figures with no an idea of the lighting and usually leads to lots mistakes. This is a night fight painting and required shooting indoors with studio lighting mimicking the light. Fire is the main light source, a much softer but also warmer than daylight and because the fire is the main light it can be very dramatic with deep contrasting shadows areas. It is not necessary to have the light be warmer like the fire only that it falls on the figure as it will in the painting. I've shot reference with colored gels to get the fire effect, it worked well but I was drawn to making the painting look like the reference instead of interpreting it. Better to make your own choices on color temperature than be locked in too tightly.

Next I will build a small scale model of the mortar pit, vehicle and surrounding area then light and photograph in a similar manner to the figure reference. For the closer edge of the mortar pit I will use full size sand bags, small scale models can provide only so much detail and information.

Preliminary approved sketch

Roger Donlon figure modeled by Tom Shultz

Mike Disser figure modeled by Jim Green

Julian Olejniczak figure modeled by Ernie Carlson

Finished picture for the 3-501st. It is in someways very different and in other ways the same type of work I've done before. The obvious is the Blackhawk helicopters and horses the different would be the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. It was a big challenge to get the riders to go along with all the other realistic elements in the picture. It was fun to do different elements but also frustrating. If the figures were painted loser and more interpretive then they wouldn't line up well with the realistic helicopters. A very fine line to move on.

Preliminary sketches for EANGUS of the Hurricane relief work done by the Army and Air National Guard. The picture is to show how the enlisted Air and Army work together in large operations. Combat is obviously one type but this picture is about the humanitarian side of the Guard and its ability to do big things well. The Guard are made up of soldiers who are employed full time outside of the military and at times can be a difficult balance between the two. A disaster could strike Texas one month then Florida or New York next, in every case its men and women from across the country coming to the aid of their fellow citizens.

The picture isn't intended to be place specific and should have the feel of any of the recent natural disasters. Lots of interservice action takes place there. I like the idea of equipment arriving along with soldiers and supplies. Lots of ideas to pick from and one these two sketches will form the basis of the final painting.

The completed painting titled Sky Soldiers, the 1/7th at LZ X-Ray. The picture was finished a few months ago and reproductions made. For the past two weeks veterans have been signing the prints which will be available very soon. There will only be 65 prints and have the signature of two Medal of Honor recipients Joe Marm and Bruce Crandall along with three Company commanders John Herren, Tony Nadal and Bob Edwards, Assistant Machine Gunner Bill Beck, B flight Huey pilot Dick Cline and UPI reporter/photographer Joe Galloway who covered and participated in the battle.

Medal of Honor Recipient Joe Marm

Colonel, John Herren

Colonel Tony Nadal

Colonel Bob Edwards

SPC 4 Bill Beck

Colonel Dick Cline

Joe Galloway ( Right) UPI reporter and civilian combatant.

Everything has a beginning and a end, the Green Beret illustration is very likely the final GI Joe illustration of my career. Starting back in the late 1990's with the Classic Collection for Hasbro and after that line ended it was on to the National GI Joe Convention specials for Brian Savage. This year the idea was to mimic the Sears box art from 1966 but after several frustrating attempts at this I abandoned that. The original wasn't designed very well, it lacked drama, good lighting and it looks like one guy is ordering take out or getting a weather up date while the other soldier fires the machine gun. No matter how I tried to rearrange the composition or use a 1960 illustration technique, none of it worked.

Original Sears box art from 1966

My mind eventually wandered over to some drawings for another Vietnam picture that was never completed, Valor at Nam Dong. The first Medal of Honor for the Vietnam War was awarded to Captain Roger Donlon who was also the first Special Forces soldier to receive it. It wasn't possible to rework that picture into the convention art but it was the frame to hang it on. Night fights are always full of drama, the low light and dark shadows contrasted with the bright fire light are very compelling.

This picture is like almost every picture I've made is a mix of costumed models and small scale scenes. Good models along with the right props make the picture, you just can't make it without them. The models have to do some acting which isn't always easy especially since they are not actors or professional models. There was a little bit of luck in finding someone who had a M-20 Super Bazooka that could be used for the reference shoot. The rest of the props are part of my collection for reference.

There is the small stuff you make because getting some pieces of equipment is just not possible. Making a pile of sandbags out of plasticene was a lot easier than filling some to stack up.

The final illustration

Took some time this weekend to do a couple of alternative ideas for Yankee 26, the CH-47 roof landing in Afghanistan by the Pennsylvania National Guard. The first idea was drawn quickly and now with some time to think it through these two new drawings may be part of the dialog with the client.

First drawing shows the helicopter from below and its a nice angle but a little far from the viewer at least at this stage.

Second version from a different side of the helicopter. a little higher angle with some nice angles in the landscape.

Third drawing from a completely different angle. I like this one but it might not work with the client. the soldiers are loading prisoners into the helicopter.

These drawings all have good composition points and some areas that will need improving to bring this up to what a good picture should be. New reference of the CH-47 will help along with building a small replica of the buildings.

If you know anything about my work or background it is that history and has had a large hand in shaping what I paint. As a young boy I started playing army and drawing soldiers, then years later becoming an illustrator who specialized in those same subjects.It shouldn't be a surprise since my dad was a soldier that any drawings would gravitate that direction.

Drawing is the heart of any good idea and picture. Translating that idea from your head to paper then working through all of the possibilities is how every picture begins.

In my sketchbook there are lots of notes on what I was thinking at the time. You might find some color or light that strikes you but over time that memory can fade, making notes will help allow those thoughts from completely evaporating. The drawings of night was something I saw traveling and then later changed the location and subject to Apache Indian's moving through the desert.

The printer packed some prints with paper that looked interesting and I tried out a charcoal drawing on it. Turned out the paper wasn't really very good for drawing on but a nice exercise. Free stuff laying around like cardboard or packing paper can work as supports for pictures, never turn your nose up to stuff like that. Experimenting can lead to new discoveries and looks you may not have considered.

Not every picture needs to be a painting sometimes just a pencil drawing is enough because color will not improve the picture. The completed drawing of my friend Joe Ranoia is an example of that.

Preliminary drawing for Stat MedEvac. This company is based in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania and the city is the background for the setting. Very early in the process and will do a better more comprehensive drawing after some feed back.

The completed and approved painting of Cpt. Blanchard and Lt. Hess titled: Pitchblack 16 Capt. Aaron R. Blanchard, 32, of Selah, Wash., and 1st Lt. Robert J. Hess, 26, of Fairfax, Va., served in the 2nd Aviation Battalion, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division. On April 23, 2013 they were KIA in Pul-e ’Alam, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered from enemy indirect fire. We used their call sign as the title Pitchblack 16 and the painting will hang at the Central Washington University ROTC building. Cpt. Blanchard was a graduate of the ROTC program at Washington, the painting will hang in that building after the presentation.