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{{Short description|American aviation artist (born 1929)}}
{{Infobox artist
{{Infobox artist
| honorific_prefix =
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Keith Ferris <!-- include middle initial, if not specified in birth_name -->
| name = Keith Ferris <!-- include middle initial, if not specified in birth_name -->
| honorific_suffix =
| honorific_suffix =
| image = Keith Ferris--aviation artist-Columbus AFB--27 June 2007--following a flight in a T-37.jpg
| image = Keith Ferris--aviation artist-Columbus AFB--27 June 2007--following a flight in a T-37.jpg
| image_size = 150
| image_size = 150
| alt =
| alt =
| caption = Ferris in 2007
| caption = Ferris in 2007
| native_name =
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| native_name_lang =
| birth_name = Carlisle Keith Ferris
| birth_name = Carlisle Keith Ferris
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1929|05|14}}<!-- {{Birth date and age|YYYY|MM|DD}} for living artists, {{Birth date|YYYY|MM|DD}} for dead. For living people supply only the year unless the exact date is already WIDELY published, as per [[WP:DOB]]. Treat such cases as if only the year is known, so use {{birth year and age|YYYY}} or a similar option. -->
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1929|05|14}}<!-- {{Birth date and age|YYYY|MM|DD}} for living artists, {{Birth date|YYYY|MM|DD}} for dead. For living people supply only the year unless the exact date is already WIDELY published, as per [[WP:DOB]]. Treat such cases as if only the year is known, so use {{birth year and age|YYYY}} or a similar option. -->
| birth_place = [[Honolulu]]
| birth_place = [[Honolulu]]
| death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| death_place =
| death_place =
| resting_place =
| resting_place =
| resting_place_coordinates = <!-- {{Coord|LAT|LONG|type:landmark|display=inline}} -->
| resting_place_coordinates = <!-- {{Coord|LAT|LONG|type:landmark|display=inline}} -->
| nationality = American
| nationality = American
| education = [[Texas A&M University]], [[George Washington University]], [[Corcoran School of the Arts and Design|Corcoran College of Art]]
| residence = [[Morris Plains, New Jersey]]
| alma_mater =
| education = [[Texas A&M University]], [[George Washington University]], [[Corcoran School of the Arts and Design|Corcoran College of Art]]
| known_for = Aviation art
| alma_mater =
| notable_works =
| known_for = Aviation art
| style =
| notable_works =
| movement =
| style =
| spouse = Peggy Todd Ferris
| movement =
| partner =
| spouse = Peggy Todd Ferris
| awards = <!-- {{awd|award|year|title|role|name}} (optional) -->
| partner =
| elected = [[National Aviation Hall of Fame]]
| awards = <!-- {{awd|award|year|title|role|name}} (optional) -->
| patrons =
| elected = [[National Aviation Hall of Fame]]
| memorials =
| patrons =
| website = {{URL|https://keithferrisart.com}}
| memorials =
| module =
| website = {{URL|https://keithferrisart.com}}
| module =
}}
}}
'''Keith Ferris''' (born May 14, 1929, [[Honolulu, Hawaii]]) is an aviation artist whose work is displayed at the [[Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum|Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum]] and the [[National Museum of the United States Air Force|National Museum of the US Air Force]] and has been cited as the “Dean of American Aviation Art”. His work in aircraft [[camouflage]] has transformed the approach to painting US military aircraft.
'''Keith Ferris''' (born May 14, 1929, [[Honolulu, Hawaii]]) is an aviation artist whose work is displayed at the [[Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum|Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum]] and the [[National Museum of the United States Air Force|National Museum of the US Air Force]] and has been cited as the “Dean of American Aviation Art”. His work in aircraft [[camouflage]] has transformed the approach to painting US military aircraft.
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== Biography ==
== Biography ==
[[File:Douglas_B-18A_airplane_in_flight_(00910460_121).jpg|thumb|[[Douglas B-18 Bolo|Douglas B-18A Bolo]], the aircraft in which Ferris' father gave him his first flight on his tenth birthday.]]
[[File:Douglas_B-18A_airplane_in_flight_(00910460_121).jpg|thumb|[[Douglas B-18 Bolo|Douglas B-18A Bolo]], the aircraft in which Ferris' father gave him his first flight on his tenth birthday.]]
Carlisle Keith Ferris was born on May 14, 1929 in Honolulu to Carlisle and Virginia ([[née]] Brecht) Ferris when his father was an [[United States Army Air Corps|Army Air Corps]] lieutenant stationed at the [[Ford Island#Army Air Service|Luke Field, Ford Island]] in [[Pearl Harbor]]. In the same year, the father transferred to the Advanced Flying School at [[Kelly Field Annex#Between the wars|Kelly Field, Texas]] as a [[flight instructor]]. There his parents had three more children.<ref name="NAHF">{{cite web|url=http://www.nationalaviation.org/z-ferris-keith/|publisher=National Aviation Hall of Fame|title=Entry for Keith Ferris|accessdate=8 May 2016}}</ref>
Carlisle Keith Ferris was born on May 14, 1929, in Honolulu to Carlisle and Virginia ([[née]] Brecht) Ferris when his father was an [[United States Army Air Corps|Army Air Corps]] lieutenant stationed at the [[Ford Island#Army Air Service|Luke Field, Ford Island]] in [[Pearl Harbor]]. In the same year, the father transferred to the Advanced Flying School at [[Kelly Field Annex#Between the wars|Kelly Field, Texas]], as a [[flight instructor]]. There his parents had three more children.<ref name="NAHF">{{cite web|url=http://www.nationalaviation.org/z-ferris-keith/|publisher=National Aviation Hall of Fame|title=Entry for Keith Ferris|access-date=8 May 2016}}</ref>


His father was a combat pilot instructor for six years at Kelly Field, during which time Ferris became exposed to and interested in military aircraft. Next after the father's further advancements in the Army Air Corps, the family moved to [[March Air Reserve Base#Inter-war years|March Field]], near [[Riverside, California]]. To celebrate his tenth birthday, Ferris' first flight was in a [[Douglas B-18 Bolo|Douglas B-18A]] to which his father had been assigned.<ref name="NAHF"/>
His father was a combat pilot instructor for six years at Kelly Field, during which time Ferris became exposed to and interested in military aircraft. After the father's further advancement in the Army Air Corps, the family then moved to [[March Air Reserve Base#Inter-war years|March Field]], near [[Riverside, California]]. To celebrate his tenth birthday, Ferris' first flight was in a [[Douglas B-18 Bolo|Douglas B-18A]] to which his father had been assigned.<ref name="NAHF"/>


In 1946, Ferris entered [[Texas A&M University]] to study [[aeronautical engineering]] and a hoped-for career path towards an Air Force commission. He encountered his first [[Fighter aircraft#Jet-powered fighters|jet fighter]] at [[Randolph Air Force Base]] in Texas, while working in a summer job there.<ref name="Parisi">{{cite news|last1=Parisi|first1=Albert J.|title=New Jersey Q & A: Keith Ferris; Putting the Brush to Air History|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/01/29/nyregion/new-jersey-q-a-keith-ferris-putting-the-brush-to-air-history.html|accessdate=2 May 2016|work=The New York Times|issue=29 January 1989}}</ref> After learning that a minor allergy would make him ineligible to become a military pilot, he transferred to [[George Washington University]], where he also studied anatomy and figure drawing at the [[Corcoran School of the Arts and Design|Corcoran College of Art]].<ref name="NAHF"/>
In 1946, Ferris entered [[Texas A&M University]] to study [[aeronautical engineering]] and a hoped-for career path towards an Air Force commission. He encountered his first [[Fighter aircraft#Jet-powered fighters|jet fighter]] at [[Randolph Air Force Base]] in Texas, while working in a summer job there.<ref name="Parisi">{{cite news|last1=Parisi|first1=Albert J.|title=New Jersey Q & A: Keith Ferris; Putting the Brush to Air History|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/01/29/nyregion/new-jersey-q-a-keith-ferris-putting-the-brush-to-air-history.html|access-date=2 May 2016|work=The New York Times|issue=29 January 1989}}</ref> After learning that a minor [[allergy]] would make him ineligible to become a military pilot, he transferred to [[George Washington University]], where he also studied anatomy and figure drawing at the [[Corcoran School of the Arts and Design|Corcoran College of Art]].<ref name="NAHF"/>


Upon completion of his studies, he moved to [[St. Louis]] in 1951 to work for firms with publications contracts for the [[United States Air Force]]. For five years he was in charge of producing artwork for training publications and [[nuclear weapons]] manuals until the Air Force closed that operation. He then moved to the New York area to become a freelance artist for the aerospace industry and the military.<ref name="NAHF"/>
Upon completion of his studies, he moved to [[St. Louis]] in 1951 to work for firms with publications contracts for the [[United States Air Force]]. For five years he was in charge of producing artwork for training publications and [[nuclear weapons]] manuals until the Air Force closed that operation. He then moved to the New York area to become a freelance artist for the aerospace industry and the military.<ref name="NAHF"/>
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=== Aviation art ===
=== Aviation art ===
Ferris' work has been displayed at venues that include the Air Force Art Collection<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArchive/Documents/2008/September%202008/0908airpower.pdf|title=Air Power on Canvas|last=McCollough|first=Amy|date=September 2008|work=Air Force Magazine|access-date=2018-08-14|pages=52-7}}</ref> in [[The Pentagon]], the [[Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum]] in [[Washington, D.C.]]<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.airspacemag.com/daily-planet/battle-bien-hoa-air-base-180967973/|title=The Battle of Bien Hoa Air Base|last=Maksel|first=Rebecca|work=Air & Space Magazine|access-date=2018-08-11|language=en}}</ref> and the [[National Museum of the United States Air Force|National Museum of the U.S. Air Force]];<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://warbirdsnews.com/aviation-museum-news/air-force-70th-birthday-art-exhibit-opens-sept-9-national-museum-u-s-air-force.html|title=Air Force 70th Birthday Art Exhibit Opens Sept. 9 at National Museum of the U.S. Air Force|last=Staff|first=|date=2017-08-17|work=Warbirds News|access-date=2018-08-11|language=en-US}}</ref> and in aviation art publications.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L9OlAAAACAAJ&dq=%22keith+ferris%22+aviation+art&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjdgsaL9OXcAhWQtVkKHcmwAu0Q6AEILjAB|title=Aviation Art|last=Sharpe|first=Michael|last2=Sharpe|first2=Mike|date=1998|publisher=Thunder Bay Press|isbn=9781571451637|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FNr_PQAACAAJ&dq=%22keith+ferris%22+aviation+art&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjdgsaL9OXcAhWQtVkKHcmwAu0Q6AEINzAD|title=Bomber Missions: Aviation Art of World War II|last=Murray|first=G. E. Patrick|date=2001|publisher=Friedman/Fairfax Publishers|isbn=9781586630812|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a_1zPwAACAAJ&dq=%22keith+ferris%22+aviation+art&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjdgsaL9OXcAhWQtVkKHcmwAu0Q6AEIPDAE|title=The Mighty Eighth in Art|last=Freeman|first=Roger A.|date=1998|publisher=Arms & Armour Press|year=|isbn=9781854094735|location=|pages=|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XsYJAAAACAAJ&dq=%22keith+ferris%22+aviation+art&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjdgsaL9OXcAhWQtVkKHcmwAu0Q6AEIQTAF|title=Carrier War: Aviation Art of World War II|last=Stillwell|first=Paul|date=2004|publisher=Michael Friedman Publishing Group, Incorporated|year=|isbn=9781402718564|location=|pages=|language=en}}</ref> The art director of Aviation Week Magazine cited "the power and the majesty of aviation in his paintings".<ref name=":1" /> A director of the National Air and Space Museum cited his "absolute fidelity to accuracy" and called him "the [[Frederic Remington|(Frederic) Remington]] of our time".<ref name=":1" /> A pilot and fellow artist said that his paintings "capture the impression of flight as a pilot would get: the airiness around you, the impression of movement".<ref name=":1" /> His work has influenced artists as far afield as Pakistan.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1386928|title=A stroll through the PAF museum: When a soldier takes up brushes, art happens|last=Khan|first=Tauseef Razi Mallick {{!}} Waqar Muhammad|date=2018-02-03|work=DAWN.COM|access-date=2018-08-11|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/246724/patriotism-elevating-the-aces-throught-art/|title=Patriotism: Elevating the aces through art {{!}} The Express Tribune|last=Usman|first=Maryam|date=2011-09-07|work=The Express Tribune|access-date=2018-08-11|language=en-US}}</ref>
Ferris' work has been displayed at venues that include the Air Force Art Collection<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArchive/Documents/2008/September%202008/0908airpower.pdf|title=Air Power on Canvas|last=McCollough|first=Amy|date=September 2008|work=Air Force Magazine|access-date=2018-08-14|pages=52–7}}</ref> in [[The Pentagon]], the [[Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum]] in [[Washington, D.C.]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.airspacemag.com/daily-planet/battle-bien-hoa-air-base-180967973/|title=The Battle of Bien Hoa Air Base|last=Maksel|first=Rebecca|work=Air & Space Magazine|access-date=2018-08-11|language=en}}</ref> and the [[National Museum of the United States Air Force|National Museum of the U.S. Air Force]];<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://warbirdsnews.com/aviation-museum-news/air-force-70th-birthday-art-exhibit-opens-sept-9-national-museum-u-s-air-force.html|title=Air Force 70th Birthday Art Exhibit Opens Sept. 9 at National Museum of the U.S. Air Force|last=Staff|date=2017-08-17|work=Warbirds News|access-date=2018-08-11|language=en-US}}</ref> and in aviation art publications.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L9OlAAAACAAJ&q=%22keith+ferris%22+aviation+art|title=Aviation Art|last1=Sharpe|first1=Michael|last2=Sharpe|first2=Mike|date=1998|publisher=Thunder Bay Press|isbn=9781571451637|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FNr_PQAACAAJ&q=%22keith+ferris%22+aviation+art|title=Bomber Missions: Aviation Art of World War II|last=Murray|first=G. E. Patrick|date=2001|publisher=Friedman/Fairfax Publishers|isbn=9781586630812|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a_1zPwAACAAJ&q=%22keith+ferris%22+aviation+art|title=The Mighty Eighth in Art|last=Freeman|first=Roger A.|date=1998|publisher=Arms & Armour Press|isbn=9781854094735|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XsYJAAAACAAJ&q=%22keith+ferris%22+aviation+art|title=Carrier War: Aviation Art of World War II|last=Stillwell|first=Paul|date=2004|publisher=Michael Friedman Publishing Group, Incorporated|isbn=9781402718564|language=en}}</ref> The art director of ''[[Aviation Week & Space Technology]]'' cited "the power and the majesty of aviation in his paintings".<ref name=":1" /> A director of the National Air and Space Museum cited his "absolute fidelity to accuracy" and called him "the [[Frederic Remington|(Frederic) Remington]] of our time".<ref name=":1" /> A pilot and fellow artist said that his paintings "capture the impression of flight as a pilot would get: the airiness around you, the impression of movement".<ref name=":1" /> His work has influenced artists as far afield as Pakistan.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1386928|title=A stroll through the PAF museum: When a soldier takes up brushes, art happens|last=Khan|first=Tauseef Razi Mallick {{!}} Waqar Muhammad|date=2018-02-03|work=DAWN.COM|access-date=2018-08-11|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/246724/patriotism-elevating-the-aces-throught-art/|title=Patriotism: Elevating the aces through art {{!}} The Express Tribune|last=Usman|first=Maryam|date=2011-09-07|work=The Express Tribune|access-date=2018-08-11|language=en-US}}</ref>


In a 1994 interview for ''[[Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association|AOPA Pilot]]'' magazine, Ferris suggested three rules of thumb for good aviation art:<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/1994/january/pilot/aviation-as-art|title=Aviation as Art|last=Marsh|first=Alton K.|date=January 5, 1994|website=AOPA Pilot Magazine|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=2018-08-17}}</ref>
In a 1994 interview for ''[[Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association|AOPA Pilot]]'' magazine, Ferris suggested three rules of thumb for good aviation art:<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/1994/january/pilot/aviation-as-art|title=Aviation as Art|last=Marsh|first=Alton K.|date=January 5, 1994|website=AOPA Pilot Magazine|access-date=2018-08-17}}</ref>


# Painting vs. photography: "If it can be handled by a photographer, I'm not interested in spending my time doing the same thing with paint."
# Painting vs. photography: "If it can be handled by a photographer, I'm not interested in spending my time doing the same thing with paint."
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# Develop the shadows in aircraft imagery: "Airplanes are like a big mirror; they reflect the surrounding environment in their surfaces."
# Develop the shadows in aircraft imagery: "Airplanes are like a big mirror; they reflect the surrounding environment in their surfaces."


In a 2001 interview for ''[[The New York Times]]'', Ferris highlighted the advantage of an artist over a photographer by pointing out that, as an artist he can start with nothing and using his imagination turn it into something, as opposed to a photographer who must have an object or scene to photograph. He further explained that his process of creating his works begins with a "debriefing" of his Air Force-sponsored travels to his wife, leading to thumbnail sketches, then to various views of the aircraft mission to be portrayed and finally to scaling  all objects to appear in the scene using an engineering process called, <nowiki>''</nowiki>perspective projection by descriptive geometry<nowiki>''</nowiki>; this includes careful consideration of the aircraft's  flight path relative to  the viewer's position. Key to the three dimensional effect is the handling of light and reflected light within the composition.<ref name=":1" />
In a 2001 interview for ''[[The New York Times]]'', Ferris highlighted the advantage of an artist over a photographer by pointing out that, as an artist he can start with nothing and using his imagination turn it into something, as opposed to a photographer who must have an object or scene to photograph. He further explained that his process of creating his works begins with a "debriefing" of his Air Force-sponsored travels to his wife, leading to thumbnail sketches, then to various views of the aircraft mission to be portrayed and finally to scaling all objects to appear in the scene using an engineering process called, <nowiki>''</nowiki>perspective projection by descriptive geometry<nowiki>''</nowiki>; this includes careful consideration of the aircraft's flight path relative to the viewer's position. Key to the three dimensional effect is the handling of light and reflected light within the composition.<ref name=":1" />


Ferris and his wife operate a small business  offering his original art and prints of his work for sale.<ref name="Parisi" />
Ferris and his wife operate a small business, offering his original art and prints of his work for sale.<ref name="Parisi" />


==== Air Force Art Program ====
==== Air Force Art Program ====
[[File:Keith Ferris--aviation artist--with instructor pilots at Columbus AFB--27 June 2007--following a flight in a T-37.jpg|thumb|Ferris with three Air Force instructor pilots, following an Air Force Art Program flight.]]
[[File:Keith Ferris--aviation artist--with instructor pilots at Columbus AFB--27 June 2007--following a flight in a T-37.jpg|thumb|Ferris with three Air Force instructor pilots, following an Air Force Art Program flight.]]
His participation in the [[United States Air Force Art Program|Air Force Art Program]] allowed Ferris to travel worldwide and to document the missions of many of the Air Force's jet aircraft, providing 53 major paintings to the collection.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.asaa-avart.org/artists/biography.php?memId=40|title=Keith Ferris, ASAA and Founder|last=Staff|first=|date=|website=American Society of Aviation Artists|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=2018-07-27}}</ref> The program provided opportunities to fly in a wide variety of Air Force planes for more than 40 years, including in [[Boeing B-52 Stratofortress|B-52]]s, the [[McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II|F-4E Phantom]] in [[Thailand]], with the [[United States Air Force Thunderbirds]] flight demonstration team, and on Air Force missions during the [[Bosnian War|Bosnian Conflict]]. His subject matter documents aviation history from [[World War I]] through the current era.<ref name=":1" />
His participation in the [[United States Air Force Art Program|Air Force Art Program]] allowed Ferris to travel worldwide and to document the missions of many of the Air Force's jet aircraft, providing 62 major paintings to the collection.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.asaa-avart.org/artists/biography.php?memId=40|title=Keith Ferris, ASAA and Founder|last=Staff|website=American Society of Aviation Artists|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150913221104/http://www.asaa-avart.org/artists/biography.php?memId=40|archive-date=2015-09-13|url-status=dead|access-date=2018-07-27}}</ref> The program provided opportunities to fly in a wide variety of Air Force planes over more than 40 years, including in [[Boeing B-52 Stratofortress|B-52]]s, the [[McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II|F-4E Phantom]] in [[Thailand]], with the [[United States Air Force Thunderbirds]] flight demonstration team, and on Air Force missions during the [[Bosnian War|Bosnian Conflict]]. His subject matter documents aviation history from [[World War I]] through the current era.<ref name=":1" />


==== Murals ====
==== Murals ====
[[File:History of Jet Aviation -- Keith Ferris Mural -- Air & Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution -- by Mark Avino.png|thumb|Ferris mural, "The Evolution of Jet Aviation", at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum<ref name=Evolution/>]]
[[File:History of Jet Aviation -- Keith Ferris Mural -- Air & Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution -- by Mark Avino.png|thumb|Ferris mural, "The Evolution of Jet Aviation", at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum<ref name=Evolution/>]]
Ferris created two 75-foot-wide murals for the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum, "Fortresses Under Fire" in the museum's World War II gallery and "The Evolution of Jet Aviation" in the museum's Jet Aviation gallery.<ref name=":0" />
Ferris created two {{convert|75|foot|m|adj=mid|-wide}} murals for the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum, "Fortresses Under Fire" in the museum's World War II gallery and "The Evolution of Jet Aviation" in the museum's Jet Aviation gallery.<ref name=":0" />


His best-known work, the 25-foot-high by 75-foot-wide mural "Fortresses Under Fire" in the museum's World War II gallery depicts with historical accuracy a [[World War II]] [[B-17|Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress"]] bomber, named ''[[Thunderbird (aircraft)|Thunderbird]],'' under attack during its the 70th mission on 15 August 1944.<ref name="Parisi" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_8555|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Archives|title='Thunder Bird' by Keith Ferris|accessdate=8 May 2016}}</ref> In a 1989 interview with ''The New York Times'', Ferris described how he scaled up the working image, using a grid system—with fine squares for the working image and coarse squares for the mural—and completed each portion working from left to right, using correspondingly larger paint brushes. The mural took approximately 135 days of planning and 75 days of execution.<ref name="Parisi" />
His best-known work, the {{convert|25|foot|m|adj=mid|-high}} by {{convert|75|foot|m|adj=mid|-wide}} mural "Fortresses Under Fire", depicts with historical accuracy a [[World War II]] [[B-17|Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress"]] bomber, named ''[[Thunderbird (aircraft)|Thunderbird]],'' under attack during its 70th mission on 15 August 1944.<ref name="Parisi" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_8555|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Archives|title='Thunder Bird' by Keith Ferris|access-date=8 May 2016}}</ref> In a 1989 interview with ''The New York Times'', Ferris described how he scaled up the working image, using a grid system—with fine squares for the working image and coarse squares for the mural—and completed each portion working from left to right, using correspondingly larger paint brushes. The mural took approximately 135 days of planning and 75 days of execution.<ref name="Parisi" />
[[File:Keith Ferris and "Fortresses Under Fire" at NASM.jpg|thumb|Ferris visits his mural “Fortresses Under Fire” at the National Air and Space Museum in 2005.]]

The second 75-foot mural, "The Evolution of Jet Aviation", depicts 27 historically significant jet aircraft, including the first and the fastest, and models from eight nations and from 20 aircraft manufacturers.<ref name=Evolution>{{Cite web|url=https://airandspace.si.edu/multimedia-gallery/si-2000-4632hjpg|title=The Keith Ferris mural 'The Evolution of Jet Aviation'|last=Avino|first=Mark|date=|website=National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=2018-08-11}}</ref>
The second {{convert|75|foot|m|adj=mid|-wide}} mural, "The Evolution of Jet Aviation", depicts 27 historically significant jet aircraft, including the first and the fastest, and models from eight nations and from 20 aircraft manufacturers.<ref name=Evolution>{{Cite web|url=https://airandspace.si.edu/multimedia-gallery/si-2000-4632hjpg|title=The Keith Ferris mural 'The Evolution of Jet Aviation'|last=Avino|first=Mark|website=National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution|access-date=2018-08-11}}</ref>


=== Professional societies ===
=== Professional societies ===
Ferris joined the [[Society of Illustrators]] in New York City in 1960, which introduced him to the Air Force Art Program.<ref name="NAHF" /><ref name="Parisi" /> He is a founder and past president of the American Society of Aviation Artists,<ref name=":0" /> established with the stated goal to "promote professionalism, authenticity and quality in aviation art"; the society also provides scholarships, annual educational forums, advice on business practices, and opportunities for exhibition.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ead.ohiolink.edu/xtf-ead/view?docId=ead/ODaWU0172.xml;chunk.id=bioghist_1;brand=default|title=Guide to the American Society of Aviation Artists Collection|last=Staff|first=|date=|website=ead.ohiolink.edu|language=en|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=2018-08-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://asaa-avart.org|title=American Society of Aviation Artists - ASAA|website=American Society of Aviation Artists - ASAA|language=en-US|access-date=2018-08-14}}</ref>
Ferris joined the [[Society of Illustrators]] in New York City in 1960, which introduced him to the Air Force Art Program.<ref name="NAHF" /><ref name="Parisi" /> He is a founder and past president of the American Society of Aviation Artists,<ref name=":0" /> established with the stated goal to "promote professionalism, authenticity and quality in aviation art"; the society also provides scholarships, annual educational forums, advice on business practices, and opportunities for exhibition.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ead.ohiolink.edu/xtf-ead/view?docId=ead/ODaWU0172.xml;chunk.id=bioghist_1;brand=default|title=Guide to the American Society of Aviation Artists Collection|last=Staff|website=ead.ohiolink.edu|language=en|access-date=2018-08-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://asaa-avart.org|title=American Society of Aviation Artists - ASAA|website=American Society of Aviation Artists - ASAA|language=en-US|access-date=2018-08-14}}</ref>


=== Camouflage ===
=== Camouflage ===


Ferris applied his knowledge of aircraft, his substantial experience with flying on missions in military aircraft, combined with his artistic talent, to developing several innovative [[camouflage]] patterns for military aircraft. He five patents, covering these camouflage patterns.<ref name=":2">{{cite news|last1=Browne|first1=Malcolm W.|title=Air Force Sees Beauty In Ugly Ducklings|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/08/18/science/air-force-sees-beauty-in-ugly-ducklings.html|accessdate=2 May 2016|work=The New York Times|issue=18 August 1987}}</ref> One design involved painting a false cockpit on the underside of an aircraft<ref>{{Citation
Ferris applied his knowledge of aircraft, his substantial experience with flying on missions in military aircraft, combined with his artistic talent, to developing several innovative [[camouflage]] patterns for military aircraft. He obtained five patents, covering these camouflage patterns.<ref name=":2">{{cite news|last1=Browne|first1=Malcolm W.|title=Air Force Sees Beauty In Ugly Ducklings|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/08/18/science/air-force-sees-beauty-in-ugly-ducklings.html|access-date=2 May 2016|work=The New York Times|issue=18 August 1987}}</ref> One design involved painting a false cockpit on the underside of an aircraft<ref>{{Citation
| last = Ferris
| last = Ferris
| first = Carlisle K.
| first = Carlisle K.
Line 86: Line 86:
| title = Patent 4,406,428: Camouflaged aircraft
| title = Patent 4,406,428: Camouflaged aircraft
| publisher = U.S. Patent Office
| publisher = U.S. Patent Office
| url = http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?Docid=04406428&homeurl=http%3A%2F%2Fpatft.uspto.gov%2Fnetacgi%2Fnph-Parser%3FSect1%3DPTO1%2526Sect2%3DHITOFF%2526d%3DPALL%2526p%3D1%2526u%3D%25252Fnetahtml%25252FPTO%25252Fsrchnum.htm%2526r%3D1%2526f%3DG%2526l%3D50%2526s1%3D4,406,428.PN.%2526OS%3DPN%2F4,406,428%2526RS%3DPN%2F4,406,428&PageNum=&Rtype=&SectionNum=&idkey=NONE&Input=View+first+page}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FW_50wm8VnMC&pg=PA53&dq=keith+ferris+camouflage&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjE74PJ6uXcAhVBtlkKHSBQBy4Q6AEIKTAA#v=onepage&q=keith%20ferris%20camouflage&f=false|title=Air Warfare: an International Encyclopedia: A-L|last=Boyne|first=Walter J.|date=2002|publisher=ABC-CLIO|year=|isbn=9781576073452|location=|pages=53|language=en}}</ref> to make it more difficult for an adversary to determine which way the aircraft was turning.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f2ha4-5uMxkC&q=keith+ferris+camouflage&dq=keith+ferris+camouflage&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjE74PJ6uXcAhVBtlkKHSBQBy4Q6AEIRTAG|title=Eagle|last=Drendel|first=Lou|date=1985-11-01|publisher=Squadron/Signal Publications|year=|isbn=9780897471688|location=|pages=16|language=en}}</ref> Another design, using [[disruptive coloration]], entailed applying three shades of gray in a jagged pattern.<ref>{{Citation
| url = http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?Docid=04406428&homeurl=http%3A%2F%2Fpatft.uspto.gov%2Fnetacgi%2Fnph-Parser%3FSect1%3DPTO1%2526Sect2%3DHITOFF%2526d%3DPALL%2526p%3D1%2526u%3D%25252Fnetahtml%25252FPTO%25252Fsrchnum.htm%2526r%3D1%2526f%3DG%2526l%3D50%2526s1%3D4,406,428.PN.%2526OS%3DPN%2F4,406,428%2526RS%3DPN%2F4,406,428&PageNum=&Rtype=&SectionNum=&idkey=NONE&Input=View+first+page}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FW_50wm8VnMC&q=keith+ferris+camouflage&pg=PA53|title=Air Warfare: an International Encyclopedia: A-L|last=Boyne|first=Walter J.|date=2002|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=9781576073452|pages=53|language=en}}</ref> to make it more difficult for an adversary to determine which way the aircraft was turning.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f2ha4-5uMxkC&q=keith+ferris+camouflage|title=Eagle|last=Drendel|first=Lou|date=1985-11-01|publisher=Squadron/Signal Publications|isbn=9780897471688|pages=16|language=en}}</ref> Another design, using [[disruptive coloration]], entailed applying three shades of gray in a jagged pattern.<ref>{{Citation
| last = Ferris
| last = Ferris
| first = Carlisle Keith
| first = Carlisle Keith
Line 92: Line 92:
| title = Patent 4,089,491: Camouflaged aircraft, surface vessel or vehicle or the like
| title = Patent 4,089,491: Camouflaged aircraft, surface vessel or vehicle or the like
| publisher = U.S. Patent Office
| publisher = U.S. Patent Office
| url = http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?PageNum=0&docid=04089491&IDKey=2CAB7F44B65C%0D%0A&HomeUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fpatft.uspto.gov%2Fnetacgi%2Fnph-Parser%3FSect1%3DPTO2%2526Sect2%3DHITOFF%2526p%3D1%2526u%3D%25252Fnetahtml%25252FPTO%25252Fsearch-bool.html%2526r%3D3%2526f%3DG%2526l%3D50%2526co1%3DAND%2526d%3DPTXT%2526s1%3DKeith.INNM.%2526s2%3DCarlisle.INNM.%2526OS%3DIN%2FKeith%252BAND%252BIN%2FCarlisle%2526RS%3DIN%2FKeith%252BAND%252BIN%2FCarlisle }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3kKpVYGuR6QC&pg=PA91&dq=keith+ferris+camouflage&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjE74PJ6uXcAhVBtlkKHSBQBy4Q6AEIMjAC#v=onepage&q=keith%20ferris%20camouflage&f=false|title=The Oregon Air National Guard|last=Popravak|first=Terrence G.|last2=Popravak|first2=Sean M.|date=2012|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|year=|isbn=9780738593128|location=|pages=91|language=en}}</ref> Key principles included elimination of both bright colors and black from color schemes, the use of gray tones with a matte finish, the use of asymmetric patterns, and the de-emphasis of insignias.<ref name=":2" /> A third design principle creates visual confusion as an aircraft moves over a background.<ref>{{Citation
| url = http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?PageNum=0&docid=04089491&IDKey=2CAB7F44B65C%0D%0A&HomeUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fpatft.uspto.gov%2Fnetacgi%2Fnph-Parser%3FSect1%3DPTO2%2526Sect2%3DHITOFF%2526p%3D1%2526u%3D%25252Fnetahtml%25252FPTO%25252Fsearch-bool.html%2526r%3D3%2526f%3DG%2526l%3D50%2526co1%3DAND%2526d%3DPTXT%2526s1%3DKeith.INNM.%2526s2%3DCarlisle.INNM.%2526OS%3DIN%2FKeith%252BAND%252BIN%2FCarlisle%2526RS%3DIN%2FKeith%252BAND%252BIN%2FCarlisle }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3kKpVYGuR6QC&q=keith+ferris+camouflage&pg=PA91|title=The Oregon Air National Guard|last1=Popravak|first1=Terrence G.|last2=Popravak|first2=Sean M.|date=2012|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|isbn=9780738593128|pages=91|language=en}}</ref> Key principles included elimination of both bright colors and black from color schemes, the use of gray tones with a matte finish, the use of asymmetric patterns, and the de-emphasis of insignias.<ref name=":2" /> A third design principle creates visual confusion as an aircraft moves over a background.<ref>{{Citation
| last = Ferris
| last = Ferris
| first = Carlisle K.
| first = Carlisle K.
Line 98: Line 98:
| title = Patent 4,611,524: Camouflaged vehicle such as an aircraft, surface vessel or the like
| title = Patent 4,611,524: Camouflaged vehicle such as an aircraft, surface vessel or the like
| publisher = U.S. Patent Office
| publisher = U.S. Patent Office
| url = http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?Docid=04611524&homeurl=http%3A%2F%2Fpatft.uspto.gov%2Fnetacgi%2Fnph-Parser%3FSect1%3DPTO1%2526Sect2%3DHITOFF%2526d%3DPALL%2526p%3D1%2526u%3D%25252Fnetahtml%25252FPTO%25252Fsrchnum.htm%2526r%3D1%2526f%3DG%2526l%3D50%2526s1%3D4,611,524.PN.%2526OS%3DPN%2F4,611,524%2526RS%3DPN%2F4,611,524&PageNum=&Rtype=&SectionNum=&idkey=NONE&Input=View+first+page }}</ref> Ferris-inspired camouflage schemes have been implemented on foreign aircraft, as well.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://aviationweek.com/blog/50-shades-sukhoi|title=50 Shades Of Sukhoi|last=Sweetman|first=Bill|date=November 23, 2013|website=Aviation Week|language=en|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=2018-08-11}}</ref>
| url = http://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?Docid=04611524&homeurl=http%3A%2F%2Fpatft.uspto.gov%2Fnetacgi%2Fnph-Parser%3FSect1%3DPTO1%2526Sect2%3DHITOFF%2526d%3DPALL%2526p%3D1%2526u%3D%25252Fnetahtml%25252FPTO%25252Fsrchnum.htm%2526r%3D1%2526f%3DG%2526l%3D50%2526s1%3D4,611,524.PN.%2526OS%3DPN%2F4,611,524%2526RS%3DPN%2F4,611,524&PageNum=&Rtype=&SectionNum=&idkey=NONE&Input=View+first+page }}</ref> Ferris-inspired camouflage schemes have been implemented on foreign aircraft, as well.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://aviationweek.com/blog/50-shades-sukhoi|title=50 Shades Of Sukhoi|last=Sweetman|first=Bill|date=November 23, 2013|website=Aviation Week|language=en|access-date=2018-08-11}}{{dead link|date=May 2020|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
<gallery mode="packed" heights="150px">
<gallery mode="packed" heights="150px">
File:McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II -- comparison of disruptive camouflage schemes -- gray and jungle colors.jpg|[[McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II]], depicting a disruptive gray camouflage scheme by Ferris (top), contrasted with a jungle coloration (bottom).
File:McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II -- comparison of disruptive camouflage schemes -- gray and jungle colors.jpg|[[McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II]], depicting a disruptive gray camouflage scheme by Ferris (top), contrasted with a jungle coloration (bottom).
File:F-16C Fighting Falcon.JPEG|[[General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon|General Dynamics F-16]], showing multi-shade pattern camouflage, influenced by Ferris.
File:F-16C Fighting Falcon.JPEG|[[General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon|General Dynamics F-16]], showing multi-shade pattern camouflage, influenced by Ferris.
File:Sukhoi T-50 Maksimov.jpg|Russian [[Sukhoi Su-57]], showing multi-shade pattern camouflage, influenced by Ferris.
File:T-37 021203-O-9999G-003.jpg|Air Force [[Cessna T-37 Tweet|T-37]] primary trainer with reversed [[countershading]] for maximum visibility, designed by Ferris
File:T-37 021203-O-9999G-003.jpg|Air Force [[Cessna T-37 Tweet|T-37]] primary trainer with reversed [[countershading]] for maximum visibility, designed by Ferris
</gallery>
</gallery>
Line 108: Line 109:
In 2012, Ferris was inducted into the [[National Aviation Hall of Fame]], where he was cited as the “Dean of American Aviation Art” in recognition of his contributions as an artist, historian, aviator, inventor, and teacher.<ref name="NAHF" />
In 2012, Ferris was inducted into the [[National Aviation Hall of Fame]], where he was cited as the “Dean of American Aviation Art” in recognition of his contributions as an artist, historian, aviator, inventor, and teacher.<ref name="NAHF" />


In 1986 Ferris became an Honorary Daedalian—the national fraternity of military pilots, <ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/21/nyregion/art-a-life-of-turning-aviation-into-high-art.html|title=ART; A Life of Turning Aviation Into High Art|last=Nash|first=Margo|date=January 21, 2001|work=The New York Times|access-date=2018-08-12|page=NJ14|language=en}}</ref> an honorary member of the [[United States Air Force Thunderbirds|USAF Thunderbirds]] in 1989, a 1992 inductee into the Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum of New Jersey,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.njahof.org/halloffame.htm|title=Hall of Fame Inductees|last=Staff|first=|date=2016|website=Aviation Hall of Fame of New Jersey|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=2018-08-12}}</ref> cited for Lifetime Achievement in 2004 in the ''[[Aviation Week & Space Technology]]'' Laureate Hall of Fame in the National Air & Space Museum in 2004, and a 2006 Hall of Fame inductee in The Society of Illustrators.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.societyillustrators.org/keith-ferris|title=2006 Hall of Fame Inductee: Keith Ferris|last=Staff|first=|date=2006|website=Society of Illustrators|language=en|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=2018-08-14}}</ref> In 2012, the National Aeronautic Association gave him a Distinguished Statesman of Aviation award and in 2014 Texas A&M gave him its Honorary Aerospace Engineering Engineer Alumni award. [[Daniel Webster College]] in [[Nashua, New Hampshire|Nashua, New Hampshir]]<nowiki/>e awarded him a [[Doctor of humane letters|Doctorate of Humane Letters]] in 1995.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://keithferrisart.com/keith-ferris-biography/|title=Keith Ferris Biography - Keith Ferris Art|work=Keith Ferris Art|access-date=2018-08-12|language=en-US}}</ref>
In 1986 Ferris became an Honorary Daedalian—the national fraternity of military pilots,<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/21/nyregion/art-a-life-of-turning-aviation-into-high-art.html|title=ART; A Life of Turning Aviation Into High Art|last=Nash|first=Margo|date=January 21, 2001|work=The New York Times|access-date=2018-08-12|page=NJ14|language=en}}</ref> an honorary member of the [[United States Air Force Thunderbirds|USAF Thunderbirds]] in 1989, a 1992 inductee into the Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum of New Jersey,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.njahof.org/halloffame.htm|title=Hall of Fame Inductees|last=Staff|date=2016|website=Aviation Hall of Fame of New Jersey|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101017190400/http://www.njahof.org/halloffame.htm|archive-date=2010-10-17|url-status=dead|access-date=2018-08-12}}</ref> cited for Lifetime Achievement in 2004 in the ''[[Aviation Week & Space Technology]]'' Laureate Hall of Fame in the National Air & Space Museum in 2004, and a 2006 Hall of Fame inductee in The Society of Illustrators.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.societyillustrators.org/keith-ferris|title=2006 Hall of Fame Inductee: Keith Ferris|last=Staff|date=2006|website=Society of Illustrators|language=en|access-date=2018-08-14}}</ref> In 2012, the National Aeronautic Association gave him a Distinguished Statesman of Aviation award and in 2014 Texas A&M gave him its Honorary Aerospace Engineering Engineer Alumni award. He received the Major General I.B. Holley Award in 2017 from the Air Force Historical Foundation in recognition of a "significant contribution to the documentation of Air Force history during a lifetime of service". [[Daniel Webster College]] in [[Nashua, New Hampshire]], awarded him a [[Doctor of humane letters|Doctorate of Humane Letters]] in 1995.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://keithferrisart.com/keith-ferris-biography/|title=Keith Ferris Biography - Keith Ferris Art|work=Keith Ferris Art|access-date=2018-08-12|language=en-US}}</ref>


His paintings that were selected as "Best of Show" at the American Society of Aviation Artists Annual Exhibition include:<ref name=":0" />
His paintings that were selected as "Best of Show" at the American Society of Aviation Artists Annual Exhibition include:<ref name=":0" />
* “Real Trouble” (1995)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.greenwichworkshop.com/details/default.asp?p=1005&a=23&t=1&page=1&detailtype=artist|title='Real Trouble' - Limited Edition Print|last=Ferris|first=Keith|date=|website=Greenwich Workshop|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=2018-08-12}}</ref>
* “Real Trouble” (1995)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.greenwichworkshop.com/details/default.asp?p=1005&a=23&t=1&page=1&detailtype=artist|title='Real Trouble' - Limited Edition Print|last=Ferris|first=Keith|website=Greenwich Workshop|access-date=2018-08-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1y5WAAAAMAAJ&q=Keith+Ferris+%22Real+Trouble%22|title=Air & Space Smithsonian|date=1995|publisher=Smithsonian Institution|pages=5|language=en}}</ref>
* “First Trap” (1996)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.aviationarthangar.com/frs03.html|title=First Trap by Keith Ferris (T-2C)|last=Ferris|first=Keith|date=|website=Aviation Art Hangar|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=2018-08-12}}</ref>
* “First Trap” (1996)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.aviationarthangar.com/frs03.html|title=First Trap by Keith Ferris (T-2C)|last=Ferris|first=Keith|website=Aviation Art Hangar|access-date=2018-08-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Whyte|first=Ann Cooper, Charlie & Ann Cooper, Andrew|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZhHCO1ZhPZkC&dq=Keith+Ferris+%22First+Trap%22&pg=PA62|title=How to Draw and Paint Aircraft Like a Pro|publisher=Zenith Imprint|isbn=978-1-61673-271-4|pages=62|language=en}}</ref>
* “Rolling Thunder” (1999)<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/129553/museum-commemorates-60th-anniversary-with-art-exhibit/|title=Museum commemorates 60th anniversary with art exhibit|work=U.S. Air Force|access-date=2018-08-12|language=en-US}}</ref>
* “Rolling Thunder” (1999)<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/129553/museum-commemorates-60th-anniversary-with-art-exhibit/|title=Museum commemorates 60th anniversary with art exhibit|work=U.S. Air Force|access-date=2018-08-12|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tUxIDxv7518C&q=%22Rolling+Thunder%22|title=Airman|date=1991|publisher=Air Force Service Information and News Center (AFSINC)|pages=47|language=en}}</ref>
* “Nowhere To Hide”(2000)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.vbader.com/nowheretohide.html|title=Nowhere To Hide|last=Ferris|first=Keith|date=|website=Virginia Bader Fine Art|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=2018-08-12}}</ref>
* “Nowhere To Hide”(2000)<ref>{{Cite book|last=Keck|first=Timothy R.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VSlcWiTyeUkC&dq=Keith+Ferris+%22Nowhere+to+hide%22&pg=PA270|title=A Magnificent Showcase: History, Heritage, and Art : the United States Air Force and the Air Force Art Program|date=2014|publisher=Government Printing Office|isbn=978-0-16-092661-7|pages=270|language=en}}</ref>


== Bibliography ==
== Bibliography ==
* {{cite book
* {{cite book
| last = Ferris
| last1 = Ferris
| first = K
| first1 = K
| last2 = Ballantine
| last2 = Ballantine
| first2 = I
| first2 = I
| author-link =
| title = The aviation art of Keith Ferris
| title = The aviation art of Keith Ferris
| publisher = Peacock Press/Bantam Books
| publisher = Peacock Press/Bantam Books
| series =
| volume =
| edition =
| date = 1983
| date = 1983
| location = New York
| location = New York
}}
| pages =
| language =
| url =
| doi =
| id =
| isbn =
| mr =
| zbl =
| jfm = }}


=== Patents ===
=== Patents ===
Line 164: Line 153:


==Further reading==
==Further reading==
{{Cite news|url=http://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArchive/Documents/2008/September%202008/0908airpower.pdf|title=Air Power on Canvas|last=McCollough|first=Amy|date=September 2008|work=Air Force Magazine|pages=52-7}}
{{Cite news|url=http://www.airforcemag.com/MagazineArchive/Documents/2008/September%202008/0908airpower.pdf|title=Air Power on Canvas|last=McCollough|first=Amy|date=September 2008|work=Air Force Magazine|pages=52–7}}


== See also ==
== See also ==
Line 176: Line 165:
==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.keithferrisart.com/ Keith Ferris Art, Official Web Page]
*[http://www.keithferrisart.com/ Keith Ferris Art, Official Web Page]
*[http://www.asaa-avart.org/artists/biography.php?memId=40 American Society of Aviation Artists bigraphy: Keith Ferris]
*[http://www.asaa-avart.org/artists/biography.php?memId=40 American Society of Aviation Artists biography: Keith Ferris]


{{authority control}}
{{authority control}}
Line 188: Line 177:
[[Category:National Aviation Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:National Aviation Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Texas A&M University alumni]]
[[Category:Texas A&M University alumni]]
[[Category:George Washington University alumni]]
[[Category:Corcoran School of the Arts and Design alumni]]
[[Category:Corcoran College of Art and Design alumni]]

Latest revision as of 17:25, 28 January 2024

Keith Ferris
Ferris in 2007
Born
Carlisle Keith Ferris

(1929-05-14) May 14, 1929 (age 95)
NationalityAmerican
EducationTexas A&M University, George Washington University, Corcoran College of Art
Known forAviation art
SpousePeggy Todd Ferris
ElectedNational Aviation Hall of Fame
Websitekeithferrisart.com

Keith Ferris (born May 14, 1929, Honolulu, Hawaii) is an aviation artist whose work is displayed at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum and the National Museum of the US Air Force and has been cited as the “Dean of American Aviation Art”. His work in aircraft camouflage has transformed the approach to painting US military aircraft.

Biography

[edit]
Douglas B-18A Bolo, the aircraft in which Ferris' father gave him his first flight on his tenth birthday.

Carlisle Keith Ferris was born on May 14, 1929, in Honolulu to Carlisle and Virginia (née Brecht) Ferris when his father was an Army Air Corps lieutenant stationed at the Luke Field, Ford Island in Pearl Harbor. In the same year, the father transferred to the Advanced Flying School at Kelly Field, Texas, as a flight instructor. There his parents had three more children.[1]

His father was a combat pilot instructor for six years at Kelly Field, during which time Ferris became exposed to and interested in military aircraft. After the father's further advancement in the Army Air Corps, the family then moved to March Field, near Riverside, California. To celebrate his tenth birthday, Ferris' first flight was in a Douglas B-18A to which his father had been assigned.[1]

In 1946, Ferris entered Texas A&M University to study aeronautical engineering and a hoped-for career path towards an Air Force commission. He encountered his first jet fighter at Randolph Air Force Base in Texas, while working in a summer job there.[2] After learning that a minor allergy would make him ineligible to become a military pilot, he transferred to George Washington University, where he also studied anatomy and figure drawing at the Corcoran College of Art.[1]

Upon completion of his studies, he moved to St. Louis in 1951 to work for firms with publications contracts for the United States Air Force. For five years he was in charge of producing artwork for training publications and nuclear weapons manuals until the Air Force closed that operation. He then moved to the New York area to become a freelance artist for the aerospace industry and the military.[1]

He married Peggy Todd in 1953, while in St. Louis, which union produced a daughter and a son.[1]

Career

[edit]
Ferris painting his "Fortresses Under Fire" mural at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

Aviation art

[edit]

Ferris' work has been displayed at venues that include the Air Force Art Collection[3] in The Pentagon, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.,[4] and the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force;[5] and in aviation art publications.[6][7][8][9] The art director of Aviation Week & Space Technology cited "the power and the majesty of aviation in his paintings".[10] A director of the National Air and Space Museum cited his "absolute fidelity to accuracy" and called him "the (Frederic) Remington of our time".[10] A pilot and fellow artist said that his paintings "capture the impression of flight as a pilot would get: the airiness around you, the impression of movement".[10] His work has influenced artists as far afield as Pakistan.[11][12]

In a 1994 interview for AOPA Pilot magazine, Ferris suggested three rules of thumb for good aviation art:[13]

  1. Painting vs. photography: "If it can be handled by a photographer, I'm not interested in spending my time doing the same thing with paint."
  2. From across a room: "If you can tell at a glance what is going on, what it is and what it is doing, then it is pretty good art".
  3. Develop the shadows in aircraft imagery: "Airplanes are like a big mirror; they reflect the surrounding environment in their surfaces."

In a 2001 interview for The New York Times, Ferris highlighted the advantage of an artist over a photographer by pointing out that, as an artist he can start with nothing and using his imagination turn it into something, as opposed to a photographer who must have an object or scene to photograph. He further explained that his process of creating his works begins with a "debriefing" of his Air Force-sponsored travels to his wife, leading to thumbnail sketches, then to various views of the aircraft mission to be portrayed and finally to scaling all objects to appear in the scene using an engineering process called, ''perspective projection by descriptive geometry''; this includes careful consideration of the aircraft's flight path relative to the viewer's position. Key to the three dimensional effect is the handling of light and reflected light within the composition.[10]

Ferris and his wife operate a small business, offering his original art and prints of his work for sale.[2]

Air Force Art Program

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Ferris with three Air Force instructor pilots, following an Air Force Art Program flight.

His participation in the Air Force Art Program allowed Ferris to travel worldwide and to document the missions of many of the Air Force's jet aircraft, providing 62 major paintings to the collection.[14] The program provided opportunities to fly in a wide variety of Air Force planes over more than 40 years, including in B-52s, the F-4E Phantom in Thailand, with the United States Air Force Thunderbirds flight demonstration team, and on Air Force missions during the Bosnian Conflict. His subject matter documents aviation history from World War I through the current era.[10]

Murals

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Ferris mural, "The Evolution of Jet Aviation", at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum[15]

Ferris created two 75-foot-wide (23 m) murals for the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum, "Fortresses Under Fire" in the museum's World War II gallery and "The Evolution of Jet Aviation" in the museum's Jet Aviation gallery.[14]

His best-known work, the 25-foot-high (7.6 m) by 75-foot-wide (23 m) mural "Fortresses Under Fire", depicts with historical accuracy a World War II Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" bomber, named Thunderbird, under attack during its 70th mission on 15 August 1944.[2][16] In a 1989 interview with The New York Times, Ferris described how he scaled up the working image, using a grid system—with fine squares for the working image and coarse squares for the mural—and completed each portion working from left to right, using correspondingly larger paint brushes. The mural took approximately 135 days of planning and 75 days of execution.[2]

Ferris visits his mural “Fortresses Under Fire” at the National Air and Space Museum in 2005.

The second 75-foot-wide (23 m) mural, "The Evolution of Jet Aviation", depicts 27 historically significant jet aircraft, including the first and the fastest, and models from eight nations and from 20 aircraft manufacturers.[15]

Professional societies

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Ferris joined the Society of Illustrators in New York City in 1960, which introduced him to the Air Force Art Program.[1][2] He is a founder and past president of the American Society of Aviation Artists,[14] established with the stated goal to "promote professionalism, authenticity and quality in aviation art"; the society also provides scholarships, annual educational forums, advice on business practices, and opportunities for exhibition.[17][18]

Camouflage

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Ferris applied his knowledge of aircraft, his substantial experience with flying on missions in military aircraft, combined with his artistic talent, to developing several innovative camouflage patterns for military aircraft. He obtained five patents, covering these camouflage patterns.[19] One design involved painting a false cockpit on the underside of an aircraft[20][21] to make it more difficult for an adversary to determine which way the aircraft was turning.[22] Another design, using disruptive coloration, entailed applying three shades of gray in a jagged pattern.[23][24] Key principles included elimination of both bright colors and black from color schemes, the use of gray tones with a matte finish, the use of asymmetric patterns, and the de-emphasis of insignias.[19] A third design principle creates visual confusion as an aircraft moves over a background.[25] Ferris-inspired camouflage schemes have been implemented on foreign aircraft, as well.[26]

Recognition

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In 2012, Ferris was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame, where he was cited as the “Dean of American Aviation Art” in recognition of his contributions as an artist, historian, aviator, inventor, and teacher.[1]

In 1986 Ferris became an Honorary Daedalian—the national fraternity of military pilots,[10] an honorary member of the USAF Thunderbirds in 1989, a 1992 inductee into the Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum of New Jersey,[27] cited for Lifetime Achievement in 2004 in the Aviation Week & Space Technology Laureate Hall of Fame in the National Air & Space Museum in 2004, and a 2006 Hall of Fame inductee in The Society of Illustrators.[28] In 2012, the National Aeronautic Association gave him a Distinguished Statesman of Aviation award and in 2014 Texas A&M gave him its Honorary Aerospace Engineering Engineer Alumni award. He received the Major General I.B. Holley Award in 2017 from the Air Force Historical Foundation in recognition of a "significant contribution to the documentation of Air Force history during a lifetime of service". Daniel Webster College in Nashua, New Hampshire, awarded him a Doctorate of Humane Letters in 1995.[29]

His paintings that were selected as "Best of Show" at the American Society of Aviation Artists Annual Exhibition include:[14]

Bibliography

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  • Ferris, K; Ballantine, I (1983). The aviation art of Keith Ferris. New York: Peacock Press/Bantam Books.

Patents

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Further reading

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McCollough, Amy (September 2008). "Air Power on Canvas" (PDF). Air Force Magazine. pp. 52–7.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Entry for Keith Ferris". National Aviation Hall of Fame. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d e Parisi, Albert J. "New Jersey Q & A: Keith Ferris; Putting the Brush to Air History". The New York Times. No. 29 January 1989. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  3. ^ McCollough, Amy (September 2008). "Air Power on Canvas" (PDF). Air Force Magazine. pp. 52–7. Retrieved 2018-08-14.
  4. ^ Maksel, Rebecca. "The Battle of Bien Hoa Air Base". Air & Space Magazine. Retrieved 2018-08-11.
  5. ^ Staff (2017-08-17). "Air Force 70th Birthday Art Exhibit Opens Sept. 9 at National Museum of the U.S. Air Force". Warbirds News. Retrieved 2018-08-11.
  6. ^ Sharpe, Michael; Sharpe, Mike (1998). Aviation Art. Thunder Bay Press. ISBN 9781571451637.
  7. ^ Murray, G. E. Patrick (2001). Bomber Missions: Aviation Art of World War II. Friedman/Fairfax Publishers. ISBN 9781586630812.
  8. ^ Freeman, Roger A. (1998). The Mighty Eighth in Art. Arms & Armour Press. ISBN 9781854094735.
  9. ^ Stillwell, Paul (2004). Carrier War: Aviation Art of World War II. Michael Friedman Publishing Group, Incorporated. ISBN 9781402718564.
  10. ^ a b c d e f Nash, Margo (January 21, 2001). "ART; A Life of Turning Aviation Into High Art". The New York Times. p. NJ14. Retrieved 2018-08-12.
  11. ^ Khan, Tauseef Razi Mallick | Waqar Muhammad (2018-02-03). "A stroll through the PAF museum: When a soldier takes up brushes, art happens". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2018-08-11.
  12. ^ Usman, Maryam (2011-09-07). "Patriotism: Elevating the aces through art | The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 2018-08-11.
  13. ^ Marsh, Alton K. (January 5, 1994). "Aviation as Art". AOPA Pilot Magazine. Retrieved 2018-08-17.
  14. ^ a b c d Staff. "Keith Ferris, ASAA and Founder". American Society of Aviation Artists. Archived from the original on 2015-09-13. Retrieved 2018-07-27.
  15. ^ a b Avino, Mark. "The Keith Ferris mural 'The Evolution of Jet Aviation'". National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2018-08-11.
  16. ^ "'Thunder Bird' by Keith Ferris". Smithsonian Institution Archives. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  17. ^ Staff. "Guide to the American Society of Aviation Artists Collection". ead.ohiolink.edu. Retrieved 2018-08-12.
  18. ^ "American Society of Aviation Artists - ASAA". American Society of Aviation Artists - ASAA. Retrieved 2018-08-14.
  19. ^ a b Browne, Malcolm W. "Air Force Sees Beauty In Ugly Ducklings". The New York Times. No. 18 August 1987. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  20. ^ Ferris, Carlisle K. (September 27, 1983), Patent 4,406,428: Camouflaged aircraft, U.S. Patent Office
  21. ^ Boyne, Walter J. (2002). Air Warfare: an International Encyclopedia: A-L. ABC-CLIO. p. 53. ISBN 9781576073452.
  22. ^ Drendel, Lou (1985-11-01). Eagle. Squadron/Signal Publications. p. 16. ISBN 9780897471688.
  23. ^ Ferris, Carlisle Keith (May 16, 1978), Patent 4,089,491: Camouflaged aircraft, surface vessel or vehicle or the like, U.S. Patent Office
  24. ^ Popravak, Terrence G.; Popravak, Sean M. (2012). The Oregon Air National Guard. Arcadia Publishing. p. 91. ISBN 9780738593128.
  25. ^ Ferris, Carlisle K. (September 16, 1986), Patent 4,611,524: Camouflaged vehicle such as an aircraft, surface vessel or the like, U.S. Patent Office
  26. ^ Sweetman, Bill (November 23, 2013). "50 Shades Of Sukhoi". Aviation Week. Retrieved 2018-08-11.[dead link]
  27. ^ Staff (2016). "Hall of Fame Inductees". Aviation Hall of Fame of New Jersey. Archived from the original on 2010-10-17. Retrieved 2018-08-12.
  28. ^ Staff (2006). "2006 Hall of Fame Inductee: Keith Ferris". Society of Illustrators. Retrieved 2018-08-14.
  29. ^ "Keith Ferris Biography - Keith Ferris Art". Keith Ferris Art. Retrieved 2018-08-12.
  30. ^ Ferris, Keith. "'Real Trouble' - Limited Edition Print". Greenwich Workshop. Retrieved 2018-08-12.
  31. ^ Air & Space Smithsonian. Smithsonian Institution. 1995. p. 5.
  32. ^ Ferris, Keith. "First Trap by Keith Ferris (T-2C)". Aviation Art Hangar. Retrieved 2018-08-12.
  33. ^ Whyte, Ann Cooper, Charlie & Ann Cooper, Andrew. How to Draw and Paint Aircraft Like a Pro. Zenith Imprint. p. 62. ISBN 978-1-61673-271-4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  34. ^ "Museum commemorates 60th anniversary with art exhibit". U.S. Air Force. Retrieved 2018-08-12.
  35. ^ Airman. Air Force Service Information and News Center (AFSINC). 1991. p. 47.
  36. ^ Keck, Timothy R. (2014). A Magnificent Showcase: History, Heritage, and Art : the United States Air Force and the Air Force Art Program. Government Printing Office. p. 270. ISBN 978-0-16-092661-7.
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