Steve Russell Illustration

My Art Career literally took "Flight" out of Basic Training in San Diego, California in 1982 as I cartooned our "Give me Liberty or Give me Death" Company flag, later assisting the Training Command with a few additional Graphic Designs TA-boot.My "Fleet" experience was much the same with my first assignment being an illustrated tracking board in Sea Plane Hangar 3 at N.A.S. Norfolk with the highlight of my illustrative experience in the Squadron a 6'x 8' commemorative oil of Aircraft 040 Grumman C1A-Trader which before the painting was completed became a memorial tribute as the Crew of four were lost in a training exercise.In the late 80's as a Civilian I was hired as an artist for a Naval contract, to create and update training materials for the F14 East Coast Training Squadron ~ VF-101, the "Grim Reapers" N.A.S. Oceana and even further into the program, introduction to the F14D TOMCAT which was retired in September 2006 from the US inventory.The task was simple back then...to create 2-D Aviation Art and Cartooning for the classroom lectures and 35mm slide shows. Our medium had evolved from "flat art," to 35mm slides, to 3-D animation in multimedia interactive courseware which progressed at such a rapid rate that at times I felt like the "Grandpa Petty Bone" of my particular talent/skill ... especially when I found myself pulling out (reminiscing) stories like "There I was...10,000 slides and goin'ta guns, with the Program Manager at my Six" ah-lil' Contract humor.In the past two decades I've redesigned or updated several Official Unit Identities/Logo's both for Air, Land & Sea which is always an honor to contribute to these Communities when opportunity calls.In all I have almost two decades of Art contribution's to the US Military and their Families (an intricately important part of every Service member) both as Enlisted & Civilian.I've been a Squadron member of VFC-12 Fighting Omars, VRC-40C Rawhiders, TACRON-24 Tactical Air Control (first Enlisted Airman in the unit-filling the billet of Illustrator/Draftsman). VF-101 Grim Reapers (Civilian/Senior Graphic Artist). The 4th Brigade, 80th Division (Multimedia Illustrator) US Army at Fort Story, VA. with additional contributions to a number of Military Components, including HAL-4 "Red Wolves" (Re designated HCS4) flying the once legendary Huey Gunship for S.E.A.L. insertion/extraction (the Squadron now fly's the HH60 Blackhawk with their eye on the V22 Osprey for mission readiness). and I've been a contributing Illustrator to a number of Publications such as the Naval Air Reserves "The Rudder" as well as "The Periscope" of PNS, Kittery, ME. S.E.Russell