[GardenGnome]

Type XI-B U-Cruiser. Still have a while to go, but here's what I've got so far.

[Naeem]

nice.
i really love all the detail work. however, i don't like how you painted the U-boat.
It's too plain. It lacks' texture and other details that would surely spruce up the image.
i must credit you for the ocean though. It's tough painting a good ocean in the comp. but you pulled it off. great work.

p.s., the boat looks too dry. you might want to give it a very reflective surface, and also, rust it a bit. add some dents here and there if you want. it would add a much more believable look to the painting.
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http://www.annisnaeem.blogspot.com/

[GardenGnome]

Thanks for the comments annisahmad, but you forget that this is a work in progress.

Here's an update.

[Naeem]

heh.
sorry gardengnome.
really like the last one now. good work.
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http://www.annisnaeem.blogspot.com/

[GardenGnome]

Another update.

[GardenGnome]

All done!

[-HoodZ-]

i love the progress shots...good job on this GG the water is very well done

[KOM.Nausicaa]

mhh, in case of illustrations that have historical things as a subject, like U-Boats, vintage planes, tanks etc, I personally think that it helps to get good reference material. In my opinion it will make your illustration more immersive and interesting to look at...but that's just me.

In this case your boat has some fantazy elements (guns especially) that where never mounted in that way on a german sub. In reality, there was a 88mm FLAK gun in front of the tower (which couldn't be fired in heavy seas) and a combination of 1 to 3 20mm flak machine guns on the tower's "wintergarden", depending on the type of the tower.

None of these guns had casings like drawn by you. The operating crew was exposed--one reason it couldn't be fired in heavy seas.

But I guess you did make that illustration for the fun of it...so I will not further bitch about accuracy It all comes down to personal taste concerning this kind of illustrations.

Nausicaa
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KOM.Nausicaa

[GardenGnome]

All very good points KOM, and for a very good reason. This illustration was done for a book over WW2 prototype weaponry. So with that said, this type of U-boat never made it into production, probably for the reasons you specified. But I assure you everything I have painted onto the sub is what the author wanted, and I would imagine he researched into it.

Here's a link to the book's website.
http://www.somethingawful.com/booklist/index.htm

[GardenGnome]

I was wrong, this did have some production life, but it was abandon for cost reasons and was viewed less useful than earlier designs.

Some info on the Type XI-B U-Cruiser

Category: U-Cruiser
Phase of Development: Partial Production
Development Start: 1937
Development Team: Kriegsmarine �K� Design Office
Crew: 110 and up to 60 passengers or troops

Weight: 3,630 tons displacement
Propulsion: 8 x Twin shaft 12 cylinder diesel motors producing a total of 17,600 hp
2 x electric motors producing a total of 2,200 hp
Speed: 23 knots under diesel power (26 rumored)
7 knots under electric power

Range: 30,000+ kilometers surfaced
100+ kilometers submerged
Maximum Depth: 250m (estimated)
Length: 115m
Width: 9.5m
Height: 6.2m

Armament: 2 x Armored turrets each mounting twin 127mm guns
2 x 20mm AA guns mounted on twin gun platforms
2 x 37mm guns mounted on twin gun platforms
4 x 53.3cm bow torpedo tubes
2 x 53.3cm stern torpedo tubes

All this info gathered by the author Zack Parsons.

[noxi]

When I saw the first process pic, I thought, man, this not going good at all. But few seconds later after scrolling down I really started to enjoy what I saw. Whoa, turned out great. Thanks, I think I learned a lot by looking your pics.

[GardenGnome]

Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed them.