Weather Art

[Greg McLaughlin]

I have finally scanned some of the artwork I have done over the past 3-4 years. Most of the artwork I have done are drawings of radar/satellite representations of supercells and weather maps. Here are a few of the pieces I have composed.

Tornadic Supercell (May 24, 2008)

Mesocyclone Occlusion (May 23, 2007 - Texas Panhandle)

Tornado/Mesocyclone

Mid-latitude Extratropical Cyclone

April 24, 2006 Weather Map

Developing Derecho

500mb Shortwave Trough

I have other drawings I could post if anyone is interested. I am about to start matting and framing these pieces to sell to interested weather enthusiasts and chasers. I can also compose drawings from any chase if someone is interested.

All of these drawings have been done in colored pencil.

 

[Stephen Locke]

Beautiful and informative!

 

[Justin Teague]

If would really like to see posters that commemorate well documented events. Several dates pop into mind, but of particular interest to me are May 12, 2004 and May 24th, 2008. I know that you are capable of much more than what these few images show and I'm positive that other chasers would be interested in your work.

We should start a thread where chasers get to post up to 10 dates/events that they would like for you to commemorate. After a few weeks or so, we could then take the top 5 and create a poll to decide which date/event will go into production. I'm not sure what you would charge, but a group buy "special" might be a great way for you to market the posters/images that chasers vote on. You could require a % of the payment up front and the rest at the end of the group buy.

Here is a pricing structure that seems reasonable (to me):

< 5 buyers: $125 per commemorative poster
5 -10 buyers: $105 per commemorative poster
10 -20 buyers: $90 per commemorative poster
> 20 buyers: $75 per commemorative poster

 

[Greg McLaughlin]

That sounds like a great idea. I will start another thread that will ask people to list up to ten events they would like to see done and see what kind of response I get.

 

[Wes Carter]

Greg, it would also be awesome if you could hook up with one of the experienced chasers that has writing abilities (or do it yourself) and write a book about these historical storms and forecasting for chasers.

 

[Gerrit Gulden]

I agree with Wesley, would be a great opportunity to put together a book as well as posters, framed images.

The drawings are amazing. I would most likely purchase a poster if you designed a 2 or 4 concept of a Suppercell. For example, for your first image you would show 3 other drawings (previous to that) that led up to the Hook echo. Basically "evolution of a supercell". I too would also be interested in seeing "the setup" (front/area/dryline) drawing and then the Supercell drawing and then a image like you did showcasing the tornado. Basically your drawing a story of each storm. I gaurantee that would sell.

Nonetheless, I really enjoyed your drawings. They inspired me to want to draw up some myself.

-gerrit

 

[Greg Blumberg]

These pictures are amazing. I agree with Gerrit and I'd like to add that it might be nice to have a book on all of this. One of the biggest problems I have with reading papers on severe weather is getting a visual view of the storm structure and the general circulation of a any storm for that matter. I think like your talent with pictures could definitely help me as well as others out there who have difficulty in figuring out what each storm looks like and what the parts mean.

 

[Jared Farrer]

Their is definit potential there! You could do scetches of famous storm structures and events and brake them down! And like the other two said get comments from leading severe weather scientists. Like Doswell and Bluestein. For instance The greensburg enviroment! You could draw up storm structure then draw up the enviroment.

 

[Greg McLaughlin]

Its been 4 years since I started this thread. During this time I have slowly improved my ability, however the medium (colored pencil drawings) I was using has always been insufficient to capture the full scope of the structure of supercells and tornadoes. A couple of years ago I discovered modelling clay. I have been learning how to use clay and have been working on a 3 dimensional strucutre of a supercell. After repeated failed attempts I was close to giving up on this medium, but within the past few weeks I have found new vigor to keep trying, and I am pleased to share that my first model of a tornado cyclone is nearing completion. If anyone is interested, I will post photos when it is finished. Still several hours of hard work, but I am hoping to have it done by the end of this week. So far it looks pretty legit.

 

[James Langford]

Man, somehow I missed this threat when it was originally posted. The drawings above are awesome! Please do post your model when it is completed.

 

[Greg McLaughlin]

Thank you James. I painted the model today and it is now drying. I still have the accessories (streamline arrows, surface fronts, etc...) to add, otherwise I'm on pace to have the model completed by Friday. This is my first model of a tornado, so I expect to impove as I make more models. I am looking into finding a way to cast the model so I can reproduce them efficiently enough to sell them. I have many ideas about ways to customize the models, like inserting small LED lights with exchangable bulbs to create a different "look" or "feel" to the model. Some tornadoes appear white, some black, some red, some blue and so on. I will post photos in the coming days.

 

[Greg McLaughlin]

The model is all but done. I will be posting pics later today. I would love some feedback. This model was imagined in my mind based on tornadoes I have seen and what goes on around the tornado. There are many things I will do differently on my next model. Once I find a way to cast a mold and make a lighter, more durable model (not like clay) that can be efficiently replicated, I want to let chasers decide what past tornadoes I should make models of. It kinda goes along the lines of the idea Justin Teague came up with in a post in this thread. Please let me know what you think. If there is enough interest then I will definitely do it.

 

[Jim_Coons]

Nice artwork Greg! You could design weather themed tattoo's too. LOL, Just a thought...

 

[Greg McLaughlin]

The file images are too large to upload on Stormtrack. Here is a link to my Facebook page where I have posted the images: http://www.facebook.com/greg.mclaughlin

 

[Greg McLaughlin]

I'm reviving this thread from 16 years ago to add my latest work over the past few years. I recently figured out how to draw tornadoes, and haven't looked back. The next step is to transition to colored pencil tornado drawings. That is still a work in progress. Anyway, I am selling prints.
McCook, NE eF2 tornado - 5.17.19
This is the first tornado drawing I have done of my own photo.



Red Oak, IA eF2 tornado - 5.21.24
This was my first commissioned art piece



Dodge City, KS eF3 tornado - 5.24.16
This is still my all-time favorite chase. Would have loved to have had this view though.

Duke, OK eF2 tornado - This is my first completed tornado drawing, finished in July 2024.



Supercell Diagram - 2022
This diagram was inspired by drawings by David Hoadley, Ted Fujita, and Chuck Doswell
This drawing made it onto the set of "Twisters", however I am not sure it made it into the film.



El Reno, OK eF3 tornado - 5.31.13
For the 10 year anniversary of the record-breaking El Reno tornado, I drew this piece that features RaXPol radar data and a mesoanalysis/vis satellite composite.
Supercell Composite Diagram - 2022
This satellite/radar composite drawing was completed in Spring 2022 and was my first art piece sold. The drawing depicts a hypothetical tornadic supercell over a windfarm in western Osage County in Oklahoma. The windfarm depicted ended up being the same windfarm that was used in "Twisters." This drawing was on set for the movie, but I have not been able to find it in the film. Regardless, its pretty wild that this drawing made it onto the film, and more or less depicts the hypothetical windfarm storm from "Twisters" even though it was drawn a year before the scene was filmed.

DM me if you are interested.