Jim Stovall - Eagle Illustrations
Who is Jim Stovall? Even as a kid, I could not be happy with a typical child like drawing. It had to look just like what ever it was supposed to be. I did not know at the time, but I was obsessed with details. Over the years, with a lot of scratching and erasing, I started to develop the skills of observation and the physical skills with drawing. I've been told that I'm very talented. I think it's really just 10% talent, 90% persistence or 100% obsessive behavior. Anyone who picks up a guitar and won't put it down until they master it, knows what I mean.
Many years ago, I was told by a professionally artist that I was not an artist. "Art is loose and void of detail", he said. He told me that I'm an illustrator. When I was a kid, Norman Rockwell represented to me the ultimate expression of artistic skill. When I went to school, the only 'art' was industrial art, so the only thing I knew about 'art' was what I could see. The loose and void of detail stuff just looked like no skill, no talent hacks to me. Its actually more difficult for me to do 'loose and void' of detail because I spent so much time trying to be exact in detail. I am driven to work in realism.
My other life. Military service: My service included aircraft maintenance, cross trained to B-52H tail gunner and later on, qualification as a U.S Navy submarine sonarman. I only know of one other man who was qualified in both, B-52 as tail gunner and qualified in submarines. I have been asked many times, which service I liked the best. I tell them that I am thankful for both experiences because of what I learned in each community. I also tell them that had I stayed home, and never joined either service (like 99% of Americans) I would never have learned what I was capable of doing.
Established Eagle Illustrations in 1979. Mission Statement: #1. Provide military subject matter prints for active duty, reserve and guard members as well as retirees at an affordable price. #2, Provide the highest quality, highest detail that is technically accurate and reflects a frozen moment in time that the troops can identify with today as well as years down the road.
FAQ: What are limited edition prints? A controlled number of prints are produced from the original. They are signed and numbered individually.
What are open edition prints? Often there are surplus prints left over and they are marked as "open edition" and sold at a lower price.
Is it pencil or charcoal? This is a very common question especially from people who draw. l specialize in graphite (pencil) and I typically work with 6-7 grades of lead. People who don't draw are often puzzled by the fact that it takes so long for me to do a drawing. They associate pencil drawing with sketches. A sketch is something that is done in minutes, maybe even seconds. They are completely void of detail. The only way to draw to the level I draw in is to be willing to devote enormous amounts of time into the work. I can paint a little bit but I always feel like I am experimenting as I work. In other words, I don't really know what I'm doing when I paint.
How long does it take to draw the original? At least a month, but probably more. The M119 print pushed my patience, so it took several months. At this level of detail, patience is pushed to the edge. A sketch is a drawing that can be done in minutes. They are quick and dirty, void of detail. It's impossible to achieve this level of detail without a determination and commitment that time can't be factor or consideration on how long it takes to complete this level of detail.
Can I do a one of a kind drawing on commission? Yes I can but you can imagine that I will be working for you for two or three months. $$$$. Many years ago someone wanted me to do a one of a kind commission job. When I told him what I wanted for the job, he just about exploded, screaming at me that I only had a pencil and a piece of paper in it. Never mind the fact that I would be working as a 'specialist' for two or three months for him. That ended my interest in doing the work for him.
Will I do a print for a specific military unit? Maybe. Here is the problem. This is a very risky proposition for me. What is my risk? Two months (minimum) or more of extremely demanding work and production cost. Military units don't have any operating $$$ to secure a one of a kind print. In other words, if I take on the job, I have to take on all of the risk and hope there will be enough sales to make it worth while. Even if a unit has 500 members, history has taught me that it's unlikely they will have 10% who actually are interested. I have a couple who were far short of that. Here are a couple of issues that might improve my interest (reduce my risk). (!) There is a very high interest in that particular community. (2) It's not unusual to get a call about a piece of equipment that I have never had a chance to get close to but I 'think' it has potential as a possible project. It's all about the risk. For example, the F-22 has been in service for many years now but I have only had one inquiry about it. Possibly because they built so few of them. That means there are very few squadrons. How many pilots are in each squadron? Not very many. Anyone who produces a product, take risk. There has to be a large community and that community has got to have very strong feelings about what they do.
The continuing downsizing of the military has reduced the market. Many galleries and framing shops have cut back on orders or gone out of business completely because their foot traffic has shrunk with the downsizing. Everything rolls down hill and that means that it has severely cut into my ability to take risk. Having said that, I'm always looking for new opportunities, so if you think you may have a project that will work for both of us, drop me a note. You just never know. We might be able to make something happen.
Web page images: The quality of the image on this web page are very much lower in resolution and detail than the prints are. On average, I spend two or three months on a drawing to try and push the detail to the limit of my ability and patience. Having said that, the originals are 'eye popping'. The prints are as close to them as technically possible. The prints are all printed on very bright white, 80 pound, acid free paper. Some of the images on this web page look 'off white' but that's because it's very difficult to photograph them. Cameras tend to try and average out the light to get the exposure right and for this purpose, it's less than I would like to present but it is what it is. The prints are all on very white paper.
Why no color prints? Color prints are very expensive to produce. My objective from Day-1 was to produce a product that everyone could afford them. The enlisted troops make up the majority of the military, so producing 'high end' products would cut them out.
Paintings: I am often asked why I don't do color work. I experimented with a color print many years ago. They are very, very, expensive to produce. My mission from Day-1 was to produce a product that all ranks could afford. Printing in color would end up cutting enlisted out of an opportunity to by an impressive keepsake of their service. I recently picked up the paint brush after several decades. I have attached a couple of examples. They are not prints and won't be printed. They are also reality large. For example: The Cessna 120 (Hangar Queen) is 24" X 33". The other painting is a PT-17 Kadet, I have not decided if I am willing to part with them just yet, but I'd like to hear any comments about them you may have.
SHIPPING: Why is shipping so expensive? The prints are easy to damage. If I tried to ship them flat, they would all be destroyed by the postal service. To reduce the risk, they must be shipped in a tube and that tube must be robust enough to survive the trip. I buy the heaviest, thick wall tubes I can. You can't buy these tubes at Office Max. Think of them as armor. I also ship by priority mail. It's a lot faster. Speed means that there is less time for the post office to have a chance of dropping something on it or any of the other hazards the postal system can deal out. Speed and armor. Just as in the the military, those things cost more but we spend more for them to improve the odds of getting through. It makes more sense to spend more to make sure they get there undamaged than it does trying to recover your lose by jumping through hoops with insurance.
CONTACT: EMAIL mjstovall@windstream.net Phone: 501 499-4096 Note: We are pounded daily with BS calls that have nothing to do with ordering prints. As a result, I am very careful about picking up the phone. If I don't answer, please start talking about prints. If I am around the phone I will pick up or respond when I see that you left a voice message relating to the prints.
Ordering info: After keeping the print prices and shipping frozen for about 10 years, I have to give in to the realities that inflation never rest. Print production goes up every year, and so does shipping cost.
Limited Edition Prints: $36.00
Open Edition Prints: $20.00
Color Limited Edition Prints: $65.00 (I only have one color print and it is an F/A-18C}
I ship prints in two different tube sizes. For 1-3 prints I can use a 4" tube. If they are all the longer prints, I may not get away with using the smaller tube. Rolling too many prints, especially the longer prints, too tightly is a problem. The longer the prints, the fewer prints can be rolled in a tube before there are problems. For that reason, I use a 5" tube for larger orders. Even the 5" tubes have limitations, so very large orders may require two tubes. These are not Office Max tubes. They are much thicker wall construction. My shipping strategy is to armor up the prints and move them fast (priority mail). Armor and speed always cost more, but it improves the odds of getting there.
Shipping cost: As of 9-09-2022, my post-master informed me that the new Post Master General has decided to charge an extra 'fee' for all 'irregular' size packages. I guess in 'government speak', that means everything bigger than a post card. So, after many years of keeping the same shipping cost, we are forced to increase shipping cost.
Single 4" tube and priority mail: $24.50
Single 5" tube and priority mail: $27.50
You can order by three methods.
1. I can email you a PayPal invoice that will let you use a card or your PayPal account if you have one. A PayPal account is not necessary if you want to use a card. The PayPal invoice is just a convenient way to use your card without sharing your personal info with sellers. The seller (me) never sees it.
2. If you have a PayPal account, you can log on to your account, click on the “send money” tab at the top of the page and use this email address.
3. Send us a check. This still works, but takes longer.
THIS WEB PAGE IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION. There are many other prints that will be installed as time permits.
Below, is a print that was framed by a customer. From time to time, people send me photos like this so I decided to put this one on the web page to illustrate what you can do as well. Having said that, I DO NOT DO FRAMING OR MATTING. I put that in bold because I get asked that a lot.
Many years ago, I was told by a professionally artist that I was not an artist. "Art is loose and void of detail", he said. He told me that I'm an illustrator. When I was a kid, Norman Rockwell represented to me the ultimate expression of artistic skill. When I went to school, the only 'art' was industrial art, so the only thing I knew about 'art' was what I could see. The loose and void of detail stuff just looked like no skill, no talent hacks to me. Its actually more difficult for me to do 'loose and void' of detail because I spent so much time trying to be exact in detail. I am driven to work in realism.
My other life. Military service: My service included aircraft maintenance, cross trained to B-52H tail gunner and later on, qualification as a U.S Navy submarine sonarman. I only know of one other man who was qualified in both, B-52 as tail gunner and qualified in submarines. I have been asked many times, which service I liked the best. I tell them that I am thankful for both experiences because of what I learned in each community. I also tell them that had I stayed home, and never joined either service (like 99% of Americans) I would never have learned what I was capable of doing.
Established Eagle Illustrations in 1979. Mission Statement: #1. Provide military subject matter prints for active duty, reserve and guard members as well as retirees at an affordable price. #2, Provide the highest quality, highest detail that is technically accurate and reflects a frozen moment in time that the troops can identify with today as well as years down the road.
FAQ: What are limited edition prints? A controlled number of prints are produced from the original. They are signed and numbered individually.
What are open edition prints? Often there are surplus prints left over and they are marked as "open edition" and sold at a lower price.
Is it pencil or charcoal? This is a very common question especially from people who draw. l specialize in graphite (pencil) and I typically work with 6-7 grades of lead. People who don't draw are often puzzled by the fact that it takes so long for me to do a drawing. They associate pencil drawing with sketches. A sketch is something that is done in minutes, maybe even seconds. They are completely void of detail. The only way to draw to the level I draw in is to be willing to devote enormous amounts of time into the work. I can paint a little bit but I always feel like I am experimenting as I work. In other words, I don't really know what I'm doing when I paint.
How long does it take to draw the original? At least a month, but probably more. The M119 print pushed my patience, so it took several months. At this level of detail, patience is pushed to the edge. A sketch is a drawing that can be done in minutes. They are quick and dirty, void of detail. It's impossible to achieve this level of detail without a determination and commitment that time can't be factor or consideration on how long it takes to complete this level of detail.
Can I do a one of a kind drawing on commission? Yes I can but you can imagine that I will be working for you for two or three months. $$$$. Many years ago someone wanted me to do a one of a kind commission job. When I told him what I wanted for the job, he just about exploded, screaming at me that I only had a pencil and a piece of paper in it. Never mind the fact that I would be working as a 'specialist' for two or three months for him. That ended my interest in doing the work for him.
Will I do a print for a specific military unit? Maybe. Here is the problem. This is a very risky proposition for me. What is my risk? Two months (minimum) or more of extremely demanding work and production cost. Military units don't have any operating $$$ to secure a one of a kind print. In other words, if I take on the job, I have to take on all of the risk and hope there will be enough sales to make it worth while. Even if a unit has 500 members, history has taught me that it's unlikely they will have 10% who actually are interested. I have a couple who were far short of that. Here are a couple of issues that might improve my interest (reduce my risk). (!) There is a very high interest in that particular community. (2) It's not unusual to get a call about a piece of equipment that I have never had a chance to get close to but I 'think' it has potential as a possible project. It's all about the risk. For example, the F-22 has been in service for many years now but I have only had one inquiry about it. Possibly because they built so few of them. That means there are very few squadrons. How many pilots are in each squadron? Not very many. Anyone who produces a product, take risk. There has to be a large community and that community has got to have very strong feelings about what they do.
The continuing downsizing of the military has reduced the market. Many galleries and framing shops have cut back on orders or gone out of business completely because their foot traffic has shrunk with the downsizing. Everything rolls down hill and that means that it has severely cut into my ability to take risk. Having said that, I'm always looking for new opportunities, so if you think you may have a project that will work for both of us, drop me a note. You just never know. We might be able to make something happen.
Web page images: The quality of the image on this web page are very much lower in resolution and detail than the prints are. On average, I spend two or three months on a drawing to try and push the detail to the limit of my ability and patience. Having said that, the originals are 'eye popping'. The prints are as close to them as technically possible. The prints are all printed on very bright white, 80 pound, acid free paper. Some of the images on this web page look 'off white' but that's because it's very difficult to photograph them. Cameras tend to try and average out the light to get the exposure right and for this purpose, it's less than I would like to present but it is what it is. The prints are all on very white paper.
Why no color prints? Color prints are very expensive to produce. My objective from Day-1 was to produce a product that everyone could afford them. The enlisted troops make up the majority of the military, so producing 'high end' products would cut them out.
Paintings: I am often asked why I don't do color work. I experimented with a color print many years ago. They are very, very, expensive to produce. My mission from Day-1 was to produce a product that all ranks could afford. Printing in color would end up cutting enlisted out of an opportunity to by an impressive keepsake of their service. I recently picked up the paint brush after several decades. I have attached a couple of examples. They are not prints and won't be printed. They are also reality large. For example: The Cessna 120 (Hangar Queen) is 24" X 33". The other painting is a PT-17 Kadet, I have not decided if I am willing to part with them just yet, but I'd like to hear any comments about them you may have.
SHIPPING: Why is shipping so expensive? The prints are easy to damage. If I tried to ship them flat, they would all be destroyed by the postal service. To reduce the risk, they must be shipped in a tube and that tube must be robust enough to survive the trip. I buy the heaviest, thick wall tubes I can. You can't buy these tubes at Office Max. Think of them as armor. I also ship by priority mail. It's a lot faster. Speed means that there is less time for the post office to have a chance of dropping something on it or any of the other hazards the postal system can deal out. Speed and armor. Just as in the the military, those things cost more but we spend more for them to improve the odds of getting through. It makes more sense to spend more to make sure they get there undamaged than it does trying to recover your lose by jumping through hoops with insurance.
CONTACT: EMAIL mjstovall@windstream.net Phone: 501 499-4096 Note: We are pounded daily with BS calls that have nothing to do with ordering prints. As a result, I am very careful about picking up the phone. If I don't answer, please start talking about prints. If I am around the phone I will pick up or respond when I see that you left a voice message relating to the prints.
Ordering info: After keeping the print prices and shipping frozen for about 10 years, I have to give in to the realities that inflation never rest. Print production goes up every year, and so does shipping cost.
Limited Edition Prints: $36.00
Open Edition Prints: $20.00
Color Limited Edition Prints: $65.00 (I only have one color print and it is an F/A-18C}
I ship prints in two different tube sizes. For 1-3 prints I can use a 4" tube. If they are all the longer prints, I may not get away with using the smaller tube. Rolling too many prints, especially the longer prints, too tightly is a problem. The longer the prints, the fewer prints can be rolled in a tube before there are problems. For that reason, I use a 5" tube for larger orders. Even the 5" tubes have limitations, so very large orders may require two tubes. These are not Office Max tubes. They are much thicker wall construction. My shipping strategy is to armor up the prints and move them fast (priority mail). Armor and speed always cost more, but it improves the odds of getting there.
Shipping cost: As of 9-09-2022, my post-master informed me that the new Post Master General has decided to charge an extra 'fee' for all 'irregular' size packages. I guess in 'government speak', that means everything bigger than a post card. So, after many years of keeping the same shipping cost, we are forced to increase shipping cost.
Single 4" tube and priority mail: $24.50
Single 5" tube and priority mail: $27.50
You can order by three methods.
1. I can email you a PayPal invoice that will let you use a card or your PayPal account if you have one. A PayPal account is not necessary if you want to use a card. The PayPal invoice is just a convenient way to use your card without sharing your personal info with sellers. The seller (me) never sees it.
2. If you have a PayPal account, you can log on to your account, click on the “send money” tab at the top of the page and use this email address.
3. Send us a check. This still works, but takes longer.
THIS WEB PAGE IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION. There are many other prints that will be installed as time permits.
Below, is a print that was framed by a customer. From time to time, people send me photos like this so I decided to put this one on the web page to illustrate what you can do as well. Having said that, I DO NOT DO FRAMING OR MATTING. I put that in bold because I get asked that a lot.
Beautiful framing job done by a customer for a gift for their son. Please note, I did not do the framing and framing and matting is better left to those who are good at it.
USAF F-4D limited edition print. 36" X 18"
USAF F-4E limited edition print. 36" X 18"
F4U Corsair limited edition print. 18' X 24"
Fokker DR-1 limited edition print. 18" X 24"
Nieuport 24 limited edition print. 18" X 24"
Spad XIII limited edition print. 18" X 24"
Spad XIII close up detail. This level of detail is representative of the level of detail I strive for. If I can see it, I try to include it. Cameras have a hard time doing that because they average the exposure out. The human eye does not do that.
P-51D Mustang open edition print. 18" X 24"
P-51D Mustang limited edition print. 18" X 24"
UH-1H Huey. limited edition print. 18" X 24"
UH-60 Blackhawk limited edition print. 26" X 18"
Close up detail of the UH-60 print.
AH-64A Apache limited edition print. 18" X 24"
AH-64D Longbow limited edition print. 28" X 18"
Longbow drawing close up detail.
AH-1 Cobra limited edition print. !8" X 28"
CH-47D Chinook limited edition print. !8" X 24"
OH-58C Kiowa Limited Edition Print. 18X24
OH-58D limited edition print. !8" X 24"
UH-72A Lakota limited edition print. !8" X 24"
JMPI (Jump master parachute inspection) #1 OPEN edition print. !8" X 24"
JMPI #2 Limited edition print !8" X 24"
Airborne Jump Wings. OPEN edition print. 12" X 22"
M2A2 Bradley limited edition print. 18" X 24"
M2A1 Bradly limited edition print. 18" X 24"
M1 Abrams limited edition print.
M109A6 Paladin limited edition print. 18" X 24"
M119 towed howitzer limited edition print. 20" X 28"
Insane level of detail! This took about 5 months to draw.
C-130E Flying Tigers OPEN edition print. 16" X 33"
C-130E #4 Limited Edition print. 16" X 33"
C-130H #1 Limited Edition Print. 16" X 30".
C-17A Limited Edition Print #4. 15" X 32".
MLRS Limited Edition Print. 18 X 24
P-3C Orion Limited Edition Print. 18" X 24".
1929 Ford Model A. 18" X 24". I consider this one of my best works, from a technical perspective.
KC-10A Limited Edition Print. 12" X 28".
F/A-18C Color Limited Edition Print. 34" X 17". Color work is ridiculously expensive to produce, which conflicts with my mission statement.
A-10C Limited Edition Print. 18" X 24"
F-16C Limited Edition Print. 19" X 30".
F-15E Limited Edition Print. 17 X 29
F/A-18C Hornet Limited Edition Print. 18" X 24"
F/A-18E Super Hornet Limited Edition Print. 15 X 24
F-14A Tomcat Limited Edition Print. 19 X 29
B-52 H Limited Edition print. 18" X 26".
