Drawing military gear/guns

[Lautlos]

I've been reading through all these post and there is some amazing stuff on here.

Do any of you guys think that you are especially strong at drawing military stuff, personal gear, vehicles and weapons?

What are some good techniques that you think work well beyond the normal perspective tools? Who wants/uses photo references provided by writers? Do you think its important to get the gear right or as an artist should you be able to just make stuff up rather than using real world designs?

I'm currently writing a military related small press book and I just wanted some thoughts. I also wouldn't mind seeing some samples because our artist is getting flakey.

[J.Hanks]

I happen to subscribe to the same methods used by most if not all of the ol' masters of Illustration and comics in that Reference for "real-world"stuff is essential to making things look believable and accurate..I however gather and have my own reference file and have never received ref' material from the writer.
If the subject calls for weapons and gear not of this world then it's always still usefull to get reference and combine different parts of guns,weapons,whatnot to acheive a make-belive weapon.
I will throw some samples up tonight.

J.Hanks

[Lautlos]

Okay that makes sense. Do you think they don't give you the ref. material because they're lazy or they just don't care. Or maybe they just don't know enough beyond .... SWAT COP holds a submachine gun at the ready.

At what point as an artist would you say "Enought, let me draw and you just write."

[J.Hanks]

Oh I love to have total control over the art!!!...If a writer gives me ref',it shoule pertain to a specific image he has in mind (but not necassarily locked down to)If I can still play with the designs and make something to fit the story better then I am all for it..I don't think writers don't know enough..I just think they don't think like artists in terms of what would look best graphically...alot of colaboration is essential.

J.