Private Commission - IJN Cruiser Takao
IJN Takao is shown at anchor in Truk Lagoon on a peaceful day in December 1942, viewed from the deck of an Agano-class light cruiser. The heavy cruiser sits in the calm waters of the atoll with the volcanic islands of the Caroline group rising behind her — a scene of deceptive tranquillity at the height of the Pacific War, when Truk served as the Combined Fleet's main forward operating base.
Takao was the lead ship of her class of four heavy cruisers, launched in 1930 and with a distinctive profile improving on the previous Myōkō class. Armed with ten 8 inch guns and capable of 35.5 knots, she saw action throughout the Pacific War until 1944 when she was torpedoed by the American submarine USS Darter and limped to Singapore, never to sail again under her own power.
The composition uses the foreground deck of the observing cruiser to frame the scene — rigging, crew figures and deck equipment establishing the viewpoint of a sailor aboard a neighbouring ship.
The research the painting was built on
For this painting, I drew largely on the book 'The Heavy Cruiser Takao' by Janusz Skulski - part of the Anatomy of the Ship series. The book contains extensive plans for the ship across the various refits, and these can be translated into perspective for the drawing that underlies the painting. From there, I can use the photographic reference in the book and elsewhere to fill in the details and get a sense of what Takao would have looked like in 1942.
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If it's Takao herself that interests you, perhaps in a different sea state, a different moment in her career, or specific configuration, I can paint a variation of a similar scale and spirit. And if it's a different subject entirely, the same research and approach applies.
Just a ship's name or a general idea is plenty to start. I'll reply personally, usually within one working day.
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