The greatest aircraft of all time are lifting off again–with your help! The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum and IDW Publishing present a fascinating new coloring book that provides a beautiful and informative tour through the high-flying world of airplanes.With this exquisitely designed coloring book, aviation lovers of all ages can soar through the skies with some of the most recognized and revered airplanes from the collection at the National Air and Space Museum. Guided by museum experts and the thrilling artistry of John Pirtel, meet the 1903 Wright Flyer, the Lockheed Vega 5-B, Northrop Gamma Polar Star, McDonnell F-4S Phantom II, Concorde, and many more. These detailed pen and ink illustrations invite you to strap in and experience thrilling scenes of these aircraft in action, which fans of airplanes, coloring books, and aviation history can unlock with their own creativity. Each page of Airplanes: A Smithsonian Coloring Book not only stands alone as a work of art, but is also accompanied by brief and fascinating insights from the museum’s Aeronautics experts about each aircraft, ensuring that time spent coloring is also time spent learning. This book’s deluxe ivory paper allows for a variety of artistic media like pen, pencil, or even watercolor, to ensure your creative vision comes to life just the way you want–and lasts for years to come.
About Artists & Writers:
John Pirtel was born in New Haven, Connecticut and raised on a farm in North Branford where he avoided farm work and took to reading, drawing and watching TV. He wasn’t allowed to watch Superman or Batman because once when he was about seven or eight he decided to “fly” off the back of the couch onto the slate floor, so he drew them instead… along with everything, especially the images found on the funny pages of the newspaper. Self-taught, with the exception of high school classes, John attended the prestigious Kubert School where he honed his craft under the watchful eye of some of the industry’s greatest. Upon leaving school John spent several years designing toy premiums for cereal companies as well as illustrating comics and images for licensing. Recently, John took some time to do some classroom teaching and develop a not for profit after-school program in the New Haven area (all while keeping up his illustration work). Aside from his Kubert School education, he holds a Bachelor’s degree in Youth Development and a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education. In his spare time, John enjoys genealogy, playing tennis, reading and collecting original comic strip art.