Brian Liddle, an Underrated - (Aviation and All Else) Artist
Brian Liddle showing off his elaborate artistry at AirVenture 2025 Photog – Paul T. Glessner
IFUSA PTG: Brian Liddle, if you would be so kind to tell us where you're born and raised, how you got into art, and where you stand today in the field in the industry if that's a? Good question, I'll be happy.
Brian Liddle: I am 52 years old. I'm from Green Bay, WI. How did I start getting involved in aviation art? Well, my parents, instead of showing me cartoons, they let me watch the movie – Midway with Glenn Ford and Charlton Heston. When I saw all the fancy winning insignias and all the stars on the airplanes and I was enamored by that. Moving on later in my childhood I've been drawing since age 8 and that was around 6th and 7th grade at Parkview, Middle School in Green Bay, WI. My teacher was having us do a large project that was going to be displayed in a local mall in Green Bay called Bay Park Square and he had little folders in the back of the room which were cartoon characters but in the advanced section was World War II airplanes. They were like coloring book images. So, I asked him if I could draw a B-24. He looked at me and said, “You want to draw that?” I said to him, “Yes!” He promised me that he would allow me to draw it as long as I paid attention to every line and every detail on that plane, do it as accurately as possible and by the way he taught me - on his terms. The teacher’s name was John Gordon and he actually designed the letter ‘G’ on the Green Bay Packers’ helmets that you see today. Carrying on, I continued drawing airplanes throughout high school and college and after I graduated from college, I wound up in a call center and I continued to refine my shapes in between phone calls and my coloring, and my shading and people started walking by my desk and that's where I started getting the popularity and/or notoriety.
I continued to draw airplanes, refine my details, and learn more about shape and proportion. At the call center, some of the programs I'd worked on, the call volume wasn't very high. So I would occasionally sell an occasional cat or dog or baby picture or something to my co-workers; very seldom an airplane, but I always had a passion for airplanes, and I have continued to draw them for pretty much all of my life, and that brings us to – today, here at EAA’s AirVenture and the warbird area.
Brian Liddle's variety of aircraft artistry – Photograph by Paul T. Glessner
Brian Liddle and his P-38 drawing of Richard Bong's Marge against Jandina II – Photograph by Paul T. Glessner
Brian Liddle: So, I do have the 24” by 28” P-38 drawing on hand as we speak and it will be photographed. Then, as soon as AirVenture is over, I will be flown up to Superior, Wisconsin by a friend of mine. So that'll be put on display. Which brings me to the future. What do I foresee in the future with my artwork? Well, I see a lot more drawings. I see commissions and I do see other drawings other than their plans, but we're going to stay aviation based right now. I see hopefully more museums in my future and my stuff on display throughout the United States; worldwide would be really nice. I will have one of my prints in Israel. I'm not sure in what city, but I did sell a print to a couple of Israeli gentlemen, and they are going to take it to a city near Tel Aviv. I do have some more artwork in Romania and across the border, I have a few pieces in Canada. But my goal is to keep making connections with museums and with important people, I mean, all of you are important. I wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't for the history and people like you. If it wasn't for those foreign wars, I wouldn't have anything to research or draw? And then there's the commercial airlines and the recreational aircraft. I'm happy to draw them, too. So, without people, without communication, without friendship and fellowship, I wouldn't be drawing.
IFUSA PTG: You are more than just warbird stuff. Have you drawn houses or buildings?
Brian Liddle: Yes, I have done cats, dogs, houses, and buildings. I'm also a portrait artist. I have a friend of mine, Gary Otto. He's from Pewaukee, WI. I drew a portrait of him to honor him because he was a very, very important friend in my life. He's an influential friend in my life. One of the kindest gentlemen I ever met. He earned the Wright Brothers award for flying 50 years in an aircraft. 50 years of flight. I gave him a special hand drawn 16” x 20” portrait of him flying in a T-34 based off of a selfie that he took. I'll just throw the joke in here. The ongoing joke about the selfie was that - I kidded with Gary because he took too many selfies. I said to Gary, “What's the matter? Did you take one too many selfies with the wrong guy looking at him?” So, he's got a beautiful portrait. I framed it for him. I put a name placard on it. I mean I can do portraits; I can draw just about anything as long as it's got a shape and it exists. If there's some kind of fantasy out there, you'd have to help me envision.
IFUSA PTG: You are working on a new website to show off your artwork, correct?
Brian Liddle: To that point, I am actually still in college at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay and finishing my Studio Arts Bachelor’s degree and simultaneously working on my website with the domain of BrianLiddleArt.com; in the interim, I can be reached at (920) 634-7034 / liddle.brian@yahoo.com / Brian Liddle on facebook. Thank you for this opportunity to talk more about myself to the In Flight USA readers.
IFUSA PTG: Brian, thank you for the most informative overview of your background, artwork, desires, and a peek into your flourishing artistic career. Folks, I highly recommend looking into Brian’s exquisitely detailed - artwork.
