My intrigue with camouflage, Rodney “RAD1” Wills
My intrigue with camouflage, Rodney “RAD1” Wills
Camouflage [/ˈkaməˌflä(d)ZH/] is a defense mechanism that organisms use to hide their identity, location, and movement by blending in with their surroundings. It’s also known as cryptic coloration. While nature invented it, camouflage took on a new or secondary meaning in the late 19th century (in the sense of ‘disguise, concealment’). French, from camouflage ‘to disguise’ (originally thieves’ slang), from Italian campfire ‘disguise, deceive,’ perhaps by association with French camouflet “whiff of smoke in the face.” The military sense of “camouflage” originated during the First World War.
With the dictionary definition of “camouflage” out of the way, I can now get into my interest in the “art form” of visual concealment.
Maybe my interest started early, as my father served in the Military as an Airborne Ranger—101st. Yes, that is a very young me kitted out in my uniform!
Playing “Army” in the woods with friends, digging through all my father’s gear, wearing his old military field jacket in high school and later college, and visiting countless military surplus stores—these are all the makings of a “camo enthusiast!” But where does the “art part” come into all this?
Visual collector: In 2005, I uploaded my first photo of “camo” to Flickr as part of my Camo / Camouflage / M90 / Dazzle—Research Album.
2009 – When it was time to start playing with film cameras again, I added the HOLGA 120N Camera to my kit and, of course, the Camouflage Jungle Green Edition.
Nothing wrong with having a little digital camouflage in your kit! Alphanumeric t-shirt for the win!
Going to work for Axial R/C Inc. in 2010, I would start exploring camouflage, not replicating the texture in a traditional sense, but rather my style. The above image shows the “camo texture” that I started playing with, and I debuted my personal “graphic” on my rig for an event on April 2nd, 2011. This texture was created with a Sharpie marker on the polycarbonate body of an Axial SCX10, 1/10th scale radio-controlled vehicle. Yes, we are talking toys here! Hobby-grade expensive toys! At this point, I may as well tell you about the “GC” that you see attached to the “RAD1.”
GC stands for the Gravel Crew, a rally team/club that we started in 2001 after our return from the 2001 WRC Rally Great Britain. Nothing with me stays directly on target… During this time, we were doing events under the name GCRallyX while also participating in competitive rally events. During this time in the USA, the rally was very small, and magazines did not care about this form of motorsport. Thus we were heavily on the forums to help our events-team marketing efforts. Like my graffiti crew days in Atlanta, we put the crew name first, The United Kings.” On the forums, we wanted everyone to know our crew, so we put the GravelCrew initials “GC” in front of our “screen names” so that when people saw us online, they knew we were the GRAVELCREW! I’ve been “RAD1” since 1984, so that part was easy!
WHY YES, THAT IS A KRYLON PATCH!!!
My race suit had to be SPARCO and have a KRYLON patch on it! You cannot take some things out of me even when I am outside the “normal” circles of association. Typically, logos are of sponsors supporting the efforts, but I like creating “weird” associations. Camouflage of a chameleon, maybe? OK, lets get back on topic here!
Second Camouflage Experimentation
In 2013, I continued my exploration of texture as camouflage, not in the concealment aspects but more as a flavor, like when you see someone wearing woodland camo texture in the city. It stands out!
With more scrappage of the body, I would add more texture, this time with a silver-colored Sharpie metallic pen.
2013 – Purchased Brassey’s Book Of Camouflage on Alibris.com. Also, the Camouflage Military Manual FM 5-20.
2014 – The “Tactical Fashion Scene” was coming on hard, and I sketched around the fringes of fashion. Ghost Army Tactical Smart Phone Neoprene Padded Molle Pouch Case / Magpul iPhone Case. And, of course, I was dripped in 5.11 Tactical!
My mountain bike helmet was camo, and my t-shirt was camo. I was getting crazy with it.
2016 – M90 Splinter / Lövhögen
I wanted to spice up my personal vehicular transportation device, the ADV80 [1992 Toyota Land Cruiser, 80-Series / FJ80]! I wanted to add a little personal touch with a windshield banner. Think BTCC, as in British Touring Car Championships meets import tuner market because of TMRm’zine. And while windshield or windscreen banners (UK) are not typically found on customized 4x4s, enter THE RAD1! As I delved deeper into camouflage research and exploration, I discovered the Swedish M90 camo. I really liked the graphic angularity of this print!
This windshield was never commercially available through Axial. As the marketing director there, I would “test” these looks to gauge customers’ responses at various events, such as King of the Hammers or Axialfest. These “flavors” would make their way into our product line as visuals.
This is the view from the rear of the ADV80. While the “AXIAL” was printed into the banner, I had to add my YOTAMASTERS logo! Eric and the crew at Yotamasters have been my people since I found them and their willingness to work on my ADV80. While living in Southern California, I drove 30 miles one way and passed three other Toyota specialty shops to work with these guys! They are still my people even though I am now in Colorado Springs, CO. Why yes… Yes, that is a SLEE rear bumper on my 1992 Toyota Land Cruiser!
ENTER THE M90R1 RadderzUnokammo Texture / Pattern
Once that look went into production in 1/10th scale form for Axial, I would start working on my next look. This time, the M90 Lövhögenneeded the RAD1visuals personal hand touch! So, I set out to create the “M90R1 RadderzUnokammo!” I love textures, and the M90 Splinter has the angularity and bold patterns I like. So why not add my textures into those patterns?!
I created a series of patterns using the Sharpie Magnum marker on 8.5″ x 11″ paper.
I did some side-by-side comparisons to see how the patterns or textures work together. Once I was happy with them, I photographed them and sent them to my favorite graphic artist, Scott Roberts. He and I have worked together for so long that he has been supernatural at pulling my ideas together in graphic form! Massive THANK YOU, SIR! From there, all of my “sticker visions” have gone to Will Mattox of Seriously Stickers.
M90R1 WINDSHIELD BANNER
I took some brown craft paper and made a pattern to cut the vinyl sticker from.
OH YEAH!!! Look at those colors, and look at that camo flavor!!!
M90R1 RadderzUnokammo IN THE HOUSE!!!
This is going to be FONKY-FRESH!!!
So, let’s get this up on the ADV80 in position and install it!
OH YEAH! From Honda Civics to Toyota Land Cruisers – PERFECT!!!!
A little left-over…
A little scrapper! What to do?!
With the “left-over” block installed, I thought it the perfect place and color to add the Magnaflow sticker!
Yes, the ADV80 is Magnaflow equipped! Thank you Rich Waitas!
I’m not mad at it whatsoever! So there you have it! The M90R1 RadderzUnokammo camouflage windshield banner also works for the rear window, and because of the size printed, I could pull it down more on the back window. I wonder if I could work some reflective material into the next version.
ENTER THE NEXT PHASE CAMO – 2023+
A lot of “LIFE” has happened since the windscreen/shield banner project! COVID-19, a nine-month move from California to Alabama, and a move from Alabama to Colorado. 2018 to 2024 has been a while BLURRR!!!
But things are finally settling down if I can truly call it that, as lots of change is still happening in my life. Embrace the change, as change is good! It keeps you on your toes! But I look forward to working on research projects and reflecting those into my art!
With all the things happening in the art sector of my life, the camouflage theme has researged into canvas art. It took a little while, as it happened again on the ADV80, but this time with spray paint.
I had the pattern roughly in my head and went about colorblocking in the different colors.
So, this is the outcome of the experimental camouflage in spray paint for the ADV80!
CAMO as ART on CANVAS
Let’s see how my camo flavor translates to the canvas for hanging on the wall?!?!?
This is the first original art camouflage canvas, R1 Urban Camo, created on October 19th, 2024, and painted with acrylic aerosol. This canvas measures 30” x 40” and was showcased in the #KingsArrive Crew Show at Eyedrum Gallery in Atlanta, Georgia. Maybe it will sell there, or maybe it will make its way back here to Colorado.
I had not even finished painting with this canvas, and I had no idea.
The R1 Urban Camo was almost finished; I pulled up three blank 11″ x 14″ canvases, mounted them on the wall, and started these experimental camouflage textures called Test No.1 Kudzu, Test No.2 Reverse Bright, and Test No.3 DayGlo Tokyo
I wanted to develop a new pattern and color scheme for another larger canvas. My personal favorite from this test series is the middle canvas, “Test #2 Reverse Bright,” and I would very much like to keep these three canvases together as a set. While this is not a traditional camouflage pattern, my experimental design was created with spray paint for visual wall-hanging purposes.
You can purchase all three of these original art canvases here:
https://rad1tuk.com/product/test-no-1-kudzu-test-no-2-reverse-bright-and-test-no-3-dayglo-tokyo-rad1visuals/