March Whats on your workbench?

almost off the bench

woodies_zps5d7f0dad.jpg

 
Here's my first real attempt at paint a hen mallard. It is carved out of black cork. I just used some old Herters acrylic paint I had. That way I could paint on the kitchen table and not have to mix anything. Oils is on the agenda for the next one.

I am happy with how it turn out. Not because I think it is all that great. But because I started to get an idea on how to paint some feathers and their layout etc. Now I got over the first bird and hopefully I can start to get better at it.

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Andy~

That's a fine-looking Hen! You got the feather tracts down pat and lots of the subtleties, too - like the whiter aft end and the warmer breast color.

I have 2 suggestions for the face - if you want to get carried away/fussy:

I would make the eye-stripe a bit thinner, especially behind the eye. More important, I would add the "mustache" line that runs up and back from the hinge of the bill. (From a biological/ecological perspective, these lines help hide her face in her grassland nesting habitat - which is why so many prairie/grassland birds of all kinds use the same camouflage pattern.) You can see it here my gunning bird paint jobs on an E Allen and a Herters 72.

View attachment EAllen Mallard Hen vs.jpg View attachment Herters 72 Mallard Hen - lowhead vs.jpg

The other "fine -tuning" feature would be the yellowish wash on the front of the face and under the chin - just add a bit of Yellow Ochre to your head color.

Hope this helps,

SJS
 
Not so much what is on the workbench, but who is in front of it. My daughter wanted to do a decoy, so we cut out a cork can the other night to get her started.

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Steve

Thanks for the encouragement. I need to collect a study skin next season. Although I am not going for absolute realism.
 
finally got these done for the most point. need to peel the eyes and add a quick eyelid on them next week.

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Andy~

I agree completely with your thought about not seeking absolute realism for gunning stool. For me, the Holy Grail is always to find just those features that sell you (and hopefully the birds themselves) from 15 yards or so.

Keep it up!

SJS
 
Got a pair of whitewings started today-one head done, the other, i just gassed out. Bodies are bandsawed and ready for fun tomorrow, AFTER the Padiwan and i finish up with the greenwings.
Steven, Less is more at a distance seems to work.
 
Bob~

I've never seen a Whistling Duck up close - but your heads are breath-taking - they just exude "duck", perfectly. I look forward to seeing them attached to those long, slim bodies.

Thanks for the pics!

SJS
 
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