March workbench thread.

Bob~

Great Attack Mallard! I can imagine him pulling a big wake astern and pushing a big bow wave ahead.....and all the other Drakes scattering out of his way!

I changed a bit of the paint on this Broadbill I posted last April:

Broadbill%20-%20April%202014%20%20March%202015_zpslrr1l3hy.jpg


All the best,

SJS
 
Steve, very nice, just enough green highlights on the head and a nice crown silhouette. Tell me about pupil diameter for drakes and hens... The pupils on those eyes were smaller than your drake. When I opened the packet, I nearly sent them back but decided to just use them on hens to balance out the sex ratio in my scaup spread.
 
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RL~

I believe the only time there is a difference in pupil size between the sexes is during mating display- or at least "in the mood" - especially where the colored iris is part of the "show" - anything with yellow, red or white irises.

A local vet is a serious bird photographer and shared this last week - well into the "pinpoint pupil" stage, I think....
Ellmers%20Whistler%20in%20display_zpsnijugfkl.jpg


All the best,

SJS
 
Bob~

Great Attack Mallard! I can imagine him pulling a big wake astern and pushing a big bow wave ahead.....and all the other Drakes scattering out of his way!



;-) ;-) I dunno about that Steve. Here in Ohio we don't encounter many of those vicious East Coast mallards..... this one is just going to be a calling hen ;-) ;-)

However, if I ever feel the need to promote a la the yearly Cabelas Waterfowl Catalog or any of the "big name" decoy makers, I believe attack mallard could be a great marketing strategy to appeal to the gun-barrel sticker crowd. I can see it now: "The Rogue Mallard Combo-Pack : 1/2 dozen BULL mallards in six different aggressive attitudes guaranteed to pull in even the most wary ducks.." I'm thinking even including some removable Steve Van Zandt bandannas or little sunglasses to make them look extra bad. Oh yea - and lots of filler above the eye to get that realistic "angry duck" look one sees so often in nature.
View attachment Stevie.jpg View attachment Vinnie (311 x 249).jpg
I think the snow is getting to me!
Click to expand...
 
Steve,
That Scaup is wonderful. I am going to steal an element of that painting the next time I do a batch of them. Thanks for sharing it.
 
I've got a Wigeon in that ANGRY DUCK pose......love it.....


Steve.....can you do one of your tutorials on doing the vermiculation on your Scaup?....love that bird....


Jeff.....you just keep getting better and better.....




The talent bank has always been deep here and just keeps getting deeper.....






Steve
 
Haven't carved in more than a year, a snowy day was a good,excuse to get back in the saddle time to set some eyes

8d216f79dabb3f324ced636a45de303e_zpsc5e212d0.jpg

 
RL~

Just like Johnny Carson himself - you are correct, Sir! When I go to the trouble, I put the paler, pinpoint eyes in Drakes and deeper, Cadmium Yellow eyes in hens, with a normal pupil size. And, I let the young-of-the-year birds live until next season (!)

All the best,

SJS
 
Steve~

Although I am now fairly happy with the back, this part of the bird suffered through a long and torturous painting process. After stippling then base-coating then combing then stippling again, I finally reverted to my old ways - back when I used to carve and paint floating decoratives: I painted the vermiculation with a brush. Although it only took 5 or so minutes, it's not a technique I would use for a gunning bird. And these travails certainly do not lend themselves to a Tutorial - unless there is a Blind Leading the Blind category....

Actually , I appreciate that you and RL praised the 2 things I "fixed" this week - toning down the head and getting that Herringbone Tweed on Mr. Broadiebeak's topside.

All the best,

SJS
 
Steve, its been a very long time since I have killed a hen scaup...and a much longer interval back to Harold Prince's Migratory Birds of North America course.
 
Steve.....I must be frank....your answer is unacceptable.....unless of course you said that so that I would have to come up and camp out in your shop until I had seen it repeatedly first hand and could duplicate it without help...figure a hundred or so and that might be adequate....


Seriously I doubt it would be much help beyond making me feel even less talented than I already do when it comes to accomplishing anything even remotely close to vermiculation like that....




Just to be sure I'm on it if you'd check the list form the disk for the NewYork show, and put me down for one if its not, I'd appreciate it....




Steve
 
Steve, the vermiculation has a beautiful flow along with the rest of the bird. Gorgeous!
Pat, your commenting is much appreciated.
Steve Sutton, Thanks a lot! Very motivating for a new carver.
Jeff
 
Great work guys!! Thanks for sharing. When I figure it out I'll post a couple of pics. Pat G I enjoy watching your videos on you tube!!
 
Great work this month as always guys!

I am running out of spots outdoors to take pics. We have another foot almost on top of this.........I'm ready for spring though it seems a world away!


 
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