Widgeon hen Tuesday

MLBob Furia

MLBob Furia

Well-known member
Easily the most difficult bird to spatter-paint. I always need to have plenty of "paint erasers" nearby ('Q'-tips to dip in water) when attempting one of these.

So far- so good with the first of two I have ready to paint - this one a frond; the other is a cork bird. I have to break out the "widgeon spatter brush" for these. Used it along with an old Squibb brush that throws fine to medium spatter.

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I picked it up the widgeon brush many moons ago when I had occasion to ask for a complimentary brush at a hotel. I'd be lost without it - as it has just the right bristles for throwing larger dots of color. No name on it; made in China.

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Here she is ready to be glazed. Underpainted with two different values of white; then 5 different colors used for the spatter work, four in mixes. Easy to see why the head on this species always gets painted first.

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Bob, that is just a super job on that baldpate hen. No doubt you have her beauty displayed perfectly. I hope you don't mind these pictures. Just shows how well you have done her head.
Al

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Oh,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, so the whole key to this is, first staying in a hotel and forgetting your toothbrush. Piece of cake, I am good at forgetting things.

I swear, someday I will own one of Bob's birds BUT and this is a big BUT,,,,,,,,,,,,,, I want to be there to watch him paint it. Even if I have to camp out in his driveway. Heck watching would be the most fun anyway. 'Course hunting over it later wouldn't be too shabby either.


Thanks for sharing Bob.
 
,,,,,,,,,, I want to be there to watch him paint it. Even if I have to camp out in his driveway. Heck watching would be the most fun anyway. 'Course hunting over it later wouldn't be too shabby either.
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Dave,

I'm not a big fan of analogies ....but that would be as exciting as watching paint dry.... and in the case of acrylics that would be a short camping trip. Of course, if I were painting with oils, you could stay about 3 months. To watch me use that medium would take a long time, but the reward would be great.
 
Bob; Dave lives in Iowa. They watch corn grow in Iowa for excitement, at least 'till duck season anyway...I know...I grew up there :) Sweet stuff Bob!
 
Bob, now you are doing something that has me curious. What do you surround the head with to prevent overspray/oversplatter? I was just thinking of where those little specks of paint could end up-------
Al
 
Bob, now you are doing something that has me curious. What do you surround the head with to prevent overspray/oversplatter? I was just thinking of where those little specks of paint could end up-------
Al
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Al,

Besides thinking through the sequence I need to use when painting a particular species, I always have a pile of Q-Tips close by when painting. A moistened Q-Tip quickly erases any errant/ugly globs the spatter tools might throw. Good for wiping away errant brush strokes as well. That's something Joe Wooster showed me a long time ago. You can see in the picture I posted that there is overspray on the unpainted bill as well as on the gessoed areas around the head. I'll just be painting over those areas later, so they pose no problem.

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Many times, the angle of attack is enough to keep the spatter in the right places.

To "mask" areas that I want to be absolutely sure to keep from getting spatter on - or getting a certain color of spatter on - I use a few methods: I keep a scissors and sheets of printer paper in the shop, and will occasionally cut a quick shape to hold up to the surface of the carving while I spatter with the toothbrush (Although I must admit that most of the time I get in a hurry, and I'll just use my thumb or cup my left hand over the proper place).

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When using the rotating Kemper spatter-tool (which requires two hands), I always go with the paper if a mask is needed - either propped in a holder ( pieces of scrap wood that I've cut slots in), or attached to the decoy itself.
 
Bob, I have always enjoyed your spatter" look. Between seeing your birds and some encouragement from Bob Swann, I finally attempted oil spattering a canvasback, trying to get a new shaded look. The bird is not complete, but it certainly gives it a different look from the rest of rig.

Thanks again.
 
Yeow, Mike! Spatter painting with oils. Now that would leave very little room for error, and take some time between applications (at least as I envision it following my usual process). Would stain the heck out of my tools, thumb, and "masking hand" as well.

;-)

Would love to see the Can you are speaking of. Please post up a pic sometime when you get the chance.
 
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Bob,
Great stuff, love that spatter paint detail. I know the subject is widgeon but i am impressed with the brown color you used on the hen can is that your own mix or is it a stock color? I would like to use it on some cans i am finishing up.
Thanks,Bill.
 
.... the brown color you used on the hen can
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Bill,

That bird was painted using Raw sienna, Raw umber, & Warm white.
Only other color I used was Carbon black on the bill.
 
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