Looking for layout advice (flight feathers)

A Michael Chase

Active member
I'm looking on some advice on how to lay out the flight feathers on a ring neck decoy. Not looking for pure anatomical correctness, but close. You can see by my two gouge marks what I started with, but the pencil lines show what I think is a better representation. The feathers will be carved in slight relief and I don't think it's too late to make changes. By the way, this is the cut out that John Lawrence sent me a few months back.

View attachment Feather layout web version.jpg
Mike
 
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Can't see your pic but here are a the best I've got in my stash...

amar0905245ringneck.jpg


05_ring-necked_duck.jpg


ring_necked_duck_2009_01_23.jpg

 
Yeah Hank, I have trouble uploading pictures from my computer. I'll walk up the hill here in a little bit after I finish my morning coffee and post it from one in the office. It will attach the picture, but it wont show for some reason. I'll have it up shortly.

Those are some great pictures. Thanks for posting them. I think the way I have them drawn now is pretty close.

Thanks again.

Mike
 
Mike,

From what I can see in your photo you look to be on the right track. It seems to me me that your layout will work just fine. One suggestion that I might make though is to shorten the primaries just a bit in relation to the upper tail coverts and where they all meet at the top of the tail. I like to show a little transition from the primaries to the tail coverts to the tail. That gives me an opportunity to add a little paint detail to the area. Frequently the tail coverts on most ducks have some added color, even iridescence, so it's fun to paint that in.

As for the gouge marks that you've established I would consider using the gouge to lightly establish the back edge of the tertial group and the bottom of the primaries. Then with a knife smooth that plane between the gouge cuts to form the primaries.

The hollow created towards the front of the primary/terial/ side pocket/ scapular conjunction will make an excellent hollow place to paint some deep dark colors.

And it looks like Mama Volleyduck has made our decision on a new digital camera so I should be back up and running with pictures by sometime this weekend.
 
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