APRIL FOOLS WORK BENCH - What's on yours ? (April 2019)

Steve, same gaddie, just noted how little white was showing on the sides after your note. Went back and dragged the white, raw umber mix across the combing twice more. This one is now done. Going to try the blackduck black on the next one, with finer combing. Perhaps more ridges will show less of the black. ? Quien sabe?
 
Rick~


FYI: The lighting (post-production editing....) was mine. The difference is the contrast in tone between the chest and sides.


SJS





 

Sugar Pine, 9" L x 4 1/2" H, Tundra/Whistling Swan decoy, awaiting keel & rigging.

Carved for a sign to commemorate a late great gunning partner.

This carving has been in my shop for ten years. It is only just recently that I have been able to bring myself to finish carving it, and to paint it.




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Hi Steve,

As far as birds are concerned, this is a small show. There is no IWCA class or anything of the sort. For this year, the "North American World Cup of Duck Decoys" (decorative working decoy) was a black duck. Restrictions were no cork, must be wood, hollow, glass eyes, no wood burning, swim tested with a removable keel or weights for display purposes. There was a "gunning bird competition" with several categories including a low head drake mallard which I entered. There were also two working duck decoy categories - one a drake mallard and one a drake wood duck which I entered.

Details for the next show will be at (not up yet): NFDAdecoys.org

(NFDA is the National fish decoy association)

Joel
 
R L, that is what I normally deal with-15-20 yards. This one gave me fits, dealing with the vermiculation. Eventually, after three dry brushings with a 1" fan, I decided to live with it. Some of the pics were under led lighting, others, without. As stated, I will use a narrower piece of comb on the next go round/[w00t]
 
Pat, do you overcoat them with a translucent stain to tone the blue down, or do you make your own wash coat to apply? It really adds a nice patina and tones the intensity of their head color down nicely.
 
Pat~


Excellent video/tutorial! Your method really imparts depth to their finery.



I have "glazed" some of my mantel-piece birds (or at least portions of them) with the traditional painting technique of glazing. Raw Umber and Ultramarine are my standbys - in both oils and arylics.


All the best,


SJS

 
Vince Pagliaroli said:
Sugar Pine, 9" L x 4 1/2" H, Tundra/Whistling Swan decoy, awaiting keel & rigging.

Carved for a sign to commemorate a late great gunning partner.

This carving has been in my shop for ten years. It is only just recently that I have been able to bring myself to finish carving it, and to paint it.

Nice lines on that bird!
 
[size 4]Vince,
Terrific little swan. Sometimes it's good to set something aside and come back to it with "fresh eyes.".... but 10 years might be stretching it [laugh]

Took down the wigeon deadmount, which had been set aside for a few weeks so I could focus on some other work, and I did a bit more painting on it this morning:



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Wonderful, Bob!


Can't wait to see those wing coverts....


I'm still plugging away at my Grassland Bird silhouettes. The Horned Larks and Snow Buntings will be in a mixed flock of 17 birds - AND I have to paint both sides because the audience will be able to get 2 perspectives.


View attachment Batch - April 22 B.JPG



All the best,


SJS

 
Steve, I understand. I painted 94 geese silhouettes in a knock-off Real Geese 4 color style, nearly a hundred sandhill cranes now in three batches, and a three dozen mallards. Toss-in hand painting 96 bigfoots to update their paint schemes, mostly with an airbrush. I haven't used my airbrush since then. It gets a little draining to get both sides "right" so they are mirror images of each other. I suspect you are like me, though; painting is pretty soothing "therapy" since you get to bring the work piece "alive" via the process.

I would call those birds flat work painting with no background...
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These are the last four scaup finally completed. It took awhile, since I had to carve four heads, as well as patch all these bodies where the bandsaw blade wandered during cut-out of the cork sheet. The heavy rains falling four the last three days have enabled me to keep at it an get these finished. After the onshore blow abates, it will be time to fish inshore salmon and trout for a month or more. Then I can get back to painting these and finishing the storage cover modifications on the TDB.
 
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Good morning, All~


I finally finished up the Grassland Bird silhouettes. I just need to make some bases/supports for the few birds that will not hang on wires.


The "hen" Bobolink with be supported by an 1/8-inch steel rod - 3 or 4 feet above the "ground" - but the male will sing suspended by fine wire. All of these birds will be part of a very large (barn-size) diorama-like display that will feature mostly live demonstrations with Hawks and Owls at a mid-May Raptor Fest.


[CLICK any image to enlarge]



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The barn will have 3 or 4 habitats re-created for the weekend. This Bluebird will fly by himself.




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Meadowlarks are one of my favorite grassland species.



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The call is the key to knowing these Grasshopper Sparrows are about. These 3 will perch on a fence rail.



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These Horned Larks will join a bunch of Snow Buntings - as they do hereabouts in Winter.


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The mixed flock will be migrating north - from our Washington County Grasslands to the Arctic Tundra. So, I've painted both wintering and breeding plumages.



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The elegant sandpiper of the Prairies. Very rare hereabouts. This one will stand atop a fence post.


View attachment sm 8 Upland Sandpiper - standing TEXT.JPG





This one will sing from on high....



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In addition to these 2-dimensional birds, I am loaning a pair of E. Allen Wood Ducks - so I can avoid the dreaded NDR label.....


All the best,


SJS







View attachment sm 6 Snow Buntings 9 TEXT.JPG
 
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