[Paul_Guraedy]

Bob, I am envious! My copy is on order and, even though I will not be carving an eagle real soon, I can't wait to read and study it. Good luck on your eagle efforts. I know that you will bring the same level of ability to the eagle that you do your ships and we will have another enormously talented bird carver in our midst.

I thought I would share a few more references with you that I have used in my eagle carvings:

http://www.ups.edu/x5942.xml this is the website for the University of Puget Sound and, among other things, has photos of the extended wings (upper and lower views).

http://www.baldeagleinfo.com/eagle/feathers.html this site has some fantastic photos showing individual feather groups (back of neck with head bent forward, for instance) and would be a great reference to use in painting indvidual feathers.

Gieck, Charlene; Eagles For Kids; NorthWord Press; 1991; soft cover; 47 pages; $6.95; Photos, excellent close ups of head, eye and feet, good for painting colors. The close-up of the eye on page 40 shows the limbus ring, which is often hard to see in other photos.

[squbrigg]

Thanks for the link Paul....beautiful pictures on them, the wing collection is stunning. That's going to be very useful.

As for me becoming a bird carver....sorry, maybe one Eagle eventually, and some canes, but it has taken me a lifetime to learn ships.

Besides, I'm terrible with painting too, so I'd only mess up the feather colors. Not only partly color blind, but color challenged as well! I'll leave the birds for the experts.

Bob

[whitecree]

Well, most carvings look good just with stain, too.

I hear you, though. It has taken me quite some time to figure out how to go about carving the way I do, and it isn't easy trying to learn a whole 'nother style or genre.

My big brother is a Chief of the Eagle clan. I think I just found his next Xmas present in the Illustrated Bald Eagle. From the teeny bit I can see without buying it, it looks awesome!

[squbrigg]

Buy it Whitecree....for yourself....you wouldn't be sorry! Get him a copy too, but make sure you get one!!

Bob

[LCorbett]

Glad you like it, Bob! I think the book has a lot of information that is difficult to obtain if you were to go searching on your own. Denny had access to not only the live bird but a dead one, which is how he was able to get the skeletal details. This is a great addition to the "reference toolbox". Can't have too many references!
(You should see my studio right now...photos hanging everywhere, stuck to the walls, windows, books on counters, chairs...my chair is on wheels so I can wheel from counter to counter....)

The rest of the series will not disappoint, either! The information is just as comprehensive as it is in this first book.