[LCorbett]

I was searching for an acrylic paint that was not too flat or too shiny. Found a brand that seemed to fit the bill, so to test them I carved and painted a red-tailed hawk feather. Figured it might as well be a demo, so here it is if anyone is interested.
Painting a Red-Tailed Hawk Tail Feather

PS: The brand I was testing is Lascaux...their "Artist's" line of acrylic. It really does have what they call a "satin-matt" sheen. One of the glazing mediums they produce also has the "satin-matt" property, so the paint can be diluted for glazes (washes) without losing that quality (they make a gloss and flat matte medium, too).

Thaks for looking!

[wade clark]

Lori,
Beautiful work! It looks real to me!
Wade

[Irish]

Lori,

Simply a beautiful and easy to follow tutorial. Great work! Thank you for taking the time to share your expertise with all of us!

Susan

[Ashbys]

Lori,
I am going to try this, and considing how I fell about paint thats saying a lot. And I have found out , what looks simple can often be much harder than it looks. Thanks !

Ash

[LCorbett]

Thanks for the nice words, all. I'm just trying to make available information that I wish I had when I first started.

I hope that it makes the learning curve a bit shallower.

[squbrigg]

I was amaized going through the tutorial....at the skill and work required in achieving the realiatic look in painting that feather. I have always realized and appreciated and admired the skill it took to produce a bird first beautifully carved, then beautifully painted to make it look as realistic as some do. Your tutorial reinforces that awe that I hold for artists who do it! Thank you Lori! For sharing your amaizing talent with us and for opening my eyes even further.

I'll have to stick to ships though.....I'm colour blind and colour painting challenged!!!

Bob

Lori,

A fantastic learning tool, thanks for the time/effort to put forth the demo on your web site.

Even though I'm not a bird carver, we can apply your training to what ever we enjoy to carve/paint.

Such as, your "paint mix schedule chart": What a beautiful concept, I'm going to start implementing that type of technique on my future painted pieces, of course, every piece is different, but take skin tone, once you have the mix created that you really like, then you have it recorded for future use to duplicate rather than trial-n-error.

We are all students, thanks for your help and direction. Coffeeman

[LCorbett]

Bob, I'm humbled..thank you for the compliment.
Coffeeman...that little chart was something that evolved...mostly to save my sanity. I kept paint notes, but they were scattered...one mix on this scrap, another on another scrap...notebook paper, tracing paper, palette paper...whatever was handy at the time. I had a devil of a time keeping them together

So, one day I bit the bullet and dove in to my CorelDraw program and came up with this chart. I put the chart in a sleeve and put it, along with my written notes on methods (or reminders of what NOT to do again), in a 3-ring binder. Or, in the case of an entire bird project, in a file folder with all my other reference material on the bird. That goes into my file cabinet.

My one and only attempt at organization....

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

do you have copies of the painting charts....I have a stack the same way scribbled notes.....something organized would be a whole new experience!

[LCorbett]

HI Ho...check your Private Messages