scarlet tananger

[boondocker]

i have just carved a scarlet tananger, but unfortunately do not have proper painting instructions(some colors do not seem to be available anymore.can any one please help. thanks

[kenweybright]

In doing a Google search for a Scarlet Tanager, some pretty reference. The wings and tail range from Burnt Umber to black.The breast and head appear to be reddish-deep orange mix, while the vent and lower tail coverts show me a light gray, medium gray and a reddish orange mix. If it were my carving, I would do a google search for the reference and then wait for Orygoner, Blackjaxe, Hugh Park, Tom Parks to answer on this forum. Can't go wrong with any of them; they seem to know their birds and coloration very well. Several others out there that are great carvers, and I didn't mean to omit them, names are just hard for me this early in the morning.
Hope that I may have been of some little assistance to you. Keep on Carvin'.

[Blackjaxe]

Thank You Ken, you have paid me a great honour to be one of the many on this forum who you consider to be knowledgeable enough to give answers.

So here goes,,, although Scarlet Tanagers do not frequent my neck of the woods. But like most colours Ken is right on the money, Red can be very deceiving. It can be on the warm side such as the familiar Fire Red or it can be on the cooler side such as Alizarin Crimson. If you compare the red in a Cardinal to the red in the Tanager you will see that there is quite a difference.

Your primer base has to be spotless with no variations in coverage, only then will the red appear clean. Only the outer tips ( about 50% and going to creamy buff near the tip of the feather root) of the breast feathers on both Tanagers and Cardinals, so any time you show a break in the feather flow do this as well....the results will look realistic.

If you look at Ken's posted photo you will also notice that some of the inner breast feathers are an orange buff ( down by the legs ). Breast feathers do not have a uniform colour, they are very light near the feather root. They are only the bright red we see at the tips of the feathers, somewhere around 50 to 60% of the entire feather. If you show this in your carving it will add interest and make for a more realistic carving. Just do it very subtle, add some more Orange to your Red mix and using a #1 liner carefully add these to a few spots where you may have bumped the feather groups. DO NOT overdo this, it will ruin the effect. The same can be done with doing shadow areas, and you only need a drop or two of Ultramarine Blue added to your Red Base.

Kens photo shows the beak as being very dark, all my reference shows the bill as being a very light buff grey. When I'm doing my research I get as many photos as possible, working from only one sample is not a good way to work if you want decent results.

When I'm painting either a carving or a painting I keep all my mixed base colours in used 35mm film containers. I like the clear ones as it shows me which colour it is , but I still take a drop of the paint and put it on the lid. Now when I need to fix something or do shadows or lighter versions of this colour I have it at hand....saves a lot of grief and frustration.

I hope this has been of some help.

Ken

[hwallen48]

Ken
I like your Duffer Ducks, we call them out here.

[kenweybright]

Hal,

Duffer Ducks, cute name. If you don't mind I'll use that name too. Thosse were just a few. They were the hottest sellers for Christmas presents this past year.

[boondocker]

thank you everyone. it is so nice to be able to get such quick & accurate help with a project.