[Ted Komick]

I am trying to find out if anyone would know from past experience, what acrylic paint to use for the red breast of the flycatcher I have just carved? I have the wings down but I cant seem to get the reds.

Ted

[AlArchie]

Ted, I'm no bird carver, but have been taking notice of the colors found in nature, and have found that there is very seldom a "single " color to be found in any subject you look at.

Take a look at this photo of this flycatcher........the breast is a combination of many shades of red seemingly layered over under pinings of yellows and oranges.

So here's my take on this. Experiment with yellow/orange shades for a base on the breast, then dry brush on some red iron oxide, followed by light layers of more crimson shades. Try the technique on some scrap wood or paper to get the effect you want, then go to the bird.

From the picture, norice that the actual colors are not as "brilliant" as we first perceive them, but are more subdued, with subtle differnces all across the "red" areas, and they are not very strictly confined to those areas, but feather (no pun intended) over onto the darker areas. Sort of like little wispy cirrus clouds working across the edges behind the eye and neck area.

Also notice on the photo, that the "brown" on the back of the head, near the eye, and even down by the tail, is not one brown, but several shadings of browns, blacks, tans and even some gray.

I suppose that's not exactly what you wanted to hear, and is just my suggestion. It may well be possible appoximate an "overall" color look using only one shade, but that would seemingly take some experimentation in mixing several single colors to get exactly what you want. I doubt if you will find and off the shelf color to get where you want to go.

Al