Wood Duck

[jax]

The duck is pine wood and life-sized. Head has been attached with a wood dowel and carpenter's glue, feather groups have been carved and will be textured later.

A knot has been removed and wood filler added, and will be sanded smooth.

The duck is decorative style and will be entered in competition at a future county show.

Jax.

[foundwood]

Excellent overall shape, especially the head and neck. Good luck with the competition. I don't know how you kept the pine from cracking, and that is the most impressive feature of all!

[squbrigg]

Nice looking duck! How much texturing will you be doing? Painted too? I love the various styles of duck carvings, from the simple shaped decoys, to the complex highly detailed life like ones. Great job.

Bob

[jax]

Foundwood: Thanks for the comments, that's the first and last time I use pinewood!! Too much grain.

Bob: I'll texture the whole duck and paint it in oil.

Jax

[Coffeeman]

Jax, Looking real god to me. I love the wood duck, its shape and colors are just a real beauty in nature. I'm not comfortable enough yet to try carving birds, but some day I will give it a shot. Bill

[Eleanor]

Really lovely, very graceful shape to the head, well done!

[Paul_Guraedy]

Jax, a good looking carving. No problem among us birdcarvers, or at least most of us, in getting rid of that knot and using filler. I am moving to making all of my bird's feet and talons from non-wood materials.

I agree with you about pine. Although there are some "good carving" pines (white, sugar, etc.) they are not readily available to most of us. So, we want to carve, grab a pocket knife, select a piece of pine and start trying to remove wood. I am afraid that this has turned off more carvers than a supposed lack of talent.

Try some basswood. You will like the way it carves and the lack of grain when you start to finish it. If you are using power, or just want to try another wood, get some tupelo. In my estimation, these are the two best carving woods to use in starting into woodcarving. Mainly because they offer the least problems and allow you to concentrate on the technical aspects of the craft.

Keep turning out, and showing us, those ducks.

[Kenny_S]

A lot od carvers Carve in Pine and as your "wood duck" shows the grain is beautiful. But chips to much for me. Tupelo, Basswood, is better.
Love you "wood duck". Love the grain showing also. But understand the textureing and painting.

[Myron Compton]

Great job Jax. I agree with you on the pine wood. Carving other woods has me spoiled...Myron

[GardenGnome]

I like your little duck. This makes me want to try. I made a duck decoy telephone a number of years ago as a present. To bad I didn't have a pic of that.

You have me curious again.

Christopher the Garden Gnome