[dnnshudson]

I am looking for a step by steps on painting the Blue Wing Teal. Dennis

[mark yundt]

Don't know if you can still get very old back issues but Wildfowl Carving and collecting, 1992, volume 7 number 4 has a GREAT step by step feature done by none other than Pat Godin.I know I've seen many other books that cover this popular bird but that article was always one of my favorites, and I think he won the Worlds with that very piece he paints in the article.

[slivers&dust]

another one is PAINTING WATERFOWL with J.D. SPRANKLE

He does a step-by-step painting of a Blue-winged Teal Drake

[mark yundt]

Yes, he does a great one too... many of the top bird carvers offer specific videos for each species as well,,,not sure how far you want to take it,,, but the info is out there.I've been away from birds for awhile, and I'm sure my info is dated,,

[slivers&dust]

Ditto…the last bird I painted was in 96.

I carved a Blue wing drake and had used KT super sealer on it prior to burning because I wanted to try something other then gesso (sp). I had 200 hrs into it (back when I tried to keep track) and it was the best decoy carving to date for me. I started the painting by laying in base colors and so on and had a disaster when for some reason the paint kept lifting off. Everything I tried didn’t help…well I was not in the best mood that day and let my anger get the best of the carving and in my immaturity destroyed the carving
blaming the sealer. I don’t know if it was the problem or not, but I’ve not painted sense.

Later an artist, painter friend of mine told me we could have fixed it…great!

Life lesson learned for me, never carve, paint, draw or even try to be creative with a bad attitude…I also grew up

[mark yundt]

Oh you 're so right! As I've been saying , if your head isn't clear about what you 're doing, don't even start,,it'll show up in the carving.I 've always used Curts waterfowl sealer ( for floating decoys) and at times I have used Deft, followed with a light coat of gesso. Lately though I've been using oils getting good results going straight to the wood.I can get away with this 'cause the birds aren't going in the floating tank , only to the display shelf of a client.I too have destroyed MANY a carving. On my site there is a pic of a Gadwall..... before compettition....after the comp. I cut it's head off and poured laquer thinner all over it and turned it into songbirds. A coupla hundred hrs...a few grand,,, gone,I didn't care and still don't,,,it didn't win.


P.S you sealed you birds before burning?

[slivers&dust]

That was the only one I tried that on. If I remember right there was / is two types of the stuff, one used after burning and one used before.
In fact I still have the stuff and on the bottle it says.
"KT super sealer will change wildfowl carving forever!!"
"If you are a wood carver!!!! Seal your carving with KT super sealer and burn in detail!!"
"Shake very well!!!"
It was advertised, as aiding in burning, supposedly in that the burning pen / blade would glide through better or something to that effect. I don’t recall if it did or not though.
Previous to that I did the same as you, sealing with thinned Deft and thinned Gesso. When I used the gesso though it always seemed to fill some of the burning detail, which led me to try another approach.
I have a Pentail Drake I started,…wow…9-10 years ago, that is 75% completed but I just can’t get myself interested in vesting that much time into carving and then painting…so it sits for now.
If your interested? a picture is on my web shots under work in progress of it…its not near your level, just a hobbyist attempt.

ps. I still admire bird carvings and have a ton of admiration for the talent of bird carvers.

[mark yundt]

Interested?????Heck yeah!!!! I'll look at anything having to do with carving... Finish that bird,How can you be so close and yet so far?Get psyched! its a great piece,,, you're doing it harm not finishing it, as well as depriving us all not seeing it done.Your pintail has the almost delicate , sophisticated grace that this bird has. The soft, refined feathers, the under beak details, these birds have the look of a Ferrari on water,,,classical elegance,,, FINISH IT. As a side note , I too have done so many statue restorations,,, 300 to date ,,,I especially like your marble piece, I know this is a woodworking site, but that was VERY well done.
Just another note,,,,my level,???,,someone elses level,,,your level,,,It's all BOGUS! Truly doesn't mean a thing,,,If we all carve to our best,, then it's the best you have to offer at that time! Me, you , ANYONE OUT THERE,if you can honestly look at any piece you've done and think it can't be improved,,,well, I feel sorry for you.Because I TRULY feel we ALL have within us the capacity for greatness in many levels if we only give ourselves the chance.We are blessed with the ability to do things most won't even try.And lets face it ,,,ITS ONLY A PIECE OF WOOD!!!! you can't find more????,,, Is this the Rosetta stone you're working on???your next one won't be better,, are you curing cancer???? Have fun,,relax,,, love this hobby/job whatever it is to you for what it is, and carve out your own niche and proudly say,,,I did this.

[Nancy_G]

Originally Posted by mark yundt

Just another note,,,,my level,???,,someone elses level,,,your level,,,It's all BOGUS! Truly doesn't mean a thing,,,If we all carve to our best,, then it's the best you have to offer at that time! Me, you , ANYONE OUT THERE,if you can honestly look at any piece you've done and think it can't be improved,,,well, I feel sorry for you.Because I TRULY feel we ALL have within us the capacity for greatness in many levels if we only give ourselves the chance.We are blessed with the ability to do things most won't even try.And lets face it ,,,ITS ONLY A PIECE OF WOOD!!!! you can't find more????,,, Is this the Rosetta stone you're working on???your next one won't be better,, are you curing cancer???? Have fun,,relax,,, love this hobby/job whatever it is to you for what it is, and carve out your own niche and proudly say,,,I did this.

Mark, Your carvings are beautiful AND your WORDS are beautiful.

Watch it ...... a carver friend and I are wondering how to visit some decoy carvers in NJ this spring. We could swing by your house too !!
A carver friend

[mark yundt]

I'll look forward to it,,,gettin the coffee ready now!