Christmas Diversion 2

First, HAPPY NEW YEAR.   Second, my apologies for this entry.  I did it using an iPAD and had no idea how severe the limitations would be so I am taking this opportunity to fix it.

This year the adults in our family drew names with the requirement that the gifts had to hand made by the giver.  I drew my daughter Melanie's name.  She has been asking for an owl for many years so this year had to be the one....even if the owl was a little one to hold her until I can do the Horned.

Since this was my first ever owl! I followed carving and painting plans from Wildfowl Carving Magazine and an article by Al Jordan.

Carving took a day while painting took 2 days.

I am including some painting shots to show how this perfectly smooth bird was painted to look textured.

Base coat.

Back feather barbs done in dark brown with a fine paint brush.

Outside edges and shadows added with slightly lighter brown than previously and using an airbrush.

More airbrushing for the back feathers and barbs painted on the scapulars and secondaries.

Airbrushing over the painted barbs to give the bird color.

Close up view

Barbs brushed onto the tertials.

More airbrushing over the entire back to provide color yet leave the essence of the brushed barbs on the feathers.  This technique adds a painted texture to an otherwise perfectly smooth bird.

Time to work on the head.

Using a template and an airbrush, the outlines of the head feathers were softly painted on.  note subtle flow of teh feathers in groups

Close up view of the back of the head.

Dark feathers around face are airbrushed and the barbs of the head feathers are painted in using a fine bristle brush.

Face ring shadows are airbrushed using a warm grey.

Face is painted a brown/yellow cast using an airbrush and the eyes are cleaned off.

Beginning to look real.

Time to work on the breast.  Yes indeed, the owl's head is turned 180 degrees and it has the capacity to go even further giving it the ability to swivel its head for a full world view of things.

Shadows and valleys are airbrushed using a warm grey.

                            

Ahhhh.  Iwata Custom Micron Side Feeder. This is an instrument extra ordinaire.  $450 of magical bliss.

The centers of the breast feathers were painted with the carmel brown.

Under tail painted with brown and white....

....then oversprayed with white to give it the grey/silver color.

Back feather detail being added by spraying the light feather edges and then adding the splits using a thin bristle brush.

Finished Owl mounted on a piece of my neighbors pear tree that blew apart in a recent windstorm.