Help Needed

[Dutch Dog]

I am re-painting my dekes for the upcoming season. I am having a TERRIBLE time locating some quality close up pics of mallard ducks on the internet. I got the basics down on how they actually look, but I am wanting to go into a lot of detail in their looks. I mean things like the very tops of the suzie's heads are darker than the sides, there seems to be a dark stripe running from their bills through their eyes towards the back of their neck etc. I want to paint em to as closely replicate the real thing as I can. We all can identify a mallard duck, but have you ever sat down and tried to put all the correct colors in the right places? It aint that easy fellas...you can get "close" but not exact. If someone could post a link to a good pic I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks

[CaptnT]

Go to the library and check the original Audobon Bird paintings. That is one of the most accurate I have seen. Short of that, head over next month to First Monday in Ripley and buy a mallard hen.

Do you get Cabela's magazine? The Herter's Millennium mallards have a photographic image vacuumed formed to the decoys. The bodies look really good, but the heads leave much to be desired.

When a durable, affordable iridescent paint becomes avialable I would like to try it for a mallard drakes head. Ever notice how they look blue on a sunny day?

[Dutch Dog]

there's a hand painted decoy at bass pro in memphis...costs around $175 it has that paint you are talking about...probably expensive though.

[just_duckin_around]

Ive tried painting plastic decoys before. Sanded em, cleaned em, primed em and still the paint flakes off. Have yall had better luck than me.

Ive decided that im better off buying new ones b/c the painted ones wont last a year if you use em alot

[Denduke]

Hey DD couldn't find a picture. Here's a little input on decoy painting I have learned. Realism is hard to duplicate. But I'm like you I want detail. Lots of new dekes aren't exactly right. The epicilium of drake mallards are painted on but in reality they don't show. Three different brands of widgeons don't look the same either. I'm no artist but what I've found is "impressionism" works for me. What I mean is when you back off from your detailed decoy does it really look right. If it's painted exact it should look exact, right. A lot of times it doesn't. Well, what I have found is that every species/sex have "key points" of detail that stand out and should not be missing. A hen mallard's head shold be lighter than her body, her cheeks will be a little lighter, the orange bill wii have the black bar, and the dark bar will be through her eye. The tail will have that little bit of white. You can make a stencil for her unique body feathers; spray brown and tan staggaring as you go. ( flambeau and carrylite have the feather texture already- use brush) I use dark green and would you believe gloss yellow green to do a greenhead to give the impression of irridescence. Ever see an artist make a glass look like shiny glass with just the right touch of highlight at just the right spot? Highlight the greenheads cheeks like that and you'll be surprised it looks emerald green with a little shimmer. At a distance and close up make sure you don't miss the "key points". We have some tame mallards, but the hen's heads are darker to me than wild birds. Oh, they taught me the on the water feed call. Ha. Hope this might help.

[Dutch Dog]

thanks!

[Dutch Dog]

oh yeah...use a spray on sealer to help protect your paint.