Creative Woodworks & crafts 2001-03, страница 58

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INSTRUCTIONS

A few words from the designer

A zero clearance table top is necessary for cutting the components of this project. Cut only the outside lines of the patterns; the details will be added with the paint and colored pencils. Experiment with your colors and technique on scrap wood before applying them to the pattern pieces. This way, you can get used to the process. Always let the acrylic paint dry before using colored pencils.

It's a good idea to use pictures of real animals as a reference when coloring your project. While your project may differ somewhat from mine, remember that no two animals, birds or trees look alike in nature either. I hope you enjoy coloring with acrylic paint and colored pencils. I've taught myself over the past two years and constantly experiment with my methods, but IVe always found the results to be rewarding. The more I do, the easier it gets.

Cut the pieces

Lightly sand the front surface of all wood with 220 grit sandpaper. Transfer the patterns to the appropriate wood stock with transfer paper and a fine tip ball-point pen, then bore 5/64"-Dia. blade entry holes in the waste areas of each piece. Tip: as I cut each piece, i leave the waste wood in place around it for strength. Cut the two turkeys and the large tree trunk from 1/8" Baltic birch, with the grain running horizontal on turkey "A" and vertical on both turkey "B" and the large tree trunk. Cut the two tree limbs with leaves, the large leaf piece, the small leaf piece, the large background tree, and the small background tree from 1/16" Baltic birch, with the grain running vertical. Tip: the direction of the wood grain will help you when you color with the pencils. Ill come back to the frame wood when we get to the Assembly Instructions.

Coloring the turkeys

Step 1. Refer to the photograph and color worksheet at right while coloring all pieces. Start with the head and neck of each turkey. Use White, Black, Bright Red, Copen Blue and Straw acrylic paints and the No. 00 and 000 brushes. Apply a black circle for the eye with a lighter black circle around that. Add the line for the beak on turkey "A" as well as the black beard on turkey "B".

Lightly paint in the red areas using Bright Red, then add the white areas as well. Using Copen Blue and White, mix a very light blue (it only takes a little Copen Blue for this mixture) and paint the light blue areas. The beak is Straw. Both of my turkeys' heads and necks are different (it's like that in the wild too).

Note: the little red appendage hanging off the beak of turkey "B" and standing upright on turkey "A" is called a snood. This appendage can either be short or long according to the mood of the turkey. The larger red areas on the neck are called wattles.

Step 2. Using White, paint in the white bars on the turkeys' wing feathers. Apply more than one coat here as you want a smooth, sealed finish. Paint any other white areas on the feathers as well.

Step 3. The Prismacolor pencils will be used to color the remaining elements of this picture (except for the gray background). First, use Dark Umber in between the white bars on the wing feathers. Hint: you'll notice that each feather tucks under the feather to its right; the Dark Umber should be a little darker on the bars there. Next, I highlight the left side of the feathers with Sunburst Yellow, mainly in the middle part of the wing going toward the front.

Step 4. Continuing to use the colored pencils, work in the light 58

and bright colors. Remember to use your colors lightly; you can always darken them.

Step 5. On the tail feathers, use Sienna Brown with Black lines drawn through them. There is Black toward the tips, then on the tips themselves I use Cream, White and a little Sienna Brown, applied very lightly.

Step 6. On turkey "A", use Dark Umber, Sienna Brown and Black on darker areas. These are the neck area to the body, the middle part of the back, and the top edge of the wing. The wing gets lighter and more brightly colored toward the rear. Turkey "B" is done the same way.

Color the trees

Step 1. For the large hardwood tree that turkey "B" is roosting in, use Dark Umber for the bark lines and Burnt Ochre to lightly color it. Note: the right side of the tree should be the lighter side. Use the same colors for the limb turkey "B" is on—with White for highlights. The limb bark on most hardwood trees is much smoother than the trunk. Step 2. Color the remaining two trees with Dark Gray, Medium Blue, and Dark Umber for the darks. The far left tree is the darkest.

Step 3. Color the two tree limbs with autumn leaves and the small cluster of leaves using Orange, Sunburst Yellow, Canary Yellow, Burnt Ochre, Sienna Brown, Dark Umber and Medium Red.

Step 4. Spray all colored cutouts with several light coats of the spray varnish.

Assembly

Glue the 14-1/2" x 14-1/2" hardwood and Baltic birch plywood frame pieces together. Clamp and let dry. Find the center point and, using a compass, draw an 11"-Dia. circle. Bore a 5/64"-Dia. hole at the edge of the circle and cut the circle out using the scroll saw and No. 5 PGT blade. Apply finish of choice to the hardwood frame top at this time.

Next, take the 14-1/2" x 14-1/2" piece of Luan plywood, find the center point, and draw a 11-1/4"-Dia. circle for the background. Within the circle, use the acrylic paints in Quaker Gray, Chambray Blue, and White. With the 1" bristle brush, mix several drops of Quaker Gray with a couple drops of Chambray Blue and add water to make a wash. Work this color into the 11 -1/4"-Dia. circle (working with the grain of the wood). On the area toward the left top of the circle, add a little White to your wash to brighten the area behind the two trees.

Let dry and glue the hardwood and birch frame top to the Luan plywood (with grain running horizontal on the Luan plywood). Clamp and let dry. Install the hardwood strips on the edges of the frame.

Begin assembling the picture into the frame. Use 150 grit sandpaper to sand all areas where glue will be applied. Fit the large hardwood tree into the circle. Note: you do not want it directly in the center, so sand or trim if necessary. Glue the tree to the background. Next, fit the limb and turkey "B" to the tree and where it overlaps the frame. Note: all spacer locations are shown on the patterns. Glue the limb and turkey "B" to the tree. The tail of turkey "B" should just touch the inner side of the circle, not be up on it. Referring to the photograph, glue the remaining two trees to the background. Glue the two limbs with leaves and the small cluster of leaves to the background. Glue turkey "A" to the large tree and the tips of its wing feathers and tail to the frame face. Note: always work out your positioning before applying glue to the pieces. Install a sawtooth hanger.

Show this picture to your hunter friends and they'll be begging you to make one for them! ft

58 Creative Woodworks & Crafts