CP Falcon Portrait WIP

[katrem]

Hey all,

After "installing" a make-shift easel on my apartment door I started this portrait.

Here you see it with ref-shot (don't remember where I found it, but if it is from the ref-lib, thanx a lot !):

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/27-Jul-2003/6440-Refshot.JPG

I'm still working on the beak, noticing it has a million colors ;), I'm trying to smooth it out a bit by "burnishing" it with white...

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/27-Jul-2003/6440-Falconclose1.JPG

I can never help myself putting in the eye first, because then it starts coming alive to me...

I don't have a clue what to do with the background, as you can see... Anybody any suggestions?

I do notice that working while standing I am able to better see stuff and I seem more patient because my back doesn't start hurting... :D And I'm able to walk away and come back without having to put everything away....

Thanx for looking !! Have a good day !!

Katja

[CraftyHopo]

Looking good Katja! You have made a great start on this and so far all seems to be working well.

As for the background I would prefer to keep it dark but with a hint of some of the Falcons colours to tie them together. You will need that contrast as on the reference photo but darken the background around the beak though.

Cheers
Paul

[Ceiliog]

Great start - I love these WIPs

[katrem]

Thanx Paul & Peter!!

I do think a dark backgound will probably work best...

Gonna work on it again today, will post an update...

;) Katja

[katrem]

Well, I'm getting into very scary territory... Since I don't want to smudge my work, I decided to start the background in Sepia & Burnt Umber.... Not too sure about it, but well, too late now.

The "hairy" feathers on top are giving me trouble, but I'm mostly trying to pay attention to the lighting...

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/28-Jul-2003/6440-FalconWIP2.jpg

Thanx for listening to my blabbing while I work !!

Katja

[musket]

Not that it matters artistically, but I'd be very surprised if the subject in your reference pic is a falcon. Are you sure the bird's beak has a tomial tooth? Can you see that feature clearly in your reference pic?

Because the complete lack of orbital skin in front of the eye, lack of a visible tubercule in the nare, and general head conformation indicate that this bird is a buteo-- most likely a red-tailed hawk.

[katrem]

Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, it could be?! I thought it was something like a perigrine falcon... :confused:

But, have mercy on me, I'm a city girl in a country with hardly any birds of prey.... hehehehe....

I'm off to do my research now :o :o :o

;) Katja

[myorca]

For those of us who are not as knowledgeable on falcons, birds of prey etc, Musket can you explain what it is you are refering to when you talk of these body parts? I am sure that most dont have a clue as to what you are talking about. I am sure it would be greatly appreciated. Perhaps a short anatomical lesson is these areas?

Thanks,

bob

[katrem]

Yeah !! We nead bird-anatomy !! Lessons that is... :evil: :angel: ;)

Anyway, next installment:

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/28-Jul-2003/6440-FalconWIP3.jpg

You stop drawing for a while and you look up and notice that the slant of it's back is all wrong... Working on fixing that now....

My husband just got me some Conte-sticks YEAH !! I'm sort of messing with them in here now too. So now it is a CP, Pastel-pencil, Conte drawing.... Who said one has to be consistent... ;)

See ya !! K

PS. It is a falcon-hawkiteagle in my world.... :D hehehehe

[musket]

It'll be easier to understand the anatomical terms if you do a Google image search for peregrine, find a good head shot, and refer to it.

The tomial tooth is part of the beak, shown clearly in katrem's drawing. It's usually positioned a little more toward the point of the beak. I can't tell whether it shows in the reference photo, but I'd be really surprised if it does.

If you look at a photo of a peregerine or other falcon, you will see a patch of bare skin in front of the eye. There is no formal term for this, so I just call it orbital skin. In a healthy adult bird, it will be yellow. Immys are more often pale blue.

Notice that the nare (nostril) is round in shape. This is common to all falcons except the Aplomado, which has more of an oval shape.

Inside the nare you will see another structure called a tubercule. It's easier to see than explain in words. There are numerous theories about the function of this feature, but none seems to be definitive.

All members of genus Falco share these features. Hawks don't, whether they are accipiters like the goshawk or buteos like red-tail (there are some minor exceptions, eg the Harris's hawk does have visible tubercules, thought not as well developed as those of falcons... but the shape of a Harris's nare is completely different).

[myorca]

Thanks Musket...

This will help alot of folks. At least now they can tell where to look on the creature to find out what you were meaning. Sure helps me!!


Bob

[musket]

No prob! See this thread from awhile back for further discussion of the same subject--

http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=110810

This thread has a pic of a Grey Falcon head study I sculpted a few years ago. Shows most of the features as above, though the tomial tooth does not show clearly in the photo (it often doesn't in photos of live birds either, just because of the dark beak coloration in that area).

[katrem]

I found it !!

He's a CHICKENHAWK !!

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/28-Jul-2003/6440-Henery.jpg

:evil: :D

[myorca]

I say...I say...I say....Thats no way to catch a chicken!!!


:)

Bob

[katrem]

Originally posted by myorca
I say...I say...I say....Thats no way to catch a chicken!!!


:)

Bob

Hehehehe...

Here's the original refpic:

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/28-Jul-2003/6440-Is_this_my_good_side.jpeg

Chickenhawk?

[musket]

It's a red-tail, most likely a first year juvenile of the "western" sub species B.j.calurus.

One thing that might mislead one into thinking this is a falcon is the shape of the tomium (edge of the maxilla, aka upper mandible). Falconer's call this edge the festoon, and in this case it bears a resemblence to the tomial tooth of a falcon. Usually it's less sharply pointed, more of a long curve. And as noted above, a falcon's tomial tooth is located closer to the tip of the beak.

Red-tails very seldom take chickens. They're opportunists and might well try given the chance, but they are primarily hunters of small mammals.

[katrem]

Thanx Musket,

I'm sending this to my husbands granddad and I'm glad I know what it is now....

I'm almost there... Them there feathers on the bottom still need some work and I still want to take a good look at my darks and lights (not my strongest point, but I am getting better at it..)

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/28-Jul-2003/6440-FalconWIP4.jpg

Thanx for lookin' !!

Katja

[musket]

nice drawing, regardless of what it is!

[Sher]

What a beautiful bird! I have one that likes to feed at my bird feeder. Feed on the birds, not the bird food. It's easy pickin's for the hawk. Very well done..........
:clap: :clap: :clap:

[animal]

Hey Katrem,
I believe the photo of this hawk was taken by Trimoon. It looks pretty good. :)

[katrem]

Thanx a lot guys !! I will try and finish it this week.....

...and Animal thanx too for your young brain that can remember things ;). I just PM'd Trimoon to thank him....

Katja

[musket]

Sher, just FYI, it's unlikely that the visitor to your feeder is a red-tail, especially if its kills seem easy. Red-tails just don't have the agility required to pick off songbirds, and generally don't waste their time and energy trying. I'm not saying it's impossible, just unlikely.

If the hawk in question is not much bigger than a blue jay, it's probably a sharp-shin. If it's closer to crow size, it's probably a Cooper's. Sharpies make their living almost entirely on songbirds; Coops take small mammals as well, but are also primarily bird killers, though they are more partial to larger species such as mourning doves, pigeons and quail (female sharpies can take such birds too, though not without a protracted struggle).