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Wednesday, 15 May 2013

#426 In the studio: Bird anatomy, con't . . .


Please start this bird anatomy series with post #403, March 10.

A bird's feathers grow in sets and groups and the bird artist must know how both body groupings 
and flight feathers are arranged.  Feathers grow in tracks, in orderly rows, and overlap like shingles on a roof.  
Plumage patterns are organized in a similar manner across all species.

If there is a conflict between sculpting what you see - or think you see - as in a photo, video, or in the field . . . 
rely on what you know.  The goal of a sculptor is to UNDERSTAND what they are looking at.  
A sculptor must sculpt what they KNOW, while a painter paints what they see.







Above, are clarified drawings of a bird's most basic and simple forms.  
The sculptor should omit the unimportant and block in the essentials.
Major shapes, planes, and correct proportions, should be established first.

Below, is a recent sculpture of a Peregrine Falcon modeled life-sized.
My goal was to cause the viewer to feel speed and the beauty of flight by eliminating detail.
One does not see detail when animals are in motion.
A Peregrine reaches speeds of up to 200 miles per hour when hunting. 

Falcon Heart Humming
20"H 20"W 16"D


All sculpture and drawings - copyright Sandy Scott

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