Just for fun: painted stork

I have asked Ana to make a colony of Painted storks for me, this is something for the Indian diorama, so it will be a while before she even starts, but we discussed the scale and details so the colony and were both worried about how difficult they would be because the size of. The size of the adult bird is 40 inches, inches so in scale that would be just a little smaller then 2 inches, second I know that when making a small sculpture that the detail May not be as good, and I am no sculptor, but I wanted to see what it would be to have a 2 inch bird made so I tried to make one just for fun.

This bird is 1.5 inches tall, and 2 inches from head to tail, I know that is a tiny bit bigger then it should be (my goal was 1.9 inch) but when that is done how big it was. I have two pictures, which I will post, but there are several points I would like to make. The paint needs to be redone, and finished, there are a lot of mistakes because I was trying a new technique. The black dots on the wings need to be rectangles, and the pink of the tail and wingtips has to be edged, each feather has a black boarder, so I have to find a way to paint lines that would outline each feather. So I have no idea how to make the feet. The size was so small I had enough trouble making the Bosy and head, and the feet were just too much for Me so I did not make any. The stand he is on is not permanent, it is just soft clay to get the photo, and then I put him in the tree to show hwo the eventual colony will be displayed. I have started to design a kapok tree with Danny, and that when finished will have several nests in the canopy. When Ana sculpts the birds they will be mounted on the nests so they will just have the simple stand feet of a stork, and they do not need to be able to on their own, they will actually be attached to the nests once the tree and birds are finished.

That is enough, here are the photos
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Any observations on the bird would be helpful, but I am not any sculpting for the diorama, I want all of the birds to be the same Sun Ana will sculpt and paint all of them, and I am no sculptor, so not only is this one just ok, I am not sure I could make one more good one let alone the 7 or 8 that I want.

Considering how small it is, I think it looks great ! Especially when in the tree.

Wow it looks gorgeous!

Phil,you take too much care of those nonsignificant deetails!The bird is awesome and the paintings are very good.Nobody would say something bad about the dots not beeing rectangular.
The beak is a bit to curved.

It's really really good phil!!

Wild Heart wrote:

Phil, you take too much care of those nonsignificant deetails! The bird is awesome and the paintings are very good.Nobody would say something bad about the dots not beeing rectangular. : D;)
The beak is a bit to curved.

I know, but everything else on the diorama is very realistic, and to me if something is off it would look out of place and I am the one who has to be happy with the diorama.  Ana is so good, and we have already discussed the colony of birds, with how to pose them and how I am going to attach them to the nests, so I am good with that.  

You are right on the bill, the bird looks more like an ibis then a stork, maybe I'll repaint it as a sacred ibis instead of a painted stork, but still I am just beginning to sculpt birds and other animals.  Someday in the future when I get better maybe you will se some of my animals on the diorama, but for now I am just having fun with the figures.

Looks great Phil, especially for such as small figure and first attempt.

Philter4 wrote:

I know, but everything else on the diorama is very realistic, and to me if something is off it would look out of place and I am the one who has to be happy with the diorama. Ana is so good, and we have already discussed the colony of birds, with how to pose them and how I am going to attach them to the nests, so I am good with that.

You are right on the bill, the bird looks more like an ibis then a stork, maybe I'll repaint it as a sacred ibis instead of a painted stork, but still I am just beginning to sculpt birds and other animals. Someday in the future when I get better maybe you will se some of my animals on the diorama, but for now I am just having fun with the figures.

I can't wait to see Ana's sculptures.She always comes out with something marvelous!

There are two ibis that are 40 inches or larger, the first is the is the giant ibis, which is not an attractive bird, it is black with a bald head that is also black, it looks to me like a vulture with the body of an ibis. the other on is actually a little bigger, the black faced ibis, Theristicus melanopis, which is 43 inches. I like the color, but there is some confusion in the name, sometimes when I pull the name I get an all white bird with a black head and neck. The bird I used has a reddish with black and grey wings and a very interesting color pattern. I repainted my "stork" and here is the result.

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Good attempt Phil !

Despite you are not a sculptor, as you said, you have a great quality : You are not afraid trying to do it Congratulation !

I can't wait to see Ana's flock

here is a good pic of black faced ibis

I like painted stork very much, and ibis too. I think You are getting better and better in making models. Painted stork looks very good standing on tree.

Very nice and interesting choice of birds Phil! :)

I made another painted stork, this one is much better, both in size and in paint job, still not good enough to be on the final model, I'll leave those to Ana, but I am happy with this one.
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Another great improvement I think.

Better modelling, better painting... Can't wait to see the next one...

By the way the shape of this stork remind me the openbill stork. It could be a good addition to your dio

I still haven't figured out feet, but I'm not too worried about it yet.

Kiki, that is one ugly bird, but I like it, that might be a great addition!!

Phil, that bird isn't ugly, it just looks like it has spent too much time in the Gulf of Mexico this past month.

[Quote = "aandmkw"] Phil, that bird is not ugly, it just looks like it has spent too much time in the Gulf of Mexico this past month. :) [/ Quote]

That is wrong on so many levels, but it is funny because it is true