Allen Lopez Wildfowl carving competitions require that legs and feet be made by the carver. If you want to enter a wading or shorebird, or full-body waterfowl, you'll need to know how to make feet and legs.
In 2004, I entered a full-bodied Ruddy Duck drake, and in 2005 I entered a hen. The ruddys were each mounted on a base and their feet were in a swimming position. I think feet really enhanced the carvings, and I get many compliments. Feet and legs are not difficult to make, and it gives you a great feeling of satisfaction to know that you've made them yourself.
It's extremely helpful to collect as much reference material as possible before beginning your project. Gather photos of the feet and legs, obtain a cast model, or, if possible, view a live or mounted bird. Performing an online image search often provides abundant photos. If you're not computer savvy, ask a friend to do it for you, and there is always your local library. I keep reference photos under a two-foot-square piece of plate glass at my painting station. The photos don't get damaged, and I don't have to search for them. Refer to your reference material before, and while, you create the legs and toes.
 |
I drew a diagram of a gallinule leg and toes to determine the length of the wires I needed to cut and where bends needed to be made. Based on the diagram, I cut three pieces of wire each seven inches long. |
 |
Using the measurements from my diagram, I made a small bend on the very end of each piece of wire to practice with. An example of a foot with all of the bends is in the foreground of this photo. I painted the toes to make them more visible. |
|
|
| This Purple Gallinule, carved by the author, is near completion. At the owner's request, Allen is going to replace the temporary driftwood base shown here with a habitat of lily pads. |
Allen Lopez has been carving for 10 years. He has won blue ribbons at the Ward World Championship and at other competitions in the open level. He lives on Kent Island on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Contact him at www.allenlopez.com.
If you would like to master the techniques of creating life-like legs and accurate feet for your carvings, this article can be obtained in its entirety by purchasing the Summer 2006 issue of Wildfowl Carving Magazine. Call 877-462-2604 today to order!
|
