A Cinnamon “Smoothie,” Part One

In this two-part series, we will carve a simple decoy and then use 3D painting techniques to bring it to life.

PART ONE: CARVING

Cinnamon teal drakes are beautiful little ducks that have some amazing colors and features. They are closely related to the blue-winged teal in size and body shape, and both birds sport “powder blue” wing-shoulder coverts, easily spotted in flight; long-flowing scapulars with buff/sienna centers and green iridescence; and beautiful, burnt orange eyes. The body color of the cinnamon teal drake ranges from cinnamon to crimson, depending on the age of the bird and the time of year. In this issue, we will begin the carving process.

1. The first step to carving a cinnamon teal is to develop a pleasing pattern. You can use photos and/or patterns from published books. There are many books from carving suppliers around the country.

2. I cut out the body-profile pattern and glued it to a squared-up block of tupelo. You can also use white pine or northern white cedar if you prefer. This block is 4-3/4″ x 3-1/2″ x 12″.

3. Here, I have marked a centerline down the length of the block and sketched in the top view of the pattern.

4. Another view of the top pattern. Now, we are ready to move to the band saw.

5. I always begin cutting out the top view first. I start to cut at the breast, moving around each side to the widest part of the body, where I stop. I then flip the decoy and start from the tail, cutting around each side of the body and stopping about 1-1/2″ short of the breast cut. This will keep the block together while we cut out the profile.

6. Now, I cut out the profile following my pattern lines, leaving a little extra wood under the tail.

7. The completed profile cut.

8. I flip the bird flat to return to the top-view cut and complete the cut from each side, freeing the body from the block.

9. Here, I have squared up a block of tupelo—5-1/2″ x 3″ x 2-1/4″—and glued the head-profile pattern to the block.

10. I have moved to the drill press. Using a bit approximately the size of the diameter of the eye, drill completely through the block. If your block is good and square, this will make your eyes even on both sides.

11. Using the profile, I bring a square line from the tip of the bill up to the top of the block. I do the same where the bill meets the cheek and at the rear of the head. I draw a center line down the length of the block, and using the lines from the profile, I sketch in the bill and draw in the top view of the head. Now, I am ready to cut out the head.

12. Cut the head out starting at the end with the bill—progressing around to each side and stopping at the widest part of the head, just as we did with the body.

13. Back out of the cut. Then, start cutting from the rear of the head—progressing around to each side and stopping the cut about 1/4″ before meeting the front cut.

14. Cut out the profile of the head, leaving a little extra wood around the bill.

15. Go back to the top view of the head and complete the cuts on both sides. I like to save the pattern-side cut piece for future patterns.

16. The completed head and body cutout.

17. I start taking measurements from my pattern to locate the lines of the side pockets on each side of the block, using my dividers. I also do this for the tail.

18. I locate the top view of the side pockets, cape, and crossed primaries on my pattern again, using my dividers.

19. A study bill can be a very useful tool to accurately get the length and width of the bill to transfer to the head block. You could also use some of the very good pattern books that are available at carving suppliers.

20. I use dividers to measure the length of the top of the study bill and make a mark where the top of the bill meets the head. Then, I measure the length from the tip of the nail to the bottom of the upper mandible and mark it on the head. Finally, I measure from the corner of the mouth to the top of the bill where it meets the head and mark that onto the head. So now, I know how long the bill is and how tall the bill is where it meets the head. The lower mandible proceeds slightly further into the head, creating the look of a smile.

21. Here, I use the dividers and the study bill to measure the width at the top of the bill and mark it onto the block.

22. Using a burr or a ruby carver, start removing the wood on each side of the top of the bill, stopping short of the divider marks. There is a slight slope on each side of the bill, as the bottom of the bill is much wider at the corner of the mouth than where the top of the bill meets the head.

23. I used a fine-cut carbide burr to make the eye channel on each side of the block. This channel starts near the top of the bill and slopes backward through the eye in a semicircle around the back of the cheek. Do this on each side while ensuring the depth of your eye channel is proportionally correct.

24. You should still have your center line on the bill and the head. You want to make sure that, looking from the front, the depth of the eye channel is the same on both sides. The width between the eye holes should be about 1-1/8″—use dividers to check this. You may need to deepen each eye channel at the front of the eye until you have reached that dimension. The rear of the channel behind the eye should be about 1-1/4″. Then, you can start removing extra wood from the bill and rounding the cheeks and the crown of the head. Now, the head is starting to take shape.

25. I use hot glue to temporarily attach the head to the body once I find the position I want it in.

26. Using a green carbide burr, I start removing wood from the top of the pattern on each side, where I have marked my side pockets. I remove wood until I hit the marks of my side-pocket profile line.

27. Here, I have marked a line as to where to stop rounding with my burr on the bottom of the decoy.

28. Notice that I have marked a line around the side pocket; that will be my center line. I will round up and down from this line while leaving the line. I start by rounding the breast where it meets the head.

29. This view shows how well I rounded the side pockets. There are no flat spots on a decoy.

30. Here, we see the rounded breast and the rounded side pockets on the bird.

31. I now start rounding from the top of the side pocket to the high spot on the back on each side. I also begin removing wood from the rear of the side pocket to my crossed primaries that are drawn on the top of the block. It is starting to look like a duck.

32. I begin shaping the cape and separating the back with a carbide burr, rounding each side toward the middle of the back.

33. I sketch on the location of the long scapular feathers so that I have an idea of how much wood to remove leading up to the primary tips.

34. I smooth the area up to the primary tips and start removing wood from underneath the tail area, rounding from the tail down to the bottom of the decoy.

35. The area underneath the tail is completely rounded. Notice that I keep my center line intact.

36. A view of the opposite side of the decoy.

37. Most of the decoy is now rounded. If the tail area were carved, you could almost use this as a rough hunting decoy.

38. Remove the outline of the primary wing tips and smooth the wood on top of the tail on each side. This is a tricky area, so take your time.

39. Start to further refine the area around the wing tips. The wing tip that is on the “show” side of the decoy should be on top of the other wing tip. The “show” side is the side of the decoy to which the head is turned and looking. Should your head look straight, either side can be the show side. Remove wood from the lower primary and make sure the angle of the wing tip looks as if it is flowing to the non-show side’s side pocket. There are many very good videos on YouTube that show carving this area in great detail.

40. A top view of the wing tips and the tail area, all smoothed out.

41. I remove more wood on each side of the wing tips, smoothing down to the tail area. These are the upper-tail coverts. Try not to have a hard line where these feathers flow into the tail. The tail should be tent-shaped—high in the middle top and sloping slightly down on each side. I will leave the tail about 3/16″ to 1/8″ thick. We will paint in individual tail feathers, so leave this area smooth.

42. I remove the temporarily-glued-on head so that I can start refining the bill and eye area.

43. I start to pencil in areas of the bill to be detailed. All ducks have a lobe that starts at the nail, flows around the bill, and feathers out about one-third of the bill length.

44. I follow the line I have sketched on each side of the bill with an X-Acto knife. I will remove wood to create the lobes on each side of the bill.

45. You can see the beginnings of the bill’s details. I have located the nostrils and drawn them in on each side. Notice that I have sketched in a line along the bottom of the upper mandible, leading up to the nail but stopping short.

46. Use a wood burner with a sharp tip to follow the pencil line. Take your time, using low heat, and this will make a nice detail on the bill.

47. The wood burner created a nice line. I smooth the line with some 300-grit sandpaper. The bill is starting to take shape.

48. I use the wood burner again to outline the nostrils. I then use an X-Acto knife with a very sharp blade to carefully remove wood from the underside of the nostril. I also remove a little bit of the wood on the top side of the nostril. Now, the nostril has a raised area. Use your study bill to make sure you have the right shape, size, and location of the nostrils.

49. I pencil in the teardrop-shaped area inside the nostril where wood will be removed. I then use the wood burner with a very sharp tip to remove the wood from inside the nostril.

50. This is the frontal view of the head, showing how symmetrical the nostrils are as well as the entire head shape.

51. Now, we set the eyes. Here, I am using Michael Braun’s 8mm cinnamon teal eyes. I use modeling clay to pack the eye hole from one side to the other.

52. I press the eye into the socket with a slight forward and downward cant. I do this on each side, making sure that both eyes are pushed in an equal depth by looking at the front. They should be about 1/8″ apart. I remove any excess clay from around the eye with my X-Acto knife.

53. Now that we have the eyes where we want them, we’ll set them permanently. I use Aves Apoxie Sculpt, which is a two-part epoxy. I keep water on hand because it is very sticky. I take a ball of equal amounts out of each jar, and, after wetting my fingers, I knead the two balls together until it maintains one constant color.

54. I use an old brush to apply water all around the eye. This will enable the epoxy to adhere better to the wood. I use a small popsicle stick to press the epoxy all around the eye. I then use my wetted finger to start feathering the epoxy around the eye. If this is done properly, you will have very little sanding to do. Next, use a sharp-pointed brush with water to open and shape the eye. The Aves cures overnight, so you have plenty of time to get the area shaped properly, making sure that both sides are the same. The eyes are slightly teardrop shaped, being pointed at the front corners.

55. I use a flame-shaped ruby carver to shape the cheek area. This will give the head an even more lifelike look. Start under the bill, on the neck, and make a groove that sweeps up in a semicircle and stops halfway up the cheek. Use the cutter to “feather” out this groove into the surrounding area. We do not want any harsh lines. Everything should flow smoothly.

56. Here, we can see how nice the cheek area looks.

57. Draw in and relief-carve the tertials on each side. These are about the only feather groups that we will individually carve. We will use our painting to make the other feathers look carved. Remove wood under and around each feather using a sharp knife. Start with the top, largest tertial next to the wingtips and work your way down.

58. The bird now requires some finish-sanding and a little neck filler, and we will be ready to paint.