By Bret Ayers, Avery
Pro-Staffer
Troy, Ohio, February 11, 2004
These live birds sit among the custom painted Greenhead
Gear
decoys. Decoys painted by Nick Johnson.
When Greenhead Gear
full body Canada goose decoys were introduced to the goose hunting world in 2003, many goose hunters felt that these were the most life like decoys ever produced. From the life-size appearance to the exact feather detail, finally a decoy that looks like a goose. The one thing that impressed me most about Greenhead Gear
decoys was the paint. I thought blending the right shades to the correct colors schemes, brought them alive. But for some hunters, they feel they can take it a step further in custom painting to their likings.
Custom painting gives a person an option to paint their Greenhead Gear
decoys the way they visualize a goose. It can begin with an existing decoy spread. Custom painting those used decoys can be as little work as just touching up the white cheek patches, repainting the head black and whitening up the rump. Others may choose to paint the entire body.
There are several ways to painting the entire body. For some it might be finding the matching paints of the existing decoy and to the original paint scheme. Or it might be as simple as spray painting the whole body with a flat black paint. But others can choose to go a little further, by adding as much detail as possible. This approach can be difficult at first and even take some trial and error but once you get the hang of it, it can become second nature. With the use of an Airbrush or a bristle brush, you can create the extent of detail you desire. "My first step to painting the entire body is to make sure they are washed and completely dried." states Nick Johnson, 16, an accomplished custom painter. The decoy must be free of dirt and grime in order for the paint to adhere to the decoy.
Finding the exact color to match a goose would be the next step. With today's technologies you can take actual feathers to a local paint or hardware store to have them match them or purchase different color paints and mix them yourself. With many different brands and textures of paint
Another custom painted Greenhead Gear
full body.
Painted by Nick Johnson.
out there, you will have many options when looking for the right paint to stick to your decoys and last many hunting seasons. "I've spent hundreds of hours searching for a durable paint." comments Nick. "You just have to do your homework."
Once you've found the desired paints and before you start painting, spend some time watching live geese or just looking at pictures. Paying close attention to detail can help you develop the most life like image of a goose. Studying the feather structure and how the different feathers blend together are key to adding realism. "I would draw pictures of geese to help me with feather detail." adds Johnson. "Give yourself something to compare to."
By starting with a base coat and adding several paint schemes you can turn your decoy into a work of art. This may take some time at first, but just like anything else, practice makes perfect. "I've been doing this for over a year now and it takes me about 45 minutes to one decoy." comments Johnson. "But time is no matter when you can add even more realism to a decoy spread."
This process is not only done with used decoys, as some people tend to add their touch to brand new decoys. It's just human nature; one person sees a goose differently than the guy hunting next to him. "Greenhead Gear
decoys are probably the most realistic decoy on the market today. The exact feather detail, the feather position and the overall anatomy is exact goose. I'm just partial to my paintings."
Custom painted snow geese using Greenhead Gear
Canada goose full bodies. Painted by Ronnie Ladd.
Ronnie Ladd, aka SwampHunter, is a custom decoy painter and decoy carver that has experimented with many custom painted decoy jobs. Ladd explains, "I have always tweaked my decoys to add more realism to them. My choice for tools are airbrushes and very fine detail brushes. I personally like an airbrush that can be easily loaded with paint, switch paints quickly, and clean easily. I prefer a top loader gravity feed. The cup is designed to hold 1 to 15 drops of paint. This is a perfect airbrush for my particular needs."
Ronnie adds, "I was asked to paint the schemes for the snows, blues, and immatures for the Greenhead Gear
line. We wanted to make the paint scheme fairly simple because these schemes will be duplicated by other painters. This meant using stencils and other techniques that are easily duplicated by someone else and that would also project the detail at a distance. The stencils meant having hard lines up close. At a distance everything started to blend, hard lines become soft lines at a distance. If I am free handing I can duplicate feathers softer than I can with stencils. Free handing takes time, and some serious patience.
Custom painted snow goose using Greenhead Gear
Canada goose full bodies. Painted by Ronnie Ladd.
My suggestion would be to practice on paper first before you ever touch a decoy. Take your time. The speed will come as you do more. After you are comfortable with the way you are making feathers on the paper, move on to a decoy. If you wish, you can use an old decoy, for practice. Once you feel comfortable painting an old decoy, move to the decoys you are going to customize. Most importantly, take your time, no need to rush. Speed will come with the more decoys you paint."
Ladd concludes, "when you are painting, always look at pictures of live birds. Most people use decoys to use as their references, but when you use other decoys for color schemes, you are basically duplicating a decoy. Try to use live birds as your basis and the results will be much more life like. Have fun with it and take your time."
With the growing demand of full body goose decoys, realism has become a must for the hardcore goose hunter. From the perfect paint schemes to the exact feather detail, life like appearance is crucial for success in the field. As the full body decoy market grows each year and more realism is added, there still are a few hunters that feel they can always take it a step further. Custom painting!!
To see more of Nick Johnson's work, please visit:
www.paddlesdowndecoys.comhttp://www.averyoutdoors.com/stories/ayers_feb_custom_2004.htmlDecoy ;)
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