Overview

In this two-volume set, esteemed decoy and pattern maker, Bruce Burk provides time- and artist-tested patterns for 42 duck decoys. Similar in format, these companion volumes offer a wealth of patterns and techniques. Reference photographs taken from multiple angles help carvers familiarise themselves with the duck's actual features before they begin to carve. Outline-carving patterns guide intermediate carvers through the basic carving procedures. Paint-mixing instructions help create each specific duck's unique colouring. Full-colour painting patterns show both the flow of the feathers and realistic, lifelike colours. This exhaustive reference includes patterns for the Black Duck, the Golden-Eye Drake, the Mallard Hen, the Lesser Scaup, and the Wood Duck Hen. Originally published in an oversized format, these new editions are a more convenient size and have a lay-flat concealed spiral binding.

Full Product Details

9781565232167

Table of Contents

Reviews

Series One covers dabbling and Whistling Ducks, Series Two consists of Diving Ducks. It seems best to me to write the review of these books a bit differently than the usual one book, one review format I must, of necessity, usually employ. Yes, these are separate books, but they cover the same material in the same way-only the subjects differ. These are very classy looking books. Both are hard cover with an enclosed spiral binding, which makes pattern copying and painting directions much easier to accomplish. This binding allows the pages to lie flat instead of spending an hour of your time pushing down against the spine of the book in your efforts to see each page. Both books were originally printed by Stackpole Books, so what we have here are actually revised and updated versions of the 1990 version of Bruce Burk's Volume 1 Decorative Decoy Designs and Volume 2, Diving Ducks. Paint charts showing the Grumbacker Oil Paint colors Burk in painting the projects are inside the front and back covers of both books. Burk is of the mix your own colors school, so you don't need a bottle or tube of every color you'll be using on the decoys you'll chose to make. Just mix the colors as directed and you should be in good shape on that score. The books begin with a Getting Started chapter that includes some basic information on duck decoys, duck anatomy, paint mixing, etc., and a few good photographs of real ducks in various poses. Now the books move directly into the projects. There are many different kinds of ducks included with a separate chapter for the male and the female of each species with the exception of American and Barrow's Goldeneye hens. Those birds look so much alike that only the males of the species seem to be able to tell the difference. Each duck sex and species chapter begins with several photos of ducks in various poses. The next facing pages contain the paint patterns, and following that, the next set of facing pages show full body and head patterns. Many pattern paged also contain foot patterns for the foot attitude of the featured duck. In the main, the directions given are for producing a pretty fancy decoy. Yes, the book title says Decorative and I guess I should have realized that anything made using directions in these books was definitely never going to be tossed into a toe sack and end up with some shot gun pellets in his body! These books are well done and the spiral binding is a huge plus in making the material easy to use. Decoy carvers who lucked out on obtaining the first editions of NWCA member Bruce Burk's books Decorative Decoy Designs will be delighted to learn they are back in print with new format and titles. Series one, Dabbling and Whistling Ducks, and series two, Diving Ducks, have been changed to an 8 x 11 hardcover with hidden spiral binding. When open, the width of the new books is sufficient to accommodate the life-size color patterns and drawings. Except for the first printing of Decorative Decoy Design, Vol. 1, which was a bound hardcover book, the other books in the popular series were spiral bound. These large (12 x 18 ) books were fragile, excessively flexible, hard-to-handle, and difficult to store. Te new user-friendly compact books eliminate all these problems and when open, also lie flat for ease of being traced. The many referenced live-bird photos used in these books have been rescanned with the latest digital equipment to give crisper, more accurate color. As an added bonus, color photographs of both decorative and hunting decoys by the top carvers of the country have been added. Bruce Burk ranks among the master bird carvers in the country and is responsible for getting thousands of other carvers started. In 1954, he taught himself bird carving and has been carving professionally since 1960. He is the author of numerous books.

Series One covers dabbling and Whistling Ducks, Series Two consists of Diving Ducks. It seems best to me to write the review of these books a bit differently than the usual one book, one review format I must, of necessity, usually employ. Yes, these are separate books, but they cover the same material in the same way-only the subjects differ. These are very classy looking books. Both are hard cover with an enclosed spiral binding, which makes pattern copying and painting directions much easier to accomplish. This binding allows the pages to lie flat instead of spending an hour of your time pushing down against the spine of the book in your efforts to see each page. Both books were originally printed by Stackpole Books, so what we have here are actually revised and updated versions of the 1990 version of Bruce Burk's Volume 1 Decorative Decoy Designs and Volume 2, Diving Ducks. Paint charts showing the Grumbacker Oil Paint colors Burk in painting the projects are inside the front and back covers of both books. Burk is of the mix your own colors school, so you don't need a bottle or tube of every color you'll be using on the decoys you'll chose to make. Just mix the colors as directed and you should be in good shape on that score. The books begin with a Getting Started chapter that includes some basic information on duck decoys, duck anatomy, paint mixing, etc., and a few good photographs of real ducks in various poses. Now the books move directly into the projects. There are many different kinds of ducks included with a separate chapter for the male and the female of each species with the exception of American and Barrow's Goldeneye hens. Those birds look so much alike that only the males of the species seem to be able to tell the difference. Each duck sex and species chapter begins with several photos of ducks in various poses. The next facing pages contain the paint patterns, and following that, the next set of facing pages show full body and head pattern

Series One covers dabbling and Whistling Ducks, Series Two consists of Diving Ducks. It seems best to me to write the review of these books a bit differently than the usual one book, one review format I must, of necessity, usually employ. Yes, these are separate books, but they cover the same material in the same way-only the subjects differ. These are very classy looking books. Both are hard cover with an enclosed spiral binding, which makes pattern copying and painting directions much easier to accomplish. This binding allows the pages to lie flat instead of spending an hour of your time pushing down against the spine of the book in your efforts to see each page. Both books were originally printed by Stackpole Books, so what we have here are actually revised and updated versions of the 1990 version of Bruce Burk's Volume 1 Decorative Decoy Designs and Volume 2, Diving Ducks. Paint charts showing the Grumbacker Oil Paint colors Burk in painting the projects are inside the front and back covers of both books. Burk is of the mix your own colors school, so you don't need a bottle or tube of every color you'll be using on the decoys you'll chose to make. Just mix the colors as directed and you should be in good shape on that score. The books begin with a Getting Started chapter that includes some basic information on duck decoys, duck anatomy, paint mixing, etc., and a few good photographs of real ducks in various poses. Now the books move directly into the projects. There are many different kinds of ducks included with a separate chapter for the male and the female of each species with the exception of American and Barrow's Goldeneye hens. Those birds look so much alike that only the males of the species seem to be able to tell the difference. Each duck sex and species chapter begins with several photos of ducks in various poses. The next facing pages contain the paint patterns, and following that, the next set of facing pages show full body and head patterns. Many pattern paged also contain foot patterns for the foot attitude of the featured duck. In the main, the directions given are for producing a pretty fancy decoy. Yes, the book title says Decorative and I guess I should have realized that anything made using directions in these books was definitely never going to be tossed into a toe sack and end up with some shot gun pellets in his body! These books are well done and the spiral binding is a huge plus in making the material easy to use.

Author Information

Bruce Burk was a renowned master bird carver who provided the inspiration for thousands of other carvers to get started in the art. Burk published articles on bird carving in North American Decoys, Chipchats, and Ducks Unlimited magazine and was the author of numerous books.

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