Painting a Cork Pintail Drake

In a past issue, I explained how I painted a hen pintail cork decoy. Some people might think that painting a drake pintail decoy should be easier than painting a hen. I disagree! Using the airbrush and the templates the way I do allows me to paint all the feathers on the hen in very short order and with very little effort. Laying out and painting with a brush all of the patches of color (especially the white) on a drake takes considerable time and skill, especially to maintain clean, crisp lines and symmetrical feather layout. Using the techniques and patterns demonstrated in this tutorial will—hopefully— make the painting of your own pintail drake a little quicker and easier.