Pheasant wattles color

I think it also depends on the time of year that you are trying to recreate. I start with a light coat of light flesh and then use candy gill red. I attended a seminar at the Iowa show by Mr. Wright, I'll say that it helped my pheasant work tremendously. He sure knows how to mount up a beautiful pheasant and did a good job giving the seminar as well.

 

Being a Primary color, it is difficult to match a certain red w/o getting too dark. I've noticed on just about every pheasant mount I've seen that duplicating the brightness of the red is more of an issue than matching an exact color. Here's where it may or may not be better to go with a lacquer for that brightness? I do not know. Polytranspar's Gill Red seems brighter than Hydromist. Some of the air brush colors that I think "pop" more that might be worth looking into their reds are the Wood and Water Series. Their Candy's especially seem to really pop and are not thinned dye like Hydromist Candies. And, actually Walmart sells the Jacquard line that has several reds that might be worth taking a look at - Fire Red, Flourescent Red and Bright Red are the three that caught my eye that I think may match a pheasants red.

 

Marty, they don't have scales.

 

I have been using two other techniques to bring out the pop factor with the red wattles. After drying sufficiently, I use a Prismacolor brand marker (Scarlet Lake) from Michaels or Hobby Lobby. These have two different points for fine work. I color in the entire wattle area especially those that need color replacement. It is really easy using the fine end to recolor the eyelids. I then use a very fine bristle brush to lift up the fine feathers which makes it almost glow. The other method I have tried in addition to the marker is using Panpastel brand red powdered paint applied with a dry stiff artist brush, (cut some bristles from the end of a small flat brush). I work it in and blow lightly to remove any excess if needed. Using same or similar brush I again loft the fine feathers which give it more pop. A quick light spray of Matte flat fixative sets it. I mask the eye off and cut out a rough stencil to prevent overspray on feathers and bill, or just windex the eye if glass.

 

Rich I know the answer to your question because the bird in your picture is a bird that I competed with and the bird belongs to me. I used straight Gill Red from Lifetone on the birds wattles. It was painted with a airbrush with like 12-15psi.