# Featherpainting



## Mondeis (May 14, 2009)

I'm looking to do some feather painting but have a couple of questions, if anybody knows. What are the best types of feathers to paint on? I live in coastal Australia so not much of a chance of getting eagle feathers or peacock feathers. The best chance of feathers for me would come from ibises (there are thousands of the creatures around), maybe parrots/cockatoos if I'm lucky, and magpies. Are any of these feathers all right to use?

Or is there any way of buying real feathers online?

Also, what is the best spray paint to use so that the feathers don't split? And any other tips would be great. Thanks!


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## yak (May 15, 2009)

You could try asking friendly questions to people who are already painting on feathers


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## Raineyangel81 (May 29, 2009)

turkey feathers are nice to paint on


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## oldfreek1 (Jun 18, 2009)

Hey,
I paint feathers, *due to the loss of the Forum I'm reposting*
painting feather, turkey, goose, the under feather of a peacock, all good feather to paint on, some larger parrot feather work well too, but your Raptor feathers I don't use, Federal protected birds as a hefty fine and or imprisonment for having them!  also your scavenger birds, are oily and don't take paints..
if the feathers look ragged and open spaces in the fletching, use a iron on a steam setting and steam the feathers close, relocking the fletchings, when finished what you want in the fletchings, you spray them lightly with clear mat fixerent, of clear hair airesol spray to lock the fetching and make the feather stiff and ready for paint, remember the fletchings, what way do they go, and how it influences your painting..
I've painted feather for many years and now made a DVD on it, it's alot of fun and the hardest thing to do, is to get the feathers, internet make it easy for people to get simulated feathers (prepainted eagle looking feathers w/o the trouble)
Crazycrow.com is best, but look arround some folks post feathers all the time all over..
hope it helps 
oldfreek


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## CAThulu (Jun 19, 2009)

I find the secondary wing feather gives the best surface area for a single feather.
I mostly paint on turkey vulture feathers because I have a flock of over thirty that nest near where I live.  

Wing feathers in general are the sturdiest to paint on, but the ones that taper in the primaries are a pain in the butt *G*.  I'd stay away from gulls in general and stick to waterfowl and turkeys if you can.

But if you know someone with a parrot or a conure, try to get those.  They're awesome in that the background colour is already there.  You just have to play off it *G*


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## DecolorDomina (Jun 19, 2009)

Goose and turkey feathers both work wonderfully and tend to be pretty "tight" and not fall apart into fluffiness.


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## oldfreek1 (Jul 14, 2009)

http://www.furbuy.com/auctions/1010886.html
on furbid, I put a instructional DVD for bid, take a look on it
Happy Bidding


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## Amethyst (Jul 19, 2009)

I'd think ducky feathers would be good. There coated in that waterproof stuff so they're thicker. I'm going to have to try this now lol.


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## oldfreek1 (Jul 22, 2009)

Amethyst,
duck feather work well, use Goose also, but! hard to flatten and keep flattened, today I found a blue Harring wing feather, very broad and large, walk arround where Canadian Geese are at and pick up dark feathers, right now they are fighting and dropping these feathers all over, go look and they hiss and eyes you, but give these bird time and you can get bags of feathers for painting, and even dirty, the feather can be cleaned and ironed to make flat, 
(if anyone is interested, MFM Sept 4-6 Memphis TN, I will be giveing a PAnel on painting feather/rocks, join me!)


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