Refining left wing shape

     I spent three hours today out at the picnic table refining the shape of the left wing and doing some work on the body.  The wing is getting thinner, finally, as I am taking a few millimeters at a time off the upper and lower surfaces.  I don't want it to be too thin, but also want it to be realistic.  The thicknesses of the leading edge and trailing edge are what really count, and the body of the wing could be a little thicker than on the actual bird and the observer may not even know.

    I also worked on the body, especially on the underside where the outstretched legs extend from the body.  I have photos that show this area in a diving osprey, but carving it is another matter entirely.  The legs are surprisingly thin, and I am working slowly toward getting them the proper thickness.  The body also still has a blockiness to it, and I have to carve away some wood to give the proper shape to the neck, breast area, and the rear towards the tail.  Slowly but surely, still my mantra.

    In the photos below, the differences in shape and thickness of the left and right wings can be appreciated.  The right wing tip is still 1.5" thick, the thickness of the two boards I glued together for the wing blank.  I still have a lot more wood to remove!

     The carving is taking shape.  I know the osprey is in there, I just have to let him out.  Sounds corny, doesn’t it?

    Three hours today, 18 hours total.