Peregrine Falcon Head Painted Pumpkin

From pumpkin to porch

1. 1

   Clean and sketch the profile

   Wipe the pumpkin down with a damp cloth and let it dry fully so paint grips the skin. Turn the pumpkin so the smoothest side faces you and lightly sketch the falcon head in profile with a washable marker or soft pencil. Keep the eye roughly at the center and let the dark hood sweep back toward the stem. Step back and check the proportions before you commit to paint.

2. 2

   Block in the dark hood and back

   Base-coat the black hood, cheek stripe, and back first using a medium flat brush and acrylic craft paint. Fill these large shapes solidly and leave clean edges where the cream chest will go. Let this layer dry completely, which usually takes fifteen to twenty minutes, before touching neighboring areas. A second coat gives you a richer, more even dark once the first is dry.

3. 3

   Paint the cream chest and face

   Fill the throat, chest, and the pale patch below the eye with a warm cream or bone white. Feather the edge slightly where the cream meets the dark hood so the transition looks like feathers rather than a hard line. Let it dry, then add a light gray shadow along the lower chest to give it roundness. Keep your water cup handy to thin the paint for these softer blends.

4. 4

   Add the beak and eye

   Paint the hooked beak in yellow at the base fading to a dark gray tip, then outline the eye with a yellow ring. Fill the eye dark and add a single tiny white dot for the catchlight, which is what makes the bird look alive. A small round brush gives you control on these curves. Let each color dry before adding the one next to it so they stay crisp.

5. 5

   Speckle the chest

   Load a small round brush with dark brown or black and dab short teardrop marks down the chest, angling them to follow the body's curve. Vary the spacing so it looks natural rather than gridded. Start light and add more only if it needs it, since speckles are hard to remove. Seal the finished paint with a coat of clear matte acrylic sealer once everything is dry.

6. 6

   Stage and photograph

   Set the pumpkin indoors on a counter or shelf where the fine detail can be seen up close. Angle a warm lamp or window light across the face to catch the eye's catchlight. Because this is a no-carve design, there is no flame to worry about and it will last for days. Snap your photo slightly above eye level to show the full profile.