Extant Birds Figures

[brontodocus]

...continued from http://dinotoyforum.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=othertoys&thread=4098&page=1
Since we're all moving from an old forum to a new one this thread from the DTF version 1 should probably too! Since the old posts will still be accessible I'll just continue here.

Of course we will mostly see plastic figures here but recently I've posted photos of the cardboard model birds made by the Dutch artist Johan Scherft:
http://dinotoyforum.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=othertoys&thread=4098&page=5#129762
And I promised I would take newer photos of another series of cardboard models of birds named "Birdmobile" by British artist Malcolm Topp, a series of nine life-sized birds of Britain (and Central Europe) in flight. These models are somewhat older and date back to between 1973 and 1983. However, the kits still seem to be in production and are quite easy to get (at least in Europe). I've built all kits from the series about eight or nine years ago and they are quite robust (for cardboard models).

Here we go... enjoy!

Birdmobile European Series:

No. 1 (1973): Hirundo rustica Linnaeus, 1758; Barn Swallow.


No. 2 (1973): Alcedo atthis (Linnaeus, 1758); Common Kingfisher.


No. 3 (1973): Athene noctua (Scopoli, 1769); Little Owl.


No. 4 (1978): Motacilla flava flavissima Blyth, 1834; Yellow-crowned Wagtail.


No. 5 (1978): Erithacus rubecula (Linnaeus, 1768); European Robin.


No. 6 (1978):  Sitta europaea Linnaeus, 1758; Eurasian Nuthatch.


No. 7 (1978): Dendrocopos minor (Linnaeus, 1758); Lesser Spotted Woodpecker.

Birdmobile Birds of Prey Series:

No. 1 (1976): Falco columbarius Linnaeus, 1758; Merlin (male).


No. 2 (1983): Pandion haliaetus (Linnaeus, 1758); Osprey.
This one is the masterpiece of the collection and quite impressive at approx. 520 mm length and 1520 mm wing span. The neck is movable and the model is also dismountable for transport, the wings and legs can be removed. The trout too.

[ZoPteryx]

Those are amazing!!!   They look like they would be delicate though.

[brontodocus]

Those are amazing!!!   They look like they would be delicate though.

Of course they're nothing to let kids play with but the cardboard is quite heavy at approx. 160 g per square metre which makes the models quite rigid and robust. The osprey of course is so huge that it'd better not fall from the ceiling...

[HKHollinstone]

The Osprey is AMAZING, I wish my brother would build his!  Thanks for posting these photos.  I must get the Kingfisher for myself, one of my favourite birds.

[brontodocus]

Thanks, Harriet! Here's one UK shop that offers the Birdmobile Kingfisher (there are probably others, too, but this is the only one I'm aware of): http://www.marcle.co.uk/catap58.html - some other shops in the Netherlands and Germany offer it for less but would probably demand more on shipping. Oh, wait, you probably meant to ask your brother to give you his unbuilt kit?

I also thought about posting individual images of Johan Scherft's cardboard models of birds:


Otus scops (Linnaeus, 1758); Eurasian Scops Owl. The model can be bought from the artist's website: www.johanscherft.com/scopsowlII.html


Tyto alba guttata (C.L. Brehm, 1831); Central European Barn Owl. Published by Leon Schuijt ("De Kerkuil") and available from cardboard model shops.


Garrulus glandarius (Linnaeus, 1758); Eurasian Jay. Published by Leon Schuijt ("De Vlaamse Gaai").


Alcedo atthis (Linnaeus, 1758); Common Kingfisher. Published by Leon Schuijt ("De Ijsvogel").


Upupa epops Linnaeus, 1758; Hoopoe. The model can be bought from the artist's website: www.johanscherft.com/hoopoe.html


Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758; Common Starling. Published by Leon Schuijt ("De Spreeuw").


Passer domesticus Linnaeus, 1758; House Sparrow, male and female. Published by Leon Schuijt ("De Huismus").


Regulus ignicapilla (Temminck, 1820); Common Firecrest, male (left) and female (right). Available here: http://www.johanscherft.com/papercraft.html


Parus major Linnaeus, 1758 and Cyanistes caeruleus (Linnaeus, 1758); Great and Blue Tit. Published by Leon Schuijt ("De Koolmees en de Pimpelmees").

[HKHollinstone]

Thanks, Harriet! Here's one UK shop that offers the Birdmobile Kingfisher (there are probably others, too, but this is the only one I'm aware of): http://www.marcle.co.uk/catap58.html - some other shops in the Netherlands and Germany offer it for less but would probably demand more on shipping. Oh, wait, you probably meant to ask your brother to give you his unbuilt kit?

Marcle Models, oh yes that's where my brother bought his from.  I doubt he'd give me his so I'll just buy another lol
The Scops owl is fantastic, they are really beautifully painted.

[brontodocus]

The Scops Owl is also not too difficult to make, it took me about five hours including painting of the cutting edges (white cutting edges just don't look good) - minus the time that's needed for some parts, especially the legs, to dry overnight.

[HKHollinstone]

I bought a birdmobile Kingfisher

[brontodocus]

Congrats! Please post pictures when you've finished it. If there are any questions you have about tools needed, which glue to use, how to paint cutting edges and the like, just PM me!

[HKHollinstone]

Congrats! Please post pictures when you've finished it. If there are any questions you have about tools needed, which glue to use, how to paint cutting edges and the like, just PM me!

Thanks!

[postsaurischian]

These paper birds are amazing . Very well done, Andre, what a lot of work!

[brontodocus]

Thanks, Helge! It depends - smaller models took between four hours and one day, the most complex was the osprey which took four whole days to build. And additional time for drying some parts overnight has to be considered, too. But of course this is nothing compared with the work the designers had. I've read that e.g. J. Scherft needs approx. two weeks to design and construct a model and I've seen on youtube how fast he works!

EDIT: Oh, and I forgot to mention, I've read somewhere that Malcolm Topp needed about a year to create the osprey but I don't find the source anymore and I don't know if it was just a guess. Considering the detailed texture and the many, many parts, I find it quite likely, though.

[Himmapaan]

I've read that e.g. J. Scherft needs approx. two weeks to design and construct a model and I've seen on youtube how fast he works!

EDIT: Oh, and I forgot to mention, I've read somewhere that Malcolm Topp needed about a year to create the osprey but I don't find the source anymore and I don't know if it was just a guess. Considering the detailed texture and the many, many parts, I find it quite likely, though.

A year wouldn't surprise me at all. And I call Scherft's two weeks fast.

[brontodocus]

Probaly, yes. Have you seen the video where he paints the free downloadable kingfisher? Looks like ultra fast motion what he does with the paint brush!

[Horridus]

I have a few extant birds...



And of course there's that magpie...

[brontodocus]

Ah, now I get it... the fuzzy ones are playing "King of the Hill"! I've just noticed that you've apparently reserved the dinosaur mountain for the ones with feathers.

[Horridus]

Ah, now I get it... the fuzzy ones are playing "King of the Hill"! I've just noticed that you've apparently reserved the dinosaur mountain for the ones with feathers.

It's 'Maniraptora Mountain'.

[postsaurischian]

4D Master Owl - fantastic figure .......





Re-ment Twin Flamingos .......

[Himmapaan]

Ah, hooray, now I won't need to photograph my owl.  I kept putting it off...

[Sharptooth]

4D Master Owl - fantastic figure .......

Holy Glaux!