Did you know that Benjamin Franklin wanted to make the wild turkey the national symbol instead of the bald eagle? That's how much of a favorite bird the turkey is in North America.
The flap of skin under the turkey's chin is the wattle. If you happen to go turkey hunting, watch out for the wattle which turns bright red when it is upset or excited.
Step 1 -
I began this colorful painting with grey pencil guidelines. I sketched a large oval for the body and a small one for the head. a curve for the neck joins these 2 ovals. A large curve for the tail gives the shape for the feathers and the wings. I then sketched in 3 toes on each foot.
Step 2 -
I used a thick black pencil line to outline the feathers and the claws. Then I drew in the eye and the loose skin over the beak.
Step 3 -
To paint this in, I picked the airbrush tool and used a purple for the feathers with a black outline stripe. The face of the turkey and the neck are without any feathers and the skin is a bright pink.
The feet I painted in orange and the background in a bright green with a darker shadow under the bird.