{"id":24030,"title":"The Mallard - As Seen on TV","description":"My latest gentle reference was made for my appearance on the iconic BBC series Winterwatch.","content":"

\"abtxaxp185a3swipx8c0bdhpvqzgclncwyvkx9mlslq0f74p.jpg\"Mallard Duck, Drawn and gently referenced by Paul Harfleet<\/em><\/p>

My latest gentle reference was made for my appearance on the iconic BBC series Winterwatch<\/u><\/a>. The charming film made by James Stevens <\/u><\/a>for this beloved natural history program marks a huge career highlight for me and introduces Birds Can Fly to brand new audiences. If you\u2019re new here, welcome to my peculiar universe of birds, fashion and research. You can read more about some of the birds I\u2019ve drawn and gently referenced on my other blog <\/u><\/a>posts, and discover all the birds I\u2019ve drawn here<\/u><\/a>. When I began Birds Can Fly in the pandemic I worked quickly, drawing and bringing outfits together for each bird - sometimes daily. In 2022 I began to delve more deeply into the stories behind each illustration and take more time to create the props and outfits to echo their plumage, using my own wardrobe and props made from various materials including paper, wool and pipe cleaners.<\/p>

When James Stevens and I began discussing what bird I would draw and gently reference for the Winterwatch film it was clear I needed to focus on a bird native to Britain that would be familiar to Winterwatch audiences, and could be captured on film near to where I lived in East London, the Mallard Duck was an ideal candidate, they occupy the water ways around nearby Victoria Park. In the depths of lockdown when my love of birds was reignited a pair of Mallard Ducks were amongst the many species that zoomed past my window that overlooks East London.\u00a0<\/p>

\"skgqd3sf6oysxf4nf9rs4okw87jeshyi0hqebzyym96hq9n6.jpg\"Paul as a child feeding the ducks.<\/em><\/p>

Feeding the ducks is often the first interaction we have with birds, I remember feeding the ducks across the country from Richmond to Torquay, where my maternal grandfather lived with his second wife Jenny. They loved birds as much as I did and were key in the nurturing of my love of all things ornithological.\u00a0In the seventies I was probably feeding the ducks stale white bread, this was not good<\/u><\/strong> for them. We should feed them lettuce, peas, oats or barley. For the filming of Winterwatch, I used oats to bring the ducks to me, and sunflower seeds for the pigeons.<\/p>

\"kbshsntzkkkfbrftdutlpxzimm6kjvlmjj3baaiq1oqqzmnz.jpg\"Drawing detail, before digital colouring.<\/em><\/p>

What has become my process for Birds Can Fly is to study the birds in life, if I can and if not from skins or taxidermy. I also reference as many photos and videos as I can and blend all this source material into my mind to make the final drawing. I draw in pencil, then pen and then scan in the finished drawing to colour digitally. Online research follows and this will often help form the gentle reference.\u00a0<\/p>

\"5uztjht2fwpzbgdf74tiko7dj3li0hipti64rohncltplpt4.jpeg\"Hilda Ogden and her Beswick flying ducks on the set of Coronation Street.<\/em><\/p>

The Mallard is probably one of our most depicted ducks and is featured everywhere from clothing to interiors, Beswick Pottery made the flying ducks of 70\u2019s interiors, famously featured on the walls of Hilda Ogden\u2019s home in British soap, Coronation Street.<\/p>