PLEASE DON'T IMAGINE IT!

There are any number of bad jokes that can be made with the word 'duck'. Which is both a noun and a verb. And, if you're drawing a duck on the computer while your apartment mate is cruising through E-Bay laughing hysterically ("vintage 50s funeral home calendar", "fun with rubber belts, full instruction for the Cranston spool-belt driver home hobby kit 1967, with clear illustrations"), duck is intense reds, magentas, and earth tones. So there is no point in trying to be creative with the word. Much as one is tempted.

Usually when she's on E-Bay it's vintage costume jewelry. In the olden days the same skill, talent, and high-quality execution as went into classic pieces by famous jewelers was used, just lesser materials. She's quite the maven on that score.

Which, you will readily understand, doesn't interest me in the slightest.

Best settings for pyrites? Don't know. Not my thing.

Victorian pyrite jewelry.

The difference between marcasite and pyrite is one of brittleness and hardness, though in fact they look very similar. She can, if I'm crazy enough to ask questions, go one about it for hours and hours (she's on the spectrum), much like many pipe collectors myself included will about certain shapes and famous makers (one of my friends obsesses about a classic GBD shape of which there are thousands under different brand stamps all made in the period 1910 to 1960), and I often have to check myself lest I go off into a similar dazed state. It's very tempting. People with Asperger Syndrome are like that. Fortunately there is little about the Comoy three-part 'C' that can be said -- it's a simple enough detail, really -- and I am unlikely to bore you with that.

Aspy people tend to be oblivious to the effects of their discourse on others. That's why the most recent pipe club meeting was so horrid. Imagine a room full of Asperger types happily blithering on about stuff they know about, and for various reasons I didn't get to participate. There was so much that I wanted to bore people about! It's important and fascinating stuff! Why did all of you obsessives get the chance? Have there been changes in the pecking order that no one told me about? Oh look, shiny!

So anyway.

Duck get's its colour from caramelization and soy sauce. Minor difference are due to variable effects of high temperature as will as different compositions of the liquids. Sugar, when melted, starts shading into beautiful intense reds, but can easily turn black and bitter.

When drawing a duck the intensity of the colour is very important, and leads to dramatic effects. Contrast, high lights, and warm glows. Even areas verging on dark umber, nearly black. You can have fun with colder reds and magentas versus warmer reds shading on orange. It's a very versatile animal. Besides being delicious. Which is actually why you're drawing it in the first place.

Ignore the head. You'll simply cut it off and throw it in the stock pot, where the partial caramelization will contribute marvelously. Also the neck.

Perfect with just sambal and rice.



==========================================================================
NOTE: Readers may contact me directly:
LETTER BOX.
All correspondence will be kept in confidence.
==========================================================================