Select the type of duck you want to represent with your decoy. Collect reference photographs from books or the Internet to guide your work. Photograph or draw ducks from life if possible. Study the duck's forms and colors. Familiarize yourself with its anatomical details and colors. Practice drawing the duck with pencil or sharpened charcoal on paper. Get a good likeness of the duck in profile.
Make a detailed top and profile drawing of the duck's head and body on paper. Scale the drawing to fit the size of the decoy you want to carve. Cut out the drawing to make a pattern for carving the duck's image. Select a block of wood with no blemishes, cracks and knots. Use a separate block for the head or carve the entire duck from one piece of wood.
Transfer your guide line pattern onto the wood. Cut out the basic forms of the duck's head and body with a band saw. Cross hatch lines onto the areas to be carved away. Use a knife and a rounding technique to rough in the shapes and remove the squared off edges. Round the top of the head from the crown down to the eye line. Cut a groove to delineate the neck line. Finish rounding the bill and cheeks.
Round the chest and body of the duck using cutting strokes similar to peeling a potato or an apple. Rough out the body with a large knife or chisel. Draw a center line down the duck's back to keep the sides equal. Use your U-shaped gouges and small knives to carve the body and feather details. Drill an eye hole in the head.
Use sandpaper to smooth out any rough spots in the wood. Prime the duck with three coats of gesso. Sand it smooth between layers. Paint in the large areas of background color. Use a sponge or add sawdust to the paint for texture. Add the feather details and the accented highlights using your smallest brushes. Glue in the duck's glass eyes.