Hellhound Sculpture- Completed

[Antler-tiques]

Nice Job.   I am glad I got to see the finished product.

[KariJ]

Yeah I'm not a fan of any creepy critters or stuff like that but I had been looking forward to seein how well this would turn out
It looks great and id love to see you do a lifesize mount too
Maybe try out mounting a opossum or coon since they are small

[Krysta (Knuxtiger4)]

Yeah I'm not a fan of any creepy critters or stuff like that but I had been looking forward to seein how well this would turn out
It looks great and id love to see you do a lifesize mount too
Maybe try out mounting a opossum or coon since they are small

I would actually like to give that a shot one day, but as of right now, I'm lucky I was able to do this one.  My mother still think it is creepy and that this one did put a bit of pressure on the two of us.  She's not big about the pelt once being alive thing.  My dad thinks it is cool, he was laughing when I had the pelt on the walkway when I was going to mount it.

If I was to do on, it would be small, like a coon or a mink or something of that size range.

Oh and if anyone has suggestions on a display idea, I'd be more than welcome to look into it.  I have been thinking on building a quick display since she isn't standing on my carpet and I do feel bad that she's leaning on an old tv right now.

I was think maybe a dead look display with skull and bones bits, but that just me.  Also if anyone can suggest stuff that my pets won't eat, because that is my main concern that the puppy might eat something from the display and get sick.

[Antler-tiques]

My mother still think it is creepy and that this one did put a bit of pressure on the two of us.  She's not big about the pelt once being alive thing.

My mother felt the same way when I started my taxidermy training. She said " I won't have dead things hanging on my walls."     I finished two large crappies that I had personally caught at a fishing tournament. I brought them home when I finished, and she said that those would be OK to go into the living room. They have been there almost 20 years now and I ask a couple times a year if I can have them back.
The answer is and will always be NO.

[Krysta (Knuxtiger4)]

My mother still think it is creepy and that this one did put a bit of pressure on the two of us.  She's not big about the pelt once being alive thing.

My mother felt the same way when I started my taxidermy training. She said " I won't have dead things hanging on my walls."     I finished two large crappies that I had personally caught at a fishing tournament. I brought them home when I finished, and she said that those would be OK to go into the living room. They have been there almost 20 years now and I ask a couple times a year if I can have them back.
The answer is and will always be NO.

That's funny.  My mother has been saying that the photos I got were amazing and that to collage was put together well.  I'm sure if for once I didn't make something creepy like the hellhound, maybe she let me display it in the house.  I am allowed to put stuff in the rec room we have, but no one is ever up there and stuff collects dust up there.  I refuse to put my bigger project up there for now.

[George Roof]

You know most of this was a ado about nothing.  Some of you might recall a guy named Patrick Rummans.  Most will be hard pressed to find a better bird guy that Patrick is, but IF I RECALL, Patrick went out and created the AFLAC duck and other animations (If that's incorrect, SOME TAXIDERMIST sure did along with the GEICO gecko.)

[navajo]

i have a couple ideas for a display they may or may not be what you are thinking but one idea is do some really dark gray or black dirt add a few jagged 1-4" dark rocks around then add some mahogany snake grass to your liking(if you want it to look like it is in hell maybe add a pool of lava in front of it)  idea number two is more on the lines of a haunted house type display. do something similar to my first idea but maybe instead of the snake grass do another type a lot thinner the color them black add bigger rocks definitely add a stream of lava a real bright red and orange color then add paint all the grass in a few different colors of glow in the dark paint same with the lava but only in the red and orange. then highlight the high points or just the outside edges of the rocks.  just ideas

[Krysta (Knuxtiger4)]

i have a couple ideas for a display they may or may not be what you are thinking but one idea is do some really dark gray or black dirt add a few jagged 1-4" dark rocks around then add some mahogany snake grass to your liking(if you want it to look like it is in hell maybe add a pool of lava in front of it)  idea number two is more on the lines of a haunted house type display. do something similar to my first idea but maybe instead of the snake grass do another type a lot thinner the color them black add bigger rocks definitely add a stream of lava a real bright red and orange color then add paint all the grass in a few different colors of glow in the dark paint same with the lava but only in the red and orange. then highlight the high points or just the outside edges of the rocks.  just ideas

I was think on it today, I was indeed thinking of some dark dirt, maybe adding in ashes from my fireplace to make the ground looks destroyed in a way.  I do like the idea of some jagged rocks and the dead grass.  Only thing is that I would have to use real rocks for one and two I have no clue where to get some dead grass.  I would imagine a craft store might have some of the stuff, but I don't know.  I need to first think about how to make a base for it and stuff like that.  I mean this might take months to create due to money and the fact I'm not at all great with the saws.  But do like some of the ideas you suggested.

[animalxii]

i think it looks great.  Its nice to see something different once and a while.  Don't let what others say get to you, its their opinion.  Bush it off your shoulder. keep up the good work 

[Krysta (Knuxtiger4)]

Thank you. =)

I have to do some repair work on her though.  I came home one day and saw her jaw hanging badly (maybe she saw something shocking) and I need to reinforce the head.  I'm taking her to a mall in NJ next week to show my woodshop teachers who will be there for a show.   I just need to figure out how to get her in my car better.

I also have had a few people who might be interested in smaller version (hellpuppies).  So I'm waiting to see if people are actually going through with it.  Only thing is that I'm probably going to exclude the ribs and vertebrates and they would be made of faux fur.  But I have to see what happens. =)

[animalxii]

thats a sweet idea.  you could always use fewer ribs or smaller ones from a small mammal on the pups.  lol make then little spike horns! hahaha better post them on here if you do make some.  and make sure you get your $ out of them.  i remember in one of your 1st posts that you were only going to charge something like $350 for them, if i remember correctly.  I would charge like $1000 just because its so creative and a original design.  just an idea.  Im sure you put of tone of time into it as any taxidermist would

[KariJ]

Smaller version could be fox or somthin
I dislike faux fur and would not buy lol even if I had money
I think faux fur takes away from the realism

[leopardpaws]

yeah i agree with not using faux fur... you will find it will be harder to do then using real fur... Trust me been there done that.

And to determine the price you want take your materials... and what you want to make per hour...

Like this

Materials - 175$

Dollars per hour- 50$     
Hours needed- 10

you get 675$ if u take 10 hours and want 50$ an hour. Of course you can make that more or less ect ect.

[Krysta (Knuxtiger4)]

I'm still figuring out my pricing on such pieces right now.  Someone might be interested,  but request faux fur, which isn't a problem, I've done two other creatures, both made of faux fur.  I do agree the faux fur just doesn't make them as real, which was why old Mirage end up with real over fake.  But I'll figure something out, I still have yet to get my first commission, so once I do I can figure out pricing.

As of the hellpuppies, my rough idea was to either wrap the body (really don't want to) or to use a Kit Fox form because they are very small.  I'd probably use a Fox skull, probably a Red Fox for the head.  I doubt I could do lighting in the eyes because of the size of the skull, but I can try. =)  The horns would probably be very small antlers or broken points from one.  The vertebrates and ribs I haven't figure out, I would assume coyote ribs and vertebrates would work, but I found it was hard enough to get the bones so I was thinking maybe the pups wouldn't have the exposed bones until they are older?  I haven't figure out what animal would have to be used, it would probably have to be a coyote pup or a fox even, but I'm not sure.  Not planning to make one right now, but someone is interested.  If I was to rough a price, might be around $200 to close to $300 if it was all animal parts.

And I'm laughing now, I probably can write up on my hellhound species now. 

I'll figure out something with my pricing.

[Rhasputin]

I'd love to mount something like this one day...  <3
Maybe even put some animatronics in it!