my base work is my weakness. Need help on it.

[rnviper3]

Here is a pheasant just finished.  The mount is ok, not great, but the habitat sucks.  I always do this.  I can never just make it jump out as a very nice rich looking piece.  I never know where to start.  What kind of wood or any material to start with. Then making what ever work without making it look too full or too much and over powering.  Suggestions welcome. 

[rnviper3]

close up of base.  fence post was a must per the customer. 

[Ross Vogler]

Think about it for a second...........people are always touting reference, reference, reference on here about how their mount should be. Why don't most use reference for their habitat...............unless of course, you are going for the artistic look?

This is my opinion

Clump all your "grass" around the fence post and staggered out a few inches................then throw some dirt down with debris and an oak leaf or something brown. Shoot the fence post with BB steel shot at 1 yard away, or whack it with a machete, or something to give it some character. It looks new.

[rnviper3]

Ross you crack me up.  {quote} "Shoot the fence post with BB steel shot at 1 yard away, or whack it with a machete".  But your right.  It would add character.  I wish I had a knack for just doing what needs to be done without thinking about it so much.  For many its just natural to make habitat look great.  I did a turkey base once that I actually took a shot of the forest floor. Then I picked up everything in that picture needed to fill my base size. Then I put it onto the base as the picture was. A judge said my base was boring.  But I thought it was great.  To Make money I need the habitat to be nice, but also fast to make.

[Non-TypicalArtist]

Spot on regarding the reference Ross. You got the hard part done. It is just the dirt base looks like a road. Add some “junk” to the actual base and you are done. Crumpled dry yellow grass (to match what you have), dirt, bit of moss, pieces of corn stalk? and mix it all up and “lick it stick it”. Give it a little peaks and valleys too - so it is not so flat and mundane.

[txoutdoors]

Not so flat is right......pour some foam on the base and have some peat moss or sand ready and waiting.....as the foam rises, press sand or peat moss into it. The foam will make the moss or sand stick to it, no painting and you get great natural looking earth.

[joeym]

Add a few random leaves to begin with.  You ground is way too clean.  Then, add other materials a little at a time.  Don't go overboard, or it will take away from your mount.  I have problems with habitat also.  I probably work for a penny an hour trying to get satisfied with it.

[Matt]

Bob, you are not the only one. I am just too neat sometimes. Lately, I feel I have been improving on my scene work. Most think it's great, but I am never going to be satisfied with it. You look like you have the same problem, things are too neat. Mother Nature isn't neat, and you have to go into a piece with that thought in mind. Reference is a good thing to have, it is just as important with scene work as well as your mounts. Keep us posted on this base and let's see what you come up with. Make it fun!

[rnviper3]

Matt,  The customer is coming Friday morning to pick it up, so I don't think I should mess with it now.  I do plan on taking a day and doing nothing but playing with habitat ideas.  I like your idea of not making it neat.

[roostinridge]

Use a rustic looking base. I have spent countless hours in the rural areas and have never seen a pheasant sitting on a shinning piece of wood. That is not natural. I have seen pheasants on dead wood that is laying on the ground and have seen them roosting in trees at nite, nothing was ever shinny. Change to rustic and or a total habitat that pheasants live in. Will make your mount much more lively.

[rnviper3]

Well the customer picked up the bird today.  He loved the mount and position of it. But he asked how he could go about adding to the habitat.  That has not happened to me yet, and never should. 

[duxrus]

A quick fix that would add some character would be to spread Elmer's Glue on the foam and sprinkle yard mulch on it.....let it dry for about 2 days. Then just add a small stick here and there with a few leaves...DONE. Golden rule with habitat.....if the plants look fake before adding them then they aren't going to get any better on a base.  Plastic "grass" is the worst. There are way to many places to buy real grasses, reeds, etc...to just add "aquarium" looking plants. IMO

[rnviper3]

I have done a little looking at base and habitat work in the bird of the week, mammal of the week, and fish of the week threads.  I'm in awe.  I have always been in awe, but for the mounts.  Some of this habitat work is simply put, awesome.  I have started a file in my reference photos section for habitat.  I guess the thing is I know my weakness.  I know where I need to be consentrating my efforts.   I will be mounting mostly deer for a while now, but will have some mammal mounts in the schedule soon.  Any other suggestions for futrue habitat is still welcome as this one is now out the door.

[Cripplecreek]

A buddy of mine told me how to do this & it worked really well for me.  I put the foam down & later shaped it a little.  After that, I bought a bag of topsoil from Lowe's & let it dry a long time then sifted out the big pieces.  Mix it with some resin & spread it over the base.  When you're done spreading, sprinkle some dry over it while it's still wet.  I had always done the mix with glue, but I like this a lot better. 

[John Bellucci]

http://www.taxidermy.net/forum/index.php/topic,140732.0.html