northern pike critique

[skunk]

[IMG]http://i41.tinypic.com/b4vs44.jpg[/IMG]Hey all can you give me a critique on this northern? Thanks, Skunk

[CrabCrazy]

the eye looks a little lifeless...you need to pose the eye better.....the bean pattern looks too harsh and uneven

[Clew]

Looks pretty good
I think the beans are not defined enough, and they look like they were painted over the gloss coat
Nice scale tipping

[3bears]

Looks too brown to me. Pretty much every pike reference pic I have has at least more of a green tint to it, and the beans or spots are too harsh. The second pair of fins I guess they would be the pelvic fins are in the wrong spot. 3bears

[fishfighter702]

pelvic fins are flagged, nice job though

[CrabCrazy]

didn't want to mention about the color..as fish have different colorations from region to region...I'm not use to seeing white beanspots...here in Maryland they are yellowish on the pike i catch

[natureslink]

as with any skin mount when it comes to paint, less is more. 

[FishArt]

I'm not going to pick on color too much because I've seen them from a bright limey green to brown or paynes gray and everything in-between. In fact, I've got a customer rep I have to do and the body is brown like this and there's a distinct color change in the head to green!

Biggest issues I see are first the shape. It's not a real cleanly carved body. It's lacking a bit in anatomy. Mouth is kind've big. Needs lots of rebuilding in shrunken areas. The paint overall color ain't too bad. Needs some gold tips/finger rub in upper back as almost all pike have some golds up here (and I usually put SOME golds up there even if the pics don't show 'em- lol!). That white "patch" above the mandible is rarely white on a pike and if it is, it's rarely, if ever this pronounced. White beans look painted over the brown and hit a couple of times. They look painted. You need to pull off paint here then add some thinned white with a little white or silver pearl over that (see reference) to soften the edges of the beans and pull it off IMO.  Blend the beans out better as you near the top of the fish too. Some pink/fleshtones in places. Overall shape of the fish is so-so. Fin indents? Shoulders?

How many fish have you done? And how many big fish have you done? Bigger fish like pike and musky have their own unique challenges and it'll take you a while to get good at these species. The bigger the fish, the easier it is to spot areas for improvement too. Get good close-up pics of some pike if you don't already have some and look closer at things. Overall, not too bad...

[skunk]

Thanks guys I appreciate the help and honesty.  This is the biggest fish I have mounted to date.  Skunk

[Gameovertaxidermy]

I usually tone down the beans lightly with yellow ochre or golden yellow. But like Marty said the color can vary in different areas and different lakes