Are deer noses black or a really dark shade of brown. I have some burnt umber paint but it looks kinda brown. Thanks.
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They are all colors but seldom if ever black. I've had gray ones with pink, Paynes gray with pink, and one that looked like leather. Get a good reference picture and go from there, but don't be surprised if you customer says, "It doesn't look like all the other mounts I've seen. Can't you paint it black?"
I first walked out to the deer pen before trying to answer this question. After checking with the deer, this is my answer. The nose pad is real close to the color of the dark hair on the top of the muzzle that touches the nose. This color like George said will be different for almost every deer. I try not to use the word (always) when we talk about deer. The deer in my pens have different shades of nose pads just like they have different shades of hair. Like people, our hair and skin tone have different light reflected shades. The lines between the bumps on the nose are more of a pinkish/greyish shade. Also on my deer the bumps that we put on the nose pads on mounted deer really don't stick out untill you get about 2/3 of the way down the pad. I will say that is what I see in the live deer I live with. No,they can't come in the house anymore. Wives are funny that way.
Other people will see the nose color the way they see it. We are all still trying to get it right.
Couple of deer ago, I decided that I really needed to get serious about
making my deer work as anatomically accurate as humanly possible, so I broke
out the article in either Tax Today or Breakhrough by one of these guys that REALLY knows what they're talking about
(Help me out with the mag and the author, guys, I'm A long way from the shop tonight and they're on my desk. Anyway, the nose has no black on it at all, and to paint it black would make it look like a big ol' eight-ball on the front of your deer.
If you're gonna learn how to do it, I encourage you to learn how to do it right from the get-go. Properly painting the nose is a multi-stepped process involving layering of white, then flesh, the dark umber, and gloss sealant to give it the wet look. How dark or light you choose to make it is a matter of personal interpretation, but properly layering it with an airbrush will give the nose color a sense of depth that just makes you feel like you've done a fine job. But, it's sure not black.
BILL YOX did a great atricle in issue 59. Get it and trust me you will enjoy it.
Thanks to Mr. Yox as well. The last couple deer, I've had that issue on the work bench where it served as a major reference, and the results I achieved were great. If you ever wonder if anyone "listens" to what you take the time to write, we do. Thanks again.
Ken, can we tell these guys about our little paint sample? I mixed a nose pad color I like real well using PolyTranspar paint, you may be seeing it soon...
Didn't we say that the nose was not black or did I not read our posting right? Someday I hope to REALLY understand what I am seeing in these whitetails. I think Bill would agree that having live deer to look at for your reference is better than any picture ever taken. Having both helps to see even more.