hi i am relatively new to taxidermy and i am getting pretty good at whitetail heads but the only thing i am displeased with is the finishing work that i do. Hand painting looks caked on to me, So i would like to invest in a airbrush, my questions are: what airbrush to get that is relatively cheap but effective for gameheads, What is the difference between single action and double action and what colors can i get from Van Dykes to do on the nose and around the eyes? I just don't want to mess up my deer trying to paint it after i have done everything else nicely.
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First off yes you can finish your deer heads with just a detail brush , but i would highly recomend an air brush for better coverage and it makes blending so mucheasier as you will find out pasche sells some very reasonable priced single and double action brushes for around 65$for the complete airbrush kit. which usualy includes 3 different sized needles a suction or filler cup and hose. I've been using just a double action pasche7vl model. it lets me apply little amount of pressure for finer details and can also produce a nice wide pattern with morefinger pressure. just a suggestion for ya, but for just starting out there not a bad brush Then later on you can move up to the iwatta's ,as far aspaints go Van Dykes sellls the paints you need in laquer or water base. such as flesh for the inner nose detail, soft blk for finishing the nose around the edges of the ears.a burnt umber for the edges of the eyes. just to name a few it all depends on how closely you want to match up your colors to the deer and good referance photo's . hope i could help ya in some way. Best of luck. Happy holidays Ray.
Jonboy if you spend alot of time on your mount dont skimp on a cheap airbrush.Pasche airbrush are good to start out with.They will do a fine job for finishing deer.I would go with the double you never know you might want to try you hand at fish someday if you havnt already.GOOD LUCK
great tips i really appreeciate it,
Look at many of these airbrushed deer, you see gloss arounf the eyes, going back inches, water based airbrush laid on so thick and the hair not cleaned.
Maybe you should invest in some paint brushes and experiment, many times the quality of the artist brush control a lot of the quality of application.
The quality for your equipment, and Materials often makes a big difference. I often here people say that cheep airbrushes are okay to start with. But later you will want to go with something better. Personally I Feel just the opposite. I have uses an airbrush for 40 years. I am not trying to pat myself on the back. But I can make any airbrush work for me. When starting out it takes a lot of practice to use an airbrush proficiently. It is even more difficult to do so when you have to deal with a cheep airbrush that does not perform well. A quality airbrush, and quality paint. Can actually make the learning process easier. I have had students that have worked with airbrushes on their own prior to coming to me. They have professed that they suck with an airbrush, once they use a quality airbrush That is maintained properly. they realize they have half the battle beat. Taking a class or two at a craft shop will help you understand the principals, as well as the proper thinning and retarding of paints. It will also give you the opportunity to try different airbrushes to find out what is best for you.