Hello all! I just completed my first mount EVER last night, I did a coyote shoulder mount and got the hide from Grizz (thanks!) some background: i'm a 20 year old gal with no training, I havent even read a taxidermy book or seen a video or gotten my hands on one of the esteemed Breakthrough guides..but im an art student so I figured I had that going for me at least. I would greatly appreciate it if you guys would give this a bit of a critique and point out any flaws and maybe give me some tips on how to do it better next time. I'm definatly going to get a breakthough manual and some videos and hopefully go to the New England show in june.
here are the pics!
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y156/toastwater/coyote1.jpg
<img src="http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y156/toastwater/coyote2.jpg" alt="Image hosted by Photobucket.com">
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y156/toastwater/coyote3.jpg
thanks so much in advance!
<3
-Elizabeth
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i messed that up, second pic is here
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y156/toastwater/coyote2.jpg
I am looking... There it is. Thou shal get some ref. pix. and thou shal learn to groom and thou shal learn proper anatomy! But other wise looks ok for a firs timer (By the way you need to lay off the paint some!) Joe
here is how I do my mounts (all) (deer small game and all other mamals) open your #2 jpg. file in a dif. window open this link http://animals.timduru.org/dirlist/coyote/Coyote_003-FaceCloseup.jpg compare them side by side keep going back and forth (you will see the main dif. in the ears eyes nose and lips) you will see where you have major errors in your mount. but this is a learning exp. for you! it does not take long before you can look at ref pix and say to your self "ok I need to move the ear this way and I have too much lip here exc.) YOU NEED TO HAVE REF. PIX WHILE YOU DO YOUR PREP WORK! Hope this helps! Joe
yeah, as far as grooming I just fluffed it with a hairdryer, I did have very good ref pics..I just didnt use them enough :p
what do you suggest for grooming?
Elizabeth,
You know, asking for a critique can be like asking to get slapped...hope there is no sting to these comments.
As with any mount you really need to study reference photos before getting started. It looks like you could have place the ears better and the lips don't look like they've been tucked like they should be. It's difficult to judge details on the photos. With ref. photos you can compare eye shape, ear location etc... I'd really encourage any begginer to study reference and also try and work with someone with experience to jump start their skill.
Kevin
theres no need to worry about me getting offended or anything because of harsh or honest feedback, at school we get our art chewed up and thrown back in our face every week so im used to it :D
but seriously, you guys know what you are talking about so it would be stupid if i asked for critique and then got my knickers in a twist because someone was harsh. I'm taking notes on everything thats being mentioned and its just making me all the more excited for my next attempt!
so thanks you guys!
it looks like the eyes (in the frontal pic) are off... he looks a little cross eyed.
it looks like some grooming / finishing would correct much of the visual effect...
Like mentioned in the previous posts, get some good reference pics... I am still amassing beaucoup reference pics online.
overall a good effort, just do good finishing work, as it seems it is usually the small items like that whihc make the difference.
B2
to use for grooming, a standard "grooming " brush. they advertise them in the catalogs, and the little buggers look just like the brush that I just used on my dog. I think they are identical items.... I am starting to collect an assortment of different sized ones for the sole purpose of finishing work.
B2
It actually looks like a coyote which is nice!
It looks 100 times better then some stuff being sold on eBay currently. As-is, it is more saleable then some of that. (but we're not allowed to bash that guy, who seems to have paid off at least 4 guys to defend him)
Ears too low, pinched in too much (ear too narrow), eyes too mean for general expression, lip line too wide (make the lip tuck slot deeper next time) but... not gag-me-with-a-spoon bad like some of the above.
Really, get some ref pics of coyotes. They are popular. Lots of pics available. Use the ref's. Grooming is easy, for your fine finish work you can even use a hairbrush, but a slicker is better. You will do fine. Keep working on it.
you have not used any reference for coyote - that being said you did a fine job - eyes and ears are the lifeblood of any mammal - your eyes ( i mean the coyote's) look crossed cause you didn't measure them before mounting - after they are rough set measure from the center seam line so that they are equal - some forms eye sockets are not the same so you can get an offset looking eye(s) - it appeasrs the eyes do not face forward enuf and the actual shape of the lids is too elongated - their eyes are basically round - the ears are too far back on animal and too far apart - the bases sometimes set where yours are but when they do the coyote is in an agreessive posture and the tips of the ears are more in line with the body (tipped further back)- if you have any friends that have a german sheperd they are the best reference of all - especially to feel how the ear butts fit on the skull - you didn't tuck the lip line up far enuf - the black (or gums) doesn't show very often on a relaxed coyote - all of the above being said mount another one and let us see it - it is a learning process and the little things that you learn over time will make your next mount and the mount after that better and better - i mount a lot of coyotes and if i can help you with your next one just email me