my first mount copy and paste
http://usera.imagecave.com/michaeldeanna/DCP00711.JPG
my second mount
http://usera.imagecave.com/michaeldeanna/DCP00710.JPG
my third mount
http://usera.imagecave.com/michaeldeanna/DCP00709.JPG
this is the second time i am trying this i hope it works
please let me know what you think mike
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They are rough, but the third looks a bit better than the first, but when you get 25 or 30 of them done, you will look back at this first batch of fur bags and laugh. Keep doing them and the more you do, the better you will get. We can tell you what is wrong with them, but you need to get to the point where you know what is wrong with them when you are building them. Push ahead until you can put them together like dressing for Church. Join you're States taxidermy association and take these mounts, be brave, to the next competition, enter them in the novice division, and you will learn loads.
As a beginner, I see beginner mistakes, but I see good technique. Your eyes need work (I still haven't mastered that myself, so you could fit right up there with most of the class) and it looks as if your bottom lips are tucked up inside the mannikin instead of exposed. The ear positioning is close, but now quite there yet. These look like winter killed does with heavy hair and I'm not sure your anatomical markers are aligned perfectly because of the picture quality. You nostrils definitely need to be toned down and downsized some and the nose could use a little contrast. For only having done 3 mounts, I'd say you've done well, but join your local association and see how with just a little fine tuning, your mounts will be exceptional.
ears edges need to be carded
I think we are all in agreement that you are on your way. Couple of things I noticed:
mount # 1
Bib does not follow with the turn of the head and neck and hair pattern on brisket appears to need to be brought up a little higher at center. The ears appear set too low. Without a profile picture, I would guess them to be pulled down a little too low on the back of the head. After you pull your cape on the form, taxi the skin forward starting up over the shoulders. That should take the tension off the skin so you can move your hair patterns into place.
The two places in the neck that look like holes in the cape were repairable.
Nose pad is out of place, especially on the deer's right side. You need reference photos for that one, plus it is wise to measure your nose pads anytime you can so you can transfer those measurements to the form. Deer don't have standard size noses, I just figure that altering a nose by doing a little carving, or Apoxy Sculpt addition is part of the game. Brad Eppley's replacement nose also doubles as a respectable reference.
Chin skin appears to be a little "wadded up". Guessing again, I would suspicion that area was not thinned enough.
Front eye corners appear to be drummed, or have lifted up off the form.
Ears need butts, symmetry is off in regards to shape, I'm assuming Bondo ears here. Reference again for grooming of hair patterns of the ears. You can even take photos of dead deer ears before skinning to reference for ear hair grooming.
WASCO has a couple of inexpensive foam ear references, Cary Cochran did a cast and sculpt ear butt reference that I assume is still available through Mc Kenzie as a Buckeye Mannikins piece.
Mount #2
Basically same issues as above. Hair pattern over the shoulders is running straight back as opposed to downward.
Maybe just a bit too much exposed bottom lip. I can see you had trouble tucking your mouth corners.
Ear butts need study, too shallow. Parotido auricularis needs to be defined more as does the scuto auriculairis.
You can also make your own ear butt reference the next time you skin out a head. Cut the butts off right next to the skull, and then cut the butt muscles off the ear cartilage using a scalpel. Use a buttless earliner such as Eppley's or Carter's and stick this into position where the cartilage WAS. Set this on a piece of cardboard or board and place in the freezer. Shape it as much as possible before freezing. I think you will find if this muscle is fairly fresh it will shape pretty easily back to original contours. Check on it as it is freezing and keep shaping if necessary. Once frozen, pull it out and sculpt a more permanent reference out of clay, matching what you have frozen.
Front eye corners and lacrimal appear better on this one.
Mount # 3
Eye shape got away from you on this one. When you made your crease, you pulled your eyelashes up into a more horizontal position.
Brisket and "arm pit" issues again. Hair pattern over shoulders runs straight back.
Same problems with chin skin, lip line and mouth corners.
On your lip and mouth corner tucking. You might find this to help. As soon as you skin out the head, you will see that your mouth corners will line up if you close the skin together. Use scissors and cut a line in the lip skin STRAIGHT back toward the mouth corner, but stop about an 1/8 of an inch or so before the hairline.
Right before you mount, fold you mouth corners in and see how well everything lines up, you can trim a triangular piece off of each side of your straight line and that will give you an easier and cleaner tuck.
Buy yourself a new 3/32" drill bit and set it in a piece of dowel. That will give you a gauge for the width of the lip line in your form.
Now we go to commercial..................I have six different whitetail doe reference sets on floppy disk. These can be checked out at the Whitetail Designer Systems website. Out of those, the general, nose, and eye series would help you most. On the same website, I have always kept a free download available. There are actually three on there right now. You might want to get those.
Great ref. pics very reasonably priced! get a couple disks, I did and I will tell ya that is a big help, You can go to walmart and get them made into 8X10's and post them in your work area!
Next join your state assoc. you can't go wrong!
Tony J.
That was a very constructive assessment of Mikes work...and thats what its all about...thats what makes this site, Glens site, the Taxidery associations and publications so great...people like Mike can get inspired...Theres nothing better for a beginner than (1) encouragement (2)an honest assessment of his work and (3) some suggestions for improvement...I think we have all been there.
Mike, great job...better than my first attempt I assure you. Never be afraid to ask questions...there will always be someone here that can and will be helpful...and one day, we may be asking you!