I have been training with taxidermy for about a year now and i just feel so confused..went to school and going back..I really want to make this a full time job but i feel like their is so much i should be doing ..should i open , should i train more..has anyone else ever had this problem where to start once schooling done..i feel like i should know the basics bye now ..conventations.etc..where do i start only releif i get in on these forms..thanks guys
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Tre, If Henry Ford waited to learn how to put a cruse control and a GPS system in his cars he would never of finished his first car. Time to get to work. If you try, will you make any mistakes?...absolutely. But you won't make ANY if you don't get going. Get your feet wet and start swimming. TR
yeah thats true..good advice thanks ...but one prob where do i start...lol
yeah thats true..good advice thanks ...but one prob where do i start...lol
I finished school last Feb. and opened for business in June. I had no experience, still dont really, and just went for it. All happy customers so far! and i'm paying off the schooling bill with the work. Just jump in and have fun! Didn't school give you confidence? I think if I waited I would have been afraid to open because now I know how much I DON'T know. Funny how that works huh. Best of luck to ya.
Tre, Taxidermy covers a lot of subjects. Why not find what interests you the most (Gameheads, lifesize, fish, birds, etc.) and get started in that one area. Get some videos and a specimen or two and start to practice, but be sure to finish it. The more you do the better you will become. As you get comfortable in this area keep moving on. Most of your bench tools you will use on all species and you will flow into each subject with a little practice. When you need some questions answered stop by here, try the search button or just ask. Also post a photo of your work and ask some of the seasoned taxidermists to point out you weak areas. Best of success ...TR
a few things. What did you learn in school? Did you actually mount anything? If so, what? Start there, then move on to something else. Mount a few things for your buddies. Here are a few things that helped me a ton... Subscribe to Taxidermy Today and Breakthrough... Join your state taxidermy association. Read everything you have time for in the archives here, thanking Ken Edwards with every word. Ask questions on here. I fall else fails e-mail me I will answer everything I can. Hope it helps. I fyou can mount a squirrel, you can mount a deer, if you can mount a deer you can mount anything.
Thanks greg for being so helpful ive mounted fish and have been mounting fish sense schooling im going back to work on deer..i just wonder should i wait awhile before taking other courses , i fill a little lost when i read Breakthrough books,videos and things and seems to be differnt from my schooling now i find myself second guessing myself..a friend here on these forums like yourself sure could be helpful...thanks buddy
thanks tr how do i post my pics?
Here is one place you can upload them and then post the link here.
http://photobucket.com
thanks alot tr i will give her a try!
ok guys thanks to tr heres a pic have a look it tell me what ya think ...dont hold anything back..lol[IMG]http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e381/tre2323/Picture057.jpg[/IMG]
try this one
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e381/tre2323/01abad30.jpg
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...opening your doors too soon. A lot depends on the quality of work in your area AND where you want to be (quality-wise) amongst your competition. I honed my fish skills for two years after being professionally trained by one of the best for over 6 months )part-time). I did not feel comfortable taking on work until I thought I was at least as good as the others around me. Lucky for me, I didn't have a lot of competition targeting the higher end crowd.
You have to make that decision. I can only critique your fish and quite honestly, you're trying too hard with the painting. And that's just it, you're "painting" your fish. Thin the heck out of your paints and focus on putting too little paint on and see where you're at. You can ALWAYS add more paint. But you can't go backwards. Some of the best looking "paint-jobs" out there have very little paint on them. You won't always have this luxury but I firmly believe "less is more" when it comes to "painting" fish...
thanks for comments guys all are helpful the next fish i paint im going to try to just tint but, i soak my fish in Jim Allreds fish preserve and i seem to be losing color and markins should i try something else?..thanks again guys
...50/50 denatured alcohol and water solution. The borax solution works well too. I haven't found anything that retains the color but the markings should still be there. Biggest issue is if your fish dries too dark. Which for me isn't all that common. This is when I'll hit the fish fairly heavily with white, white pearl, gold pearl or silver - depending on the specie. BUT, I still can (barely) see the markings on these fish so I have a guide to paint them. I never do a full "white-out". But apparently others have had some success with doing this so I'd recommend trying things out for yourself and find what's right for you...
I`m not trying to discourage you but fish are the most difficult to master. Bottom line is painting a fish is true art and some people are just naturals. That`s not saying you can`t get your work up to the professional level with alot of hard work and practice..I`m just saying it comes simple to some folks..less is more when it comes to painting fish and I sure as heck ain`t no master at fish taxidermy but have done my share...keep trying..perhaps try a different airbrush and just use light layers of base colors...