What I am wanting to know is,when you cut the head off a regular simi-upright mannikin to make it look agressive with head downward,when you connect it back to the mannikin to fill the back part in,correct me if I am wrong the back of the neck will be longer than before.Do I shorten the neck?Any suggestions will help.
THANKS,
Glynn Tanner
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Comes out of the front. When anything tilts its head, Not only does one side lengthen, but the other side shortens. By cutting a wedge, and rotating it. You can achieve the same angle, without over stretching one side. And have no gap to fill. Just some sanding to do. Actually when a deer drops its head at the spinal process it mostly shortens the front. as the skull articulates only about an inch from the top of the head. Use this as a pivot point when making such alterations. and you will have more natural results.,
allow me to make a suggestion. Before you start getting into mannikin alterations, accumulate reference before you even start. You will need more reference material than what would be required for day in/day out commercial work. Working with out reference could spell disaster.
The suggestion I would make is this:
Clean a deer skull (even if it has had the skull plate cut out), also clean at least the first four vertebrae of the neck, starting right behind the head. C-1 (Atlas), C-2 (Axis), C-3, and so forth.
You can simply run a piece of vinyl hose through where the spinal cord was and wire the vertebrae together in such a fashion as to allow them their natural range of movement.
As simple as this is, you will probably find it one of your best pieces of reference material you will ever come up with for shoulder mount mannikin alteration. All your questions can be answered at a glance.
Get a book on anatomy and study where bones are located. Draw them on your form and remember, bones only bend at joints and only in certain direction. They do not shorten or lengthen. If you know where the joints and bones move your battle is won. After that all the rest is just putting the mucles back in and remember when muscles are shortened they "bunch up", when they are stretched they get more narrow. Reference is the key and a few hours with an actual carcass can teach you much.
DaveT
Glynn, Any and all head/neck alterations should be made with the Atlas Vertebrae in mind. This is the single most important rotation of the head to neck attachment.Glen and Dave hit it right on the nose. Reference reference reference.....The head pivots on the Axis of the Altas.....which is the start of the vertebrae.Nothing lengthens really (as far as bones go)Meat, muscle and tissue extend...bones dont. Like the guys said,get a skeleton and see for yourself..its pretty simple after you see it with your own eyes.
Dean