Received the new WASCO catalog and I was impressed with the front cover picture. I thought to myself that the center photo,a reference maniken would be a very good idea if it could be purchased. THINK ABOUT IT, a complete 3-D reference of a deer complete with muscles,tendons,ears and earbutts and much more. Take it a bit further. Remove the nose and install a completely detailed,removeable and easily disassembled nose cast as well. I had spoke with Rick Carter this morning and we had discussed the idea.
Production costs are the factor,even if "made to order". The question is this, if this type of reference could be made available,at what price would you be willing to purchase it and in all honesty, would you purchase one. Ed.
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For someone interested in competitions yes, but commercial work production taxidermists NOPE.
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And I agree with @boy, these pictures are nice for biological understanding, but only steroid deer show distinct muscle tone. Some of the southern tier deer have SOME definition, but I have a couple November Saskatchewan hides in my freezer. Wanna give them a whirl with defining some muscle features? Scott Brewer's "Winter Warrior" is still a classic and not a single muscle line can be seen on that big brute. I'd pass on this idea as well.
I was searching last week on the net for something just like this for a lynx I'm mounting. I get confused sometimes guessing what and how big muscle is underneath the hide (especially around the eyes). I have artist anatomy reference books but pictures just don't give a true representation of true dimensions. I would definitely purchase one, even if you made one just for me :-)
Considering the time in it and the time it'd save me in studying, I'd be willing to pay anywhere between $150-$200 for it. It'd be really cool if you could do this for other animals like bobcat, coyote, wolf, lynx,etc... Using a 3D model would allow folks to truly understand and reference the anatomy of an animal while mounting it. Great idea!
...You HAD the very best reference there is right in front of you when you skinned the animal out. Yet you entrust some sculptor to "get it right" and to their great credit, most do. But why would you need for someone else to interpret what God provided you with. In those old golden days of yore, articulating required you to have a great deal of anatomical understand. Today, we toss the skeletons and then lament "the form doesn't fit".
had a thought along those lines, in regards to the reference. I was looking through the Breakthrough with Rick Carter showing how to do comp ear butts. Rick had a great model of a deer's head that he was using as reference, showing all the muscles of the head. He also had great picture reference in the article. I sent an email to Rick. Here is his response. Just thought you would like to hear additional feedback from the man who built the model.
Doug,
Thanks for the kind remarks. I am glad you found the article
useful. The reference sculpture used in the magazine was custom built for seminars.
If we produced a version for use as a reference commercially the price
would be well over a hundred dollars. We are not certain at this time if it would be feasable for the market today.
Thanks
Rick Carter
WASCO
I've spent hundreds of dollars worth of reference photo's, eye, nose and ear casts, etc. I think this would be a very useful study aid-- it sure as heck wouldn't hurt. The carcass is a valuable study aid but loses much of its muscular structure when dead.
Be neat to have. Just as a conversation piece. It would be a tough decision.
Now if it was just the head, the size of a change out head I would no question. I also would be willing to pay what ever the cost might be, with in reason and depending on the finished product. If it was the same type of finish detail as the WASCO cover I'd pay good for it.
I think it would be up to the supplier and the sculptor to decide the cost. Might be better to have a made to order thing instead of stock and see where it goes. If I had the talent to do something like that I would try it, you never know.
I can't see very many seasoned pros going for it, but I bet one or two would. Maybe some of the guys that teach classes would want to have it more then the guys that just do the daily grind. I think your main market would be to people like me that are just getting started good. You know the ones that just have enough tools to do the job but wouldn't mind buying the right thing if it were to come along.
As far as trusting the sculptor to get it right. I think if the person doing has the knowledge I have read Rick Carter does, then that wouldn't be a issue. I would think that even if he is off any, it would be close enough to get great reference. I wouldn't personally want any removable parts, to easy to lose.
Good luck if yall decide to do it, and WASCO does offer it.
To anyone who read R.Carters ear butt sculpting articles in the last Breakthroughs and can sculpt them perfectly without any 3-dimensional reference in hand. I personally would love to own the sculpture manikin on the cover of the WASCO catalog! Some of the best reference you could have is a fresh kill lying on your work bench although within a couple of hours it's done. Sectional casts are great for specific areas but you cant always get a true reference from other muscle groups or body parts. An example: ear butt cast in relation to the front corner of the eye. Height width of this muscle group etc. Now I understand that's what measuring sticks were made for and there are certain anatomical markers for those of us who try to recreate life from death as accurately as possible. I would still like to have a whole accurate sculpting of the whitetail mentioned, I guess maybe I better get started building one, because it may be the only way I could afford one