Getting ready to tackle my first African Blue Wildebeeste shoulder mount. Going to do a right head turn and needed some help from the professionals on how to properly get the skin wrinkles in the neck? It appears that these critters have very loose neck skin or wrinkles in the skin. What is the preferred mounting method to achieve the loose skin look in the neck so that the neck skin will dry properly when mounted?
Your professional assistance will be greatly appreciated. HELP PLEASE.
Thanks, Bill.
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I use clay to make these wrinkles. Make sure you have good reference photos on hand. After test fitting the skin to find out where you will want the clay and how much, spread the clay onto the form and feather out the edges. When you mount the skin get as many of the wrinkles out as you can with a roller or a flat tool. Now the only area you should be left with extra skin is right where the clay is. Use a modeling tool to sculpt in the wrinkles- make them soft looking and use reference. Make sure you have plenty of hide paste here as the clay will tend to suck it up. If you have a lot of wrinkles everywhere that you can not work out, then your form does not fit the skin. Good luck.
A lot of animals (old bulls) will have have saggy skin under the chin area. If you have extra skin at the neck/head juncture you may need to create a small dulap out of clay or mache under the chin area to create this feature that is not on the forms. There is a lot thickness of tissue/skin that has been removed along the lower "mane" on a blue wildebeest. A thin roll of clay along here will help to fill this out and will help to position the lower mane. Also see Breakthrough issue 54 for more.
the thick hide paste from Wesco. rub it on the form and a generous amount on the skin, then taxi of course.
I use Buckeye past and thicken it with dextrine. Put a good glob where you want the wrinkles and taxi.