My problem is that when I follow the lip line on a marten manikan, I never have enough space to tuck all the lip, and end up with creases. Usually I lengthen my cut for the lip slot, but I don't want to overdo it. How far should I go? Do I just need to learn to work the creases out? the lips on the marten are very thin, so I don't think that's the problem.
Thanks
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Thin the lips more, and use a very fine edged dull tool. You may even need to use a little more hide paste, to help smooth them out.
The next time you get a marten in measure their lip and see if it matches up woth the form you buy. Now if both measure up the thinned skinned lip you have gets normally stretched during the fleshing and shaving process, this happens to us all. You have to learn what is called taxing the skin. Get the corner lip tucked then do the nose and front lip now the skim that is left over is pressed in, yes there's more but it will go back in. It needs to be pressed together. you will or may get very small rolls but as you taxi it in a day or two the roll should disappear as long as you keep pressing on them and shaping the skin to look normal. Remember that the same skin that was on the marten and the manikin is the flesh that was molded from an animal just like what you have. It will fit but it takes time.