Anyone ever have odd measurments that dont make alot a sense? Nose to eye is 4 1/4 and nose to back of head is 13 1/2. Forms dnt come that way. At least from Van Dykes. Anyone got any ideas for me. thanks.
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Your measurements sound unusual.A bear with a 4 1/4" nose to eye ,usually has a much shorter head.Off the top of my head,I would think about 10 1/2" or 11".Remember,suppliers use a caliper measurement for head length.It will measure longer if you follow the head contour with a measuring tape.Also,if you happen to be measuring a tanned hide that is not re-hydrated,the nose will often be scrunched up and too short.At any rate,the nose sounds to short for the head or the head too long for the nose.Bear noses do vary some,but it would be very unusual to have these two measurements together.If I were doing a LS bear,I would make body length and girth be my prioity and adjust head size to fit my skin if need be.
You have to do custom alterations to fit the approximate size form to the specimen. Store brought forms are only a starting point for the artist to work his skills and prepare an understructure
that naturally fits. We are fortunate to have urethane to work with.
Try measuring with a friction joint outside caliper (18" by Starrett tools) and see if sizes make more sense.
God must've blessed me with generic bears then. I seldom IF EVER modify a form except to alter posture. A bear hide WILL FIT if properly measured and you don't have a gasoline ass. If it's too small for the manikin by an inch or two, sew it up, place a wet towel over the incision and wrap in plastic wrap. Tomorrow it WILL FIT. But I've said before, I'm not an artist, I'm a taxidermist. If I wanted to build my own forms, I'd be a sculptor.