When doing a bear rug or shoulder mount is there a preference to using artificial noses versus real noses? If so what are the advantages/ disadvantages of using either. Any opinions are greatly appreciated. If you do use the real nose do you need to build up the nose with clay or not?
Return to Lifesize Mammal Taxidermy Category Menu
A real bear nose - there is a lot of shrinkage ,plus you have to thin down.it doesn't always dry right
repro bear nose - much better detail, mount looks 100% better,return customers , you put out a better qiaility,
I always replace noses on all my mammals
First off, I NEVER have shrinkage on my bear noses. EVER. That's simply because I take the time to flesh them out properly and when I mount them, I take the time to mold the nose and set it in Critter Clay that doesn't shrink. Best of all about the real nose is that you don't have to worry about super glue oozing out and burning hair or covering the skin juncture and texturing it without getting the Apoxie in the hair. I spend less time total with the real nose that will ALWAYS be the correct size for the skin versus what I'd do trying to make the artificial one look real.
i agree with dennis, i have done both and truly get better results with a repro. i suspose if you are very artistic and take the time like george you might get a nice nose but i think it is tough to get all the fine detail that a repro has. just my opionion though.
good luck!
lee
THe real nose is the best nose IMHO - It takes practice but they always look much (MUCH) better than a repro.
George is right - you've got to flesh them down so that you can nearly see the black through the skin - even the 'flaps' (for lack of a better word) have to be completely turned and thinned down.
I use the artificial noses on all my mammal work and all my bears get one. I take black appoxie sculpt and blend the seam in and take a paper towel and role it over the seam and your texture is done. Shoot the nose with paynes grey blend the seam with dark brown at the hair line flesh tones in the nostrils. Jack F