Doing a 1/2 mount black bear. Ordered largest mannequin I could find. Muzzle fits correctly but head from jaw muscle back to ears is too small by about 3/16" all the way around. What can I do to widen mannequin head without splitting and pouring foam? Can I build this area up with critter clay, or would that be too much clay? Should I use some other type of mache?
Al
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I normally would split both directions and foam and am not a big fan of any more clay than I have to use,but I don't think a 3/16" layer would really hurt anything as long as you keep it smooth looking until it dries.
But 3/16 sounds so infinitesimally small that I'd use a good hide paste and pack the skin if everything else fit. That's about the ideal "gap" I like when working a skin anyway. I really don't know how you widen that jawline with clay without making the eyes look sunken in.