What A Challenge (bobcat)

Alright, I feel bad for nit picking -- but I expect the same when I ask for input. That back left foot disappears into the belly fur. My eye keeps searching for it. It should be more open and obvious. Look at the mount at the top of your post.

BTW, I'm curious where the cat was harvested.

 

To me as a hobbyist it looks pretty dang good! Certainly better than anything I have ever produced but then again, since I am only a hobbyist I don't have to answer to a customer. The pointers given seem to be sound advice but I seriously doubt your client would have ever seen any of those things. Great job!

 

See if this works, other than the whisker lines being a tad off on this pic, it shows more of what I was referring to as far as ear position and eye cant. It may very well be the angle of your pic, again it looks pretty good.

 

No offense intended, and certainly none taken here. You're obviously a much more experienced and skilled taxidermist than I am. I'm just trying to learn. My only credentials are that I have probably trapped a 1,000+ bobcats in my life so they interest me.

 

You are welcome.
Here's a trick I use, I'm sure you already know it but here goes anyway, I take pictures of mounts I'm working on with my phone and walk away and look at them, I can zoom in and often times see things that I don't see staring at it face to face. I also will use a hand held mirror and look at the face from other angles. I can't take any credit for those techniques as I learned them here from others.

 

Here's one I did some years back in a similar pose but facing the other way.

 

That's what this forum and shows are all about; to learn from others ways to improve our work, isn't it?! I have learned enormous amounts from this forum alone. I have only been to three shows (and hope this years isn't cancelled with S.C.A.T.) however, what I got from these shows is invaluable. By the way, your cat looks great!

 

Beautiful!

 

That right front leg is in the perfect position. it helps show the looseness of the chest. Photos don't show that, The chest on cats is loose all cats, its also broad at the same time. You pulled that off!!

 

Facially, you captured that "I'm a cat just chilling out, staring at something, or, nothing".

 

i never mounted a cat. i killed two but i do know if you dont get the face right, it throws the entire mount off even if the rest of the cat is perfect.......

you got the facial expression PERFECT, looks awesome !!