2 Questions- About Dark Skin And Ways To Put Spots On A Stripper

I use metallic powder that I’ll mix with different mediums and hand paint each scale.
I’m an airbrush guy so I can use my 2mm airbrush to do this but others that have issues use pan pastels to create that

 

Ever single fish I do started out the exact same. Does matter if they are a skinmount or replica. They all start out white.

 

To soft, will wipe away. Try colored pencell or a oil pastel sticks (secret don't tell any one). Cover with a clear coat.

 

This is going to sound crazy. But works. Dark skinned fish. can be lightened up by just using chlorine bleach on a sponge. it works. makes painting so much easier. try a test spot on the back of the fish. you will be surprised

 

If your trying to put a clean!!! No overspray, spot pattern. put down the air brush and pick up the artist brush. make sure to seal your fish well between coats. this will allow you to remove a spot that may be to big or not the right shape with out starting over. allows you to get depth in your paint job also

 

And those spots or lines can be well defined using vine charcoal

 

I use bleach to degrease and wash my fish. After drying will work as well. If I use a body that is yellow, paint it white and use white Acrylic latex calk for glue and white sculp. Sharpie markers work good for spots, get the jumbo and cut the tip to different shaped spots...

 

Stay away from sharpie markers in fish
The will turn purple on ya
As for all the other stuff in above post
Whiskey tango foxtrot
Look at previous posts on the issues

 

Jake, could you clarify a couple of your recommendations
Oil based pastel sticks contain wax, and require a special sealer that is shellac based. What sealer do you use?
As stated, Sharpie markers will turn purple with a clear coat. How do you keep that from happening?
How do you degrease with bleach?
Happy Holidays

 

Yes you can use charcoal, that is how I make my Striper markings but, you can't use the charcoal sticks. You have to use the powdered charcoal from the art store. I then use pan pastels for all the iridescent spotting (pink, lavender). Be careful with the charcoal! If you spill it it makes a mess!

 

Ditto

ditto

 

Jake, I hope you will reply to my previous post to clarify a few of your recommendations. Vine Charcoal, powder charcoal, pan pastels, powder pigments and pencil will all wipe away if not sealed, so I am assuming you are not sealing at all. Colored pencils as you stated will not work on a slick surface and are very hard to blend even on paper. Also, how are you cutting the felt into shape on a Sharpie pen, and why not just use a micro point Sharpie instead of cutting a broad tip Sharpie? Hopefully, you could clarify this for me and other interested members. Thanks so much!