Please Help LM Bass Paint

Iam not relly quaified for your answer, but I can point you in the right direction,,check out some of Rick Kranes DVD's,,just for a start... ,,good luck..and stick with it..

 

check you PM

 

Would you like me to paint it for you? I mean dude, if you can't improvise or figure it out for yourself, then you obviously aren't much of an artist and should not be mounting fish. Bottom line, use your brain!

 

@M.T. I have been an artist using all of the mediums you can think of from oil base painting to ink for 25 years. I am very new to the fish taxidermy industry and even though I have 25+ years of artistic renderings painting fish to look realistic is quite intimidating when starting out. For one, look at some of the works presented here in this forum. These artists are incredible. That's enough to spook me a little bit too. I certainly hope that when I have to ask a question that may seem simple to most here, I do not receive such aggravated responses basically telling me this forum is not to ask or learn in and do it myself or get out of the art.

@gnccracer291 - I don't have an answer for you as I have not used the wildlife paints. Here is a link to the wildlife colors at McKenzie. Hopefully you can find colors that closely match your needs. I assure you someone will post soon with a far better answer than mine. Most of the people here that monitor these boards are all about helping you to be your best in hopes of keeping the industry moving forward.

J-Jay
J-Jay's Taxidermy

 

Here we go again

Never used this paints.
I mostly use polytranpar

 

I shouldn't reply,,but I can't help it,,sorry,,,I too have been a flat artist of all mediums oil to whatever,,for almost 50 years,and a taxidermist for 30 plus years,,,the difference in taxidermy ,,especially in fish work,,why you might be mistified with the talent is that a flat artist closely paints what a fish is colors,anatomy,,fin configuration,,,A Taxidermist colors a fish as real life,,,pearls,vibrant colors,,,activity,,,making their product,,look as real as the possibly can,,,they feel the fish,,the colors,,they take it personal. I can see the frustration that the other taxi is feeling,,,The original post needs to look at reference,,real fish not pictures,,study,,do the homework,,like the guy making the statement about painting the fish for him,,,do the work that intells everybody to BE a good fish guy,,,Don't just ask for a paint schedule,,make it your own!! Make it look real,,Do the fish justice,,,don't practice on your customers,,Be a taxi first then sell your product,,,ok I am done..

 

Listen guys, everybody has to start somewhere, so lay off a bit and let's help those who need help. Isn't it better that someone is asking questions and wanting to learn and do things right than just painting a fish any old way and selling it and shortchanging a customer because they are too arrogant to ask for help and be the best they can be?

As for your question, you can and should start out watching some videos from top taxidermist artists like Rick Krane and Tom Sexton. Yes, they will give you their paint schedule and if you imitate it you won't go wrong. But after you've done a few, you'll get to where you see variances in the fish more from where you live and you'll create your own schedule. You can't create your own schedule if you're just starting out, because you don't know what you're doing and where to begin! Just hang in there and take the positive advice that is helpful and forget the rest. It's like the old saying, "eat the chicken and spit out the bone."

 

Well played Johnnyb. I had been lurking on this site for over a year before ever posting and was leery of it because of the negative CRAP!! I finally decided I would try because I knew I could make positive contributions. After all if the positives let the negatives have it where would our beginners be ????
for you gnccracer291 - start with proper instruction. If you are serious about it put your money away and get hands on training with a reputable artist who reflects a positive, professional light on the industry. If you cannot afford that ( like 99.9% of us when we first started ) then there is home schooling with dvd's. A great option because if you buy the dvd's first you'll find out the supplies you need up front, saving you serious jack in trial and error.
Rick Krane is an exceptional artist and has a certain way of teaching that most people can relate to easily, but I think he would agree that there are many contributors such as Mike Orthober, Kenneth Bauman, Dave Campbell, Rich Bennedict and a whole slew of artists too many to mention here. The point is seek counsel with as many as possible. Same with your paint by the way, don't be held down by one brand, I use all sorts of mediums across the spectrum from chalk to ink to powders to traditional airbrush paints and everything in between.
Next gather all the REFERENCE you can get your hands on, no one can explain to you what a fish looks like.. like a fish!! Subscriptions to Breakthrough Magazine and taxidermy today will help you exponentially. Other subscriptions to wildlife and fishing magazines are good too. Take your own photos if you can.
In the end only you can decide how good you want to become but know this, There are MANY of us who are willing to help you get there all you have to do is ask!!!!
I'll leave you with a positive note, and I'll do what most people wouldn't have the muster to do. Here's the first bass I ever mounted over a decade ago.

 

...

 

Here's the bass I did well with at our Indiana state show in 2008. Wasn't able to do it without studying hard and asking for help !!! Man I'm glad I did !!

 

....

 

Oh yeah, forgot to mention try taxidermytrainingunlimited.com and there is some good info on youtube.

 

Steve,
Thanks for posting "Mr Black Bass"....lol..(I love it)..there is a thread or two with a lot of "first fish" posted somewhere in the archives. I havent been doing fish for a long as you but I look back now on a couple first ones and say.....well.....you know.... ;D. Super job on your 08 bass btw.

To the beginners, there is a lot of "ripe fruit" to choose from on this site, a lot of positive help. When I first started, Rick Krane spent over an hour with me on the phone on a Sunday. I would have to say, there was never an "eyeroll" if you will, in his voice because I KNOW I must have asked some pretty basic questions.
I've had multiple conversations, have swapped emails, and talked to in person at shows, with a lot of talented people that have at the very least, encouraged me to progress in the right direction. And at the most, showed and told me what I need to do to get better. I'm gonna suggest also that you attend a local show, even if its just to walk around and see the mounts. You'll learn a few things and will make a few friends..............

 

+++1, grow a good thick skin because you're take more crapola along the way. BUT for the most part the individuals at the shows are there for the very same reasons. ask questions of the folks you are trying to do similar work as, hell ask questions period of different works and different approaches to things! you never know when you're going to get served a real nugget. Take for instance, here at our last show i was invited to one of our judges shops for a couple days to just watch him work... all i have to do is get there.

dont overwhelm yourself with your feat at hand, study your reference dont just look at it, ask how others have interpreted similar projects and take your best shot.

 

Amen brothers !!!!

 

Yes, attending a show and going to seminars are worth every penny you will spend. This is what I did back in the late 90's when I attended the PA state show. I did not compete. My work wasn't that good so I would pick out a few fish in the amateur division that looked better than mine. Note book in hand, I would follow the judge around and listen and take notes and learn from the critique of others. The following years I picked out fish in the professional division that received a yellow ribbon. By doing this I gained enough information that made me good enough to pass the PA Taxidermy exam my first try in 2001. I competed once since then in the commercial division. I wanted someone other than friends, family, or customers tell me I was doing ok. I wanted someone with credentials, a judge, to let me know if my work was acceptable commercial work. The blue ribbon told me yes. I learned a few more things from his critique. Take it for what it is worth, It's how I did it.