Fish painting schedules

Never known as a "great fish guy", but I don't follow a schedule ever and never have. There are too many color variations.... if you try to match a photo or seasonal (regional) look if you don't have one.

Perch and walleye are usually going to be yellow hued....colors from pale tanish pearls to saturated yellows, yellow oranges, and yellow greens being predominate. Consider the components of these and you should be on your way to your own approach without a set "schedule."

Lots of skin mount walleye get little more than a white, candy or transparent yellow, red, and shading color (black or paynes grey), and perhaps a pearl for effect. Many aren't well done, but a nice walleye can be accomplished with these colors. Throw in a brown and, perhaps, a blue and there isn't much else to ask for. In fact, with some practice, red, yellow, blue, white and pearl will do in a pinch.

Best, Scott

 

If you are just starting fish taxidermy, I would recommend WASCO's fish painting manual. It will get you going in the right direction and as you learn you can than began to tweak things to your satisfaction.

 

Scott's right on the money.

 

Super Question and a great answer Scott! It is so hard in the beginning! We all start at the same gate with a an airbrush in our hand and all the fear that goes along with it! Just remember don't be hard on your self my first 50 fish I'm sure were not as bad as I remember them then to be but I can assure you that were not that great. That being said they were as good as what I knew at the time and as I learned and studied and attended as many seminars as I could I would eventually loos some of that fear. You'll get there!!! You will as long as you don't give up on yourself!
As a teacher of the fish arts I see all sorts of skill levels but one common theme... uncertainty! Painting is a skill for sure but alot of aspects of it are mechanical in way. We teach the rules of color also known as the therapy of color. It is a very old system of painting but I'm found it! Believe in your self and learn as much as you can. A step by step paint schedule will get you started but you will need to learn how to paint as this will be the key for you to choose a color or too know which one you want to put down first.

Here is a chum we fished recently and other then a few spots and some fin work this was the only airbrush work on this fish. I share this with you because there was no way in the world I could ever imagine when I was stating out that I could or even better yet teach a taxidermist to paint but it is all possible! Just go for it and be open to learning! Remember as I teach folks "color is the end result of what you see how it gets there is up to you"!

My Best
Rick Krane
Anglers Artistry

 

This topic always comes up often when I see paint schedules and God knows I have followed them from books etc. and what worked back then was fine however there are new ways of seeing developments in painting now that schedules are not used anymore. They are a great starting point for the first couple of fish and you will feel proud of them until you do an extremely great job with other medians.

I was in this same position in my work years ago and do to an extremely illness that I have been fighting now for a year I will be a couple more months before I can continue and I will be pleased to post my work once I am back at it. However I worked hard to make my fish look great and if the mounting process is not done correctly the paint will not hide it in fact it will most likely make it stand out even more and adding more paint will not hide it and that is when black paint comes in to tone it down etc. making the fish look not right but acceptable to some. I spent a considerable amount of money buying various books schedule from everywhere and still did not come up with the proper combination to make my work excel. After all I spent on books schedules and VHS tapes going back some and then some DVD's I finally swore that I would never spend another cent as they are all the same just taking my money and not making me a better artist whatsoever.

The came along this other artist named Rick Krane and I followed his articles looked him up in various taxidermy magazines and I still said I would not purchase his DVD's as to me they are all the same wanting to move products that I would not be impressed with. I wanted to but did not want to spend the money and my wife now gets involved as she knows how I like to be a perfectionist and convinced me to buy just one DVD to see if in fact it is Rick Krane claims it is. Well I have been eating crow ever since. I bought one of the original ones that were filmed my another company and my first fish stood out that knocked my socks off. Everybody that seen it wanted to know who done the work I guess I was not as good as I thought I was. The when Rick Krane came out with his filming of the DVD's in his shop my wife purchased a few for me for Christmas and it was the best Christmas gift I have ever received. Rick goes way beyond any literature out there and his methods are so easy as it is explained step by step and you can't go wrong. I wish I wasn't so bull headed and went at it earlier.

Then it happened I went and took a work shop with Rick and my fish improved so much that I gave away everything that I had in my shop that was on display as it was definitely not up to any standards. After the work shop I came home and the walleye that I did at the work shop I did not complete as I did not want to enter that in my first competition so I mounted a pair of walleyes and painted them with Rick's DVD instructions and won First and Second place in Professional Class at the Canadian Taxidermy competitions. I have not done anything since due to my cancer illness. I will complete the walleye that I did at Rick's shop once that I am able to.

I will state that I find just as many procrastinators on this site that will not even attempt to purchase one of Rick's DVD's and probably you are in the same boat as I am being bull headed and stubborn and until you do you are at the losing end. This is not an endorsement but someone that wants to help the new guys out there by telling his story. Rick is the man to help the new guys and the advanced taxidermists. You will learn that everyone that mentions Rick only tells you the same story that I am mentioning Damn we can't all be wrong. Make the call and get the DVD you won't be sorry. I have since purchased more DVD's and need about 5 more for the whole set and they will come. I will also purchase any new ones that Rick will be producing and so far he is the only taxidermist that tells you everything there are no secrets with Rick. He truly wants us at the top level of fish taxidermy. He has produced more World Champions and I am hoping to get one of those titles before I leave this earth.

Sorry for getting long winded I need to get some rest and all the best to all the fish heads on here I like seeing the work and the level it has risen to.

Best regards,
Sam

This is the first attempt with Rick's DVD on a Rich Benedict reproduction which was almost finished but I was so proud how it turned out that the customer did not want me to do anymore to it he loved it. my work has excelled from that day forward tenfold.

 

Judy....I've been doing fish many years and have won lots of ribbons at regional competitions and a lot of greenbacks, my favorite....AND I'M C_O_L_O_R blind in the red-green spectrum. I paint what I see knowing that you will see it different than I do but it will look like the fish you want to see. If you can understand that you are on your way to become an accomplished fish artist. I too started out with the WASCO Fish Painting book as well as the Ron Reynolds book and I still go back to them from time to time. Join your local Taxidermy Association and go to their meetings and competitions. Listen in on every critique given by the fish judge as this will help you immensely . Subscribe to Breakthrough and Taxidermy Today magazines...a lot of good information shows up in their pages. Also Rick Crane's DVDs will give you broader ways to paint fish that won't be in the magazines and are worthwhile buying to round out your knowledge. But my best advice to you is to not give up. I taught this to my son and he's pretty successful ...take a look at what not giving up created at www.killerpaint.com . Good luck JL

 

Judy,

You sound like a true taxidermist when you are your own worst critic, as we all are hard on ourselves as well. It was already mentioned before by JL I believe and that is to join your state association. You will learn in leaps and bounds and best of luck to you, look forward to see your accomplishments.

Regards,
Sam