Walleye Color

You'll likely get the same response from numerous others, but I hope this is somewhat helpful. Given that it was your first fish, you can leave it as it is and use it as a learning experience, or you can strip it and start again. I personally don't use paint schedules anymore, though they were helpful in the beginning. I paint what I see, as best I can. Practice, practice, practice... and so on. I'm never truly satisfied when I'm done, but I suppose a continued effort on improvement is a side effect of my perfectionism... not a bad problem to have, but a problem nonetheless.

 

Ditto what Outdoorzman said.

Also keep in mind that walleye can vary quite a bit in coloration and tones. The Canadian shield lake walleyes I get in are quite dark in color with intense gold scales while the Lake Erie Walleye I do are much lighter with a greenish dorsal surface or green/brown. Local walleye seem to be in between.

Over time you'll get a feel for what looks right from where they are caught and customer photos help too.

BTW you can easily tone the green down with some brown.

 

To piggy back off this thread, I painted a walleye prior to the two I posted on the month of fish pictures that got really dark on me and overpainted---first one I've done in a while, plus I'm using water based/acrylic paints versus lacquer that I used on everything when I did taxidermy full time...it's been an adjustment.

I've glossed the fish already using a krylon clear acrylic gloss. This made the fish even darker, much more than I anticipated, and something else I'm still figuring out how much I need to factor in that change while painting so they turn out as what I'm envisioning once glossed and done.

I really don't want to strip the fish and start over but will if I have to. I was going to try lightening the fish up with some silvers, whites, and light golds and glossing it again. Is there any reason why I can't do this? Any tips for what to be careful of when touching up a fish after it has been glossed with the intention of glossing it again afterwards I should be aware of?

Thanks for any help in advance.

 

Where is the picture?