Re: Mounting Dan’s White Doe
Posted: Sun Sep 12, 2010 4:36 pm
Painting the Nose
First I used an airbrush to mist white on the nose, then flesh.
This deer had a lot of dark brown to black spots on the nose and lower lip and darker colored skin immediately around the nostrils and top of the nose. The edges of the spots on the nose were very distinct with sharp outlines/edges. I could have used an airbrush with a stencil to do the spots but getting the shapes of the spots correct would be a pain with a stencil. I chose to paint the spots with oil paints (a mix of black and burnt umber) and a small brush. I used the photos I took while fleshing just prior to salting for reference. After the spots on the nose pad had been recreated I went back to the airbrush to add the darker colored areas immediately around the nostrils and top of the nose. Then I sealed the nose with some Krylon triple thick glaze. Here are some pics of the finished nose.
Pics of Finished Mount
Here are some pics of the finished mount. The pics taken inside seem to be a little better. The pics taken outside, even with an overcast sky, make the deer appear very bright – almost a blinding white color, which is kind of what it is.
Some Final Words
I want to thank Dan for letting me mount his white doe. I had a lot of fun doing it.
For those that followed along, I hope you enjoyed seeing the process and have a better understanding of what goes into a nice whitetail shoulder mount.
First I used an airbrush to mist white on the nose, then flesh.
This deer had a lot of dark brown to black spots on the nose and lower lip and darker colored skin immediately around the nostrils and top of the nose. The edges of the spots on the nose were very distinct with sharp outlines/edges. I could have used an airbrush with a stencil to do the spots but getting the shapes of the spots correct would be a pain with a stencil. I chose to paint the spots with oil paints (a mix of black and burnt umber) and a small brush. I used the photos I took while fleshing just prior to salting for reference. After the spots on the nose pad had been recreated I went back to the airbrush to add the darker colored areas immediately around the nostrils and top of the nose. Then I sealed the nose with some Krylon triple thick glaze. Here are some pics of the finished nose.
Pics of Finished Mount
Here are some pics of the finished mount. The pics taken inside seem to be a little better. The pics taken outside, even with an overcast sky, make the deer appear very bright – almost a blinding white color, which is kind of what it is.
Some Final Words
I want to thank Dan for letting me mount his white doe. I had a lot of fun doing it.
For those that followed along, I hope you enjoyed seeing the process and have a better understanding of what goes into a nice whitetail shoulder mount.