For Phase 2, click here: [link]

29.) Put a damp cloth over your face sculpture to keep it moist until you are ready to apply the skin. If this Phase takes you more than one day, be sure to check and make sure the cloth remains wet. You may want to bag it and put it in the fridge... (right beside the juice and leftover pizza). LOL!

30.) With the earliners, I always modefy them by cutting off the "earbutts". This way I have full range of movement in the ear if I wanted it to be facing back, foreward, or in any which way I'd like. These are earliners I bought from a Taxidermy Shop. You could make your own out of H-Form plastic or even sheet metal. I do not recommend cardboard as it will melt when wet.

31.) I then replace the plastic earbutt with one made of clay. This will bond to the shape of the head form better and more uniformly than a ridgid piece of plastic. This way the clay will smoothly blend to the head.

32.) Spread hide paste (plaster, dextrine, paper pulp mixed up is an easy recipe, or you can buy stuff from a taxidermy catalog) all over the ear. I try to not get it on the clay or you'll have a mess all over your fur if it gooshes out through your ear canal.

33.) Once you have the earliner up in the ear pocket, and all your edges are nice and crisp, you can card the ear with something like cereal box carboard cut into strips. Staple the edges so they stay in place.

34.) A Fully carded ear consists of 3 carding points. One for each corner and one in the middle to prevent the skin from drumming (a very common error. Drumming can cause your skin to be spongy, and over time, it will develop into a weak spot)

35.) Here's a fully carded pair of ears. Now the skin is ready to flop over the form!

36.) But before you apply the skin, Smear hide paste all over your sculpture.

37.) (Yes... I know it looks ugly) This is very normal.

38.) And here is the picture of the UGLIEST thing you'll ever see. The skin is loosely laid ovr the pastey head form. This is COMPLETELY NORMAL. It doesn't get much worse than this, so hold tight for the magical part!!!


THIS ENDS PHASE 3 OF THE TUTORIAL.
Stay tuned for PHASE 4!

Disclaimer: I did not hunt this wolf. It came to me already tanned from a fellow taxidermist (who didn't hunt it either). I bought it from him and am building this costume/rug for a friend of mine. This wolf came from Canada (NOT Alaska) and was imported with all Federally Legal paperwork!
Therefore the skin was not from a poached animal. All of my skins are legally obtained from taxidermy facilities or licensed hunters I speak with personally.

SO DON'T LEAVE MEAN COMMENTS!

For God's Sake! Only STUPID people leave comments on things they Hate!

For all you who love learning the art of taxidermy...
ENJOY!