This weeks old guy project, another thing off my want to get done list. The camera on my phone doesn't like the LED shop lights and some colors seam to wash out, but you get the idea. I used gold and silver powdered pigment to set up the base and the scale tipping was done that way as well. Looks darker without the LED's bouncing off the base.

I have some arthritis issues with my right hand and my trigger finger on the airbrush was on the struggle bus and this paint job tested it.

Here are some step-by-step pics of some of the process. These fish take a lot of time to do and it's easy to screw up with lacquer!! In my younger days I ruined more than one and had to put thinner on a rag and wipe it off and start over. I am ready to get it on the wall. I couldn't decide if I liked the perch with it so, it's removable for transport.

Beautiful! You can be proud of that!

Nice job.Awesome

Thank you!

I really like how the gills look better.On alot of mounts they have them out way to wide.

Very Nice

Yes, North Country Replicas have very nice reproductions, the fish don't look like they are being electrocuted!!


Thanks Scott

Sure looks like a real pike to me! Very nice work.

What do you charge for one of those??

Looks awesome! Great job!

Well, Flipper 56, you did a crack-up job on that fish, and I believe I'm qualified to judge it! "Lake Country" replica?

Yes I was gonna say lake county also I did one a while back and a walleye best reproductions on the market. Great job

I am retired and just catching up on some of my own projects. Not interested in doing any commission work, sorry.
Thanks for the replies.

You are confusing me though.
https://www.lakecountryreplicas.com/

Nice job Flipper!!

What kind of blank is that it looks like one from lake county. I was going back and looking at your pictures it's so crazy what light will do to color in a picture. Do you use any water based I have found over the years and from some instruction there is a lot of media to pull from.

Thanks JP!

The blank is a Signature series that comes from a silicone mold off of a fish that allows for undercuts that are not possible with an older style rigid fiberglass mold because you couldn't pull the fish from the mold. It is a https://www.lakecountryreplicas.com/ blank, not lake county like you said.
I have kind of gone back to lacquer because of some color fade issues over time with the water base paints, but I still use them both. I used dry pigments and charcoal and even women's powdered makeup to tint fleshy looking areas. Just seal the powders down with a light coat of clear lacquer. I have less problems with the airbrush from tip buildup of paint when doing a lot of fine detail with lacquer, but with water base paint, I can take my finger and wipe it off real fast if something bad happens. Not the case with lacquer.

Pretty excellent.

Bandy, look how the fish changes without the bright LED light, the candy or transparent colors really let the light through to the base color with more light. So with the colored dry pigments you can create the color variations like you see in the slime coat of a live fish. Changes with the angle to the light.

Thank you!

Very immpressive