They eyes are available through WASCO  and Jonas supply company
The eyes are so much fun to work with. They are fully customizable and allow you to put a pupil of the correct size and shape into the eye.
They are also very reflective and have a accurate depth.

I paint them using Watercolor pencils and acrylic paint. This technique is very forgiving and creates a very natural effect.

Here is a quick supply list.

Krylon Matte finish
Water color pencils
Graphite drawing pencil
Small brushes
Acrylic paint
Metallic powders

Each rock is different and each type of rock has its own color.
So it pays to use some reference when painting. You want to make sure you don’t paint a piece of granite to look like sandstone.

For these rocks I am using acrylic paints and hand brushes.
The colors I used are.
White, Black, Raw umber, Burnt Sienna, Yellow Ocher, Hookers Green and White pearl.
I didnt use any specific brand of paint, but any waterbased or acrylics will do.

Lets get started!

This set of rocks I cast and arranged for a wall display for a small black bullhead.
Here is a sketch to give you the idea of the finished piece.

The original rocks were molded in silicone, and cast in polyester resin.
I used silicone caulk and will soon post a tutorial on making molds from silicone.

Here are the raw cast rocks, unpainted and arranged.

After the rocks were cast in resin and selected, I cut them to lie flat on my base and then sanded them flat.
They were then glued together with super glue.

I then primed them with a gray primer.

The base coat was then added.
The color used was dictated by the type of rock I was painting.
Beige for the sandstone on the top, reddish cream for the granite, and brown and olive for the other two.

After this was dry I antiqued the rocks by washing them with a dark brown and black.
This is a very thin wash and is brushed on with a soft flat 1/2 inch brush.
The dark color will flow into the low spots and cracks on the surface of the rock.

In the next step I started to define the crystalline structure on the granite and the marbling on the small stone to the left.
To do this I used a small brush and painted the crystals using white pearl, black and burnt sienna.
Don’t be afraid to use metallic paints when painting the rocks, dont go overboard with it, but the extra sparkle adds quite a bit of life.
The small stone on the left is a piece of rounded chert.
For it I used slightly thinned pearl and burnt sienna and black allowing the colors to blend together.

The next stage was drybrushing light highlights onto the surface.
Drybrushing is a technique where paint is applied with very little moisture.
To do this I use a flat brush roughly 1″ wide.
The brush is lightly dipped into the paint then scrubbed off onto a rag until it is almost removed.
It is perfect when you can brush it over your fingertip and highlight only the raised parts of your fingerprint.
I lightly drifted the brush over the surface of the rocks highlighting the surface and softening the colors.

Next I added a light wash of burnt sienna to the granite rock.
This warmed it up giving it a red tone, yet still allowing for your crystals to show through.

Next well the wash was still a little damp I went over the crystals again.
This time with a rather thin application.
This soaks into the damp wash and leaves a nice crinkled effect on the edges of the crystals.
Again using white pearl, burnt sienna, and black.

After this drys thoroughly I washed over all of the rocks with a thinned yellow ocher.

Next I went in and washed black into the cracks and scars of the rocks.
I used a small brush (01 size)

Since this set of rocks is going to represent an underwater scene I decided to replicate a fine layer of algae growing on the surface of the rocks.
For this I drybrushed the surface with an olive green.
I concentrated on the upper surface of the rocks, to replicate the growth of algae from the sun above.

After this the rocks were sealed and are ready to install.

Here are some additional photos.

The backside of the resin rocks.

These techniques can also be used on a larger scale for habitat displays for big game as well as small fish.
There are many many ways to paint a rock, but as with anything follow your references.

In a future blog post I will complete this display and attach the bullhead.

Good luck!

So before we jump in this is what you will need.

Molding Plaster
Water (Warm)
An electric drill
A bit for a kitchen mixer. (I get mine at thrift shops)
A few mixing containers
Some netting or wire mesh for sifting the gravel.

Here is the idea.
Plaster normally takes 20 minutes to set, but Heat will speed things along.
So we use warm water, and a fairly dry mix.
The next trick is motion, We wont let the plaster rest and will be mixing throughout the setting process. The friction of the mixer will speed the setting even more.
In five minutes we will have a bucket of gravel!

Lets get started.

Here is my mixer and my drill.
Normally it will fit right in, but sometimes you will need to grind down the tabs on the shaft.

Here is the drill set and ready to go. Remember this wont work without the drill.

For this batch I used a cup of warm water. (More on the hot side of warm)

I added enough plaster to let it mound over the water. (The goal is to form a dough rather then a smooth mix)

And off we go!!!

As we mix we will be adding more plaster. We want it to be dry and to start to clump up.

As we add plaster and keep mixing the “rocks” begin to form.

After about three minutes and a few half cups of plaster this is what we have. (It is actually warm enough you can feel heat coming off of it)

Next I got some netting so I can sift the dust off of the gravel.

I taped the netting to another pail.

I then sifted the gravel over this pail to clear the dust. You can also use several buckets with different sized netting to separate the sizes.

And there we have it. Gravel!!
Let it sit a day or so to dry, then we can paint it.
I normally use acrylics that have been diluted with water. The plaster will absorb the colored water and will look very natural.

Here is a short video that shows the whole process. It really doesn’t take long to do.

Where possible I tried to add the subspecies and separate suspected subspecies.

Trout and Whitefish

Char

Lake Trout       (Salvelinus namaycush)             Lake Michigan, (2007)

Brook Trout     (Salvelinus fontinalis)                 Parsons Creek, WI.

Bull Trout         (Salvelinus confluentus)             Flathead Lake, MT

Old world Trout

Brown Trout

            River brown     (Salmo trutta fario)        Onion River, WI

            Sea run brown (Salmo trutta trutta)       Sheboygan River, WI (2005)

            Lake brown      (Salmo trutta lacustris)   Lake Michigan, WI

Atlantic Salmon             (Salmo salar)     Pigeon River, WI (2005)

New World Trout

Rainbow trout

            Skimania     (Oncorhynchus mykiss irideus / skimania)  Sheboygan River, WI (2005)

            Kamloops   (Oncorhynchus mykiss kamloops)  Lake Michigan, WI (2007)

            Arlee  (Oncorhynchus mykiss irideus / arlee)     Pigeon River, WI (2007)

            Columbia River Redband   (Oncorhynchus mykiss gairdnerii)     Hyalite Creek, MT

Pacific Salmon

            Coho Salmon   (Oncorhynchus kisutch)                        Lake Michigan, WI      

            Chinook Salmon   (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)  Sheboygan River, WI

Whitefish

          Mountain Whitefish  (Prosopium williamsoni)    Madison River, MT

I have set up a photo album so you can follow the progress as I go.
Remember these are “In progress” pictures. so things may change as I go.

This is turning out to be a very fun project for me.

Here is the album

Aquarium Gallery

Enjoy

~Josh

I will focus on fish, since that is my main area of focus.
Sharks, Marlin, Tuna, and Tarpon all have a very unique pupil shape. And Glass eyes are just not an option if you are shooting for realism.
A highly realistic eye can add so much life to a fish mount or replica.

In this tutorial I will be focusing on an eye for a large bull shark.

Shark pupils are very unique some have vertical pupils and some horizontal. but most do not have a slit pupil like that of a snake or a cat. The pupil normally has a slight widening at the top and bottom of the slit. If you look close this is actually a series of fissures that contract in brighter light. At night these open up and the pupil will be oval or even round.
The tissue around the pupil is normally darker and has a slight texture, this tissue contracts when the pupil opens.

Here is the referance photo for the project.

Here you can see the darker tissue around the pupil, and the flaring of the pupil at the top and bottom.

we start by sculpting they eye in clay. I use polymer clay (sculpey)
Remember the eye isnt a half sphere. It is domed up at the cornea (the Corneal bulge) this is VERY important to replicate accurately if you wish to achieve a natural depth.

Here is the sculpted eye.

And you can see the corneal bulge. The bulge is the only part of the eye that is “clear”

The eye is molded with silicone. I used silicone caulk with a dap of acrylic paint, smoothed over with dishsoap.
Its a low cost alternative to the other silicones. Although this mold will not last as long, but for this project it fit the bill.

After the silicone set I removed the mold, and poured in a 50/50 blend of bondo.

A registration line is drawn on the casting and the mold so we can line it up perfectly later on.

Here is the finished cast. This was cleaned and lightly sanded smooth.

Next I drew the basic shape of the eye. I will next carve away the corneal bulge and create the dished Iris of the eye.

Here you can see the Iris dished out. I leave a small bulge in the center where the pupil sits. this replicates the lens of the eye under the tissue of the iris.

Next I carefully draw the shape of the pupil. This will now be carved out using a dremal tool and a small metal grinder.

Here is the carved out pupil. BE CAREFUL! this is a tight spot, you want to not just carve down but also hollow it out a bit.
Also remember the flaring at the top and bottom of the pupil, this is carved lightly into the iris, not going as deep as the pupil itself.

Now the fun begins, PAINTING!

Since this is species specific I will not go into the painting. Just take your time and look at the referance.

Here is the eye, you can never have a big enough referance picture for this. the potential for detail is endless.

I only painted the Iris with a little overlap onto the sclera (White of the eye)

Now the tricky part. Casting the clear portion of the eye.

Clean your silicone mold and fill it half the way with clear resin.

Here we put the resin into the mold.

At the same time fill the pupil and iris of the painted eye with resin. This will help prevent bubbles.

working quickly we put the eye back into the mold. Line up the registration line.
I find it best if the eye is rolled into the mold gently rather then pressed straight down. this helps avoid bubbles.

The eye is pressed down and the excess resin flows out. this is sanded off later.

After a few hours the resin is set and the time has come.

Here is the eye out of the mold. I normally place the mold under a lamp for about an hour before handling it.
This helps cure the surface of the resin.

Here you can see the corneal bulge right where it should be.

After the resin is set, I will polish they eye if needed. More often then not, all that is needed is a gentle buffing over a cotton cloth.

Next I paint on the surface membrane around the cornea, as well as the sclera.
The eye is then covered with a hard lacquer.

Here is the finished eye, ready to set.
I normally set them after all painting of the fish is finished. If they are set before I would cover them with molding latex to prevent scratches.

And here is the referance photo again.

As always, Good luck!
And if you have any questions feel free to ask.

Thanks for reading.

~Josh

This is my method of reproducing the colors and pattern of this species . There are many ways to do this and this is only one of them.
Reference is KEY! Study your photos, study the live fish. Look close! when you think you have looked close enough, Look closer!

I use many brands of paint and mainly apply the color with a brush.
I am a firm believer that there is no magic bullet in painting, no brand that will cover all of the bases.

That said its time to horde paint, any time you see it! Cheap, expensive, flea markets, department stores, craft stores, art supply stores………………………….. You can never have enough.

in my experience the key to painting a crappie is in the layers. The subtle variation in the patterns of crappie come from the pigment on the skin under the clear scales and the thin flap of scale pocket on the top of the scale. this is VERY hard to reproduce, because we dont have the clear scales to refract the light, so we need to cheat.
this is done by painting in washes and layers using a subtle peppery brush strokes, and pearlesent paints.

The blank primed and ready to paint.

The fish is sprayed with a dark olive drab. I spray it darker on the bars, gill, cheek and throat.
This is the only time I will use an airbrush on the fish. From here on it is all done with a small hand brush.

The surface is buffed with fine steel wool to remove the color on the highlights.
While I buff the fish I keep in mind the color pattern of the bars.

The pattern is now detailed using a dark olive color, and black.
I am painting this fish as a spawning male, so I darken the scale bases on the throat and cheek.

I add a wash of yellow ocher below the lateral line blending in a green on the back.

I now paint every scale with a pearls and iridescent color.
Light pearl below the lateral line. Green on the back in front of the dorsal.
Blue below that and under the dorsal. And purple on the back under the soft dorsal and the top of the caudal peduncle.

Now I work in white over the soft membrane under the pectoral fin and on the soft tissue of the head.
I also tip the scales on the lower portion of the body in white.

The whole fish is then washed in pearl and iridescent colors. I follow the same basic pattern as before, but I do try to overlap the colors some. Also this is a very thin translucent wash.

I go back over the darker patterns on the fish. this time working closer to the edge of the scales.
White crappie tend to carry their color on the scale tips, more so then Black crappie.
I use a combination of blacks greens and browns to get the colors I need for this step.
The fins are also darkened at this stage.

The white patterning is painted on the fins.
I normally do this is two courses. The first is a thin translucent white and the second is a more intense white concentrated more on the center of the spots. This gives the spots a soft edge.

A blend of black and yellow ocher is washed over the fins to tone down the colors.
The back is also darkened with this color.

The scales are again tipped with pearl and iridescent colors. Staying with the same basic pattern.

The white spots were retouched again and a very thin wash of yellow ocher was applied, and it was given a coat of gloss.

Finally the fins were painted and attached.
I then gave the whole fish a good looking at and touched up details here in there.
After that a good coat of gloss was applied.

Here is the fish finished and on its wall base.

Thank you for taking the time and looking through this pictorial tutorial.
If anyone has any questions fell free to ask.

~Josh

After the PVA is Dry and the mold is ready to go.
We brush on the Gelcoat. The Gelcoat is your detail coat so make sure there are no bubbles.

I will be using a different resin for the fins so just cover the body.
We dont want this to be too thick of a coat, just enough to give us a good surface.

After the gelcoat is set we mix the resin for the fins.
This is just polyester resin with fiberglass chop added.
I dont buy fiberglass chop pre cut. I prefer to use fiberglass matting cut down to size.
This gives me more control over strand size.

This is put inside the mold and worked up into the fins. Keep it thin as it is just a detail coat like the gelcoat.

Next we add more polyester resin and chop to the inside of the mold, I also add the support block at this time.

After this sets we are ready to join the halves.
Get your clamps ready!

Pour in some more resin and chop and brush it up onto the sides of the mold and the fins. This will be the “Glue” that bonds the two sides.

Then put the halves together quickly, and clamp it together.
Only but the clamps on the edges of the mold and not on the fish itself, the pressure and heat will distort the casting if you do this.

After the resin inside sets yet is still pliable I start to open the mold.
I use a screw driver and work around the edge of the mold.
If it doesn’t separate easily DONT force it.
Run it under hot water and carefully work it open.

And there is our casting.
All we need to do now, is clean the seams, trim the flashing, do any rebuilding with apoxie and paint the fish.
HA! you thought we were done!

Here is the casting cleaned up

Here are Videos of the last step in the process.
I added some music this time, partly to liven it up and partly because i like a moron left my radio on while recording.
Thanks all and enjoy

Part 4

Part 5

Thanks all!
Ill follow up in the future with a painting tutorial on this fish.
Have fun and Good luck!

http://www.knuthart.com/products.html

Some fish I have in progress are a 24-25″ Walleye, 40″ Northern pike.