Fake Snake backing with a little extra push

[JW_Halverson]

I didn't think the copperhead pattern showed up all that well over the yellow wood, so I used a fine line pigmented marker to define the pattern a little.  Really pops now. 

[willie]

 looks nice, what's it made of,
 animal, vegetable or mineral?

[JW_Halverson]

There are a couple or retailers selling this snake patterned fabric.  It comes in copperhead or in prairie rattler.  I got this thru one of the retailers that advertises here on Primitive Archery and their magazine, 3Rivers Archery.

[osage outlaw]

Looks great.

[Don Case]

Does the fake backing add any protection? Silk would be nice.

[Weylin]

tinkering job well done! That looks sharp. 

[Bowman]

Looks great. Better than the original. Very good idea. :-)

[iowabow]

That looks really great!

[4dog]

man im about to be unpopular but here goes...the black makes it pop yes..but it now looks too ..ummmm....fake...try some faint white outline next to the black ...that might make it more.."realistic" ...maybe.

[Easternarcher]

Thats really nice and exactly what I wanted to see before I tried it on mine...
Did you colour the back under it first? I hear some folks do that to enhance the colour of the fabric pattern.

[Trapper Rob]

Looks good JW.

[Eric Krewson]

You can do the same with medium brown leather dye and a fine brush like one crests arrows with.

In this case I was camouflaging the splice of two short skins. While I was at it I put the same accent on each of the "hour glasses" on the entire bow so all the skins appeared to match.

I first put a thin line on the edge of the hour glass, next I used a dry brush to blot the line away from the edge of the pattern and fade it into the center of the pattern. This is an artist's technique know as...... "dry brushing", who would have guessed?

You do need to keep a little denatured alcohol and a rag on hand to wipe off your goof-ups before the dye dries.

[Stringman]

I understand what 4dog is saying about it not looking completely realistic, but I do like the look with the outlined pattern. I have used the same idea in the past to cover up splice lines or holes and it's always a dance between concealing and overdoing. My vote is thumbs up!

[adb]

Nice! Never thought it was fake until you said so.

[4dog]

if you look at krewsons on the inside of the saddles theres a small faint white outline ...thats what  all coppers have to a certain degree   thats the part i notice anyway.