Patreon for taxidermy creators — 2026 edition
Skinning technique and measurement documentation, tanning process chemistry pickle-neutralize-tan-oil cycle, degreasing acetone ammonia and biological methods, mounting form selection and modification, glass eye sizing and placement mechanics, hide paste adhesive and gap-fill material selection, airbrush finishing and reference-photograph documentation, rogue taxidermy and artistic applications, and the Apple Tax.
Taxidermy Patreons retain when they deliver the chemistry, measurement protocol, and sequencing logic that process videos compress into jump cuts. Here is that layer: why the skinning measurement protocol matters more than the skinning technique itself (body length, girth, nose-to-eye, nose-to-ear, and eye diameter as inputs to commercial form selection, and why a half-inch error in interocular distance produces a permanently wrong-looking mount), tanning process chemistry at the reagent level (pickle stage formic acid or citric acid pH 2.0–2.5, why salt concentration matters as a swelling suppressant and not just a preservative, what glutaraldehyde tanning and chrome tanning do differently to the collagen fiber matrix, why oiling with neatsfoot oil after tanning is not optional), degreasing methods and the underlying chemistry (acetone dissolves triglycerides by polarity matching and does not saponify fat, why ammonia solution degreases by a different mechanism, why some species require multiple degreasing cycles before any tanning will hold), mounting form selection and the epoxy putty modification workflow that corrects incorrect catalog dimensions, glass eye mechanics (why iris diameter and pupil shape are species-specific variables that diameter alone cannot determine), hide paste bacteriostatic mechanism (borax pH ~9.5 and bacterial cell wall disruption), airbrush finishing documentation (reference photograph calibration, transparent oil toning sequence, pastel detailing on exposed skin), and exactly how much the Apple Tax costs a taxidermy creator earning $200–$500 per month from a 58–88% iOS audience.
1. Skinning technique and measurement documentation
The measurement protocol performed immediately after skinning is more important than the skinning technique itself, because commercial mounting forms are selected by the measurements taken from the fresh specimen and an error at this stage propagates irreversibly through the entire mount. Taxidermy Patreons that document this protocol — listing every measurement taken, the tool used, and the specific anatomical landmark being measured — give patrons the reference they need to reproduce accurate mounts independently. Document the following measurements for every bird and mammal: total body length (tip of nose to base of tail, stretched on a flat surface), total girth (circumference at the widest point of the chest/body), neck girth (circumference at mid-neck), nose-to-center-of-eye (distance from tip of nose to pupil center), nose-to-front-of-ear-base (distance from tip of nose to the point where the ear cartilage meets the skull), eye diameter (diameter of the eyeball in millimeters, measured by pressing a caliper against the skull orbit after the eyeball is removed), and interocular distance (center-to-center distance between the two eye orbits).
Incision placement determines how well the hide will lie over the form and how visible the seam will be in the finished mount. For small mammals (squirrel, rabbit, mink), the ventral incision runs from the sternum to the base of the tail along the belly midline; this incision is hidden against the mount board or substrate and produces a clean dorsal appearance. For birds, the incision runs along the dorsal midline or, for display birds shown on a perch, along the ventral midline from neck to tail. For whitetail deer shoulder mounts, the incision runs from the back of each antler base down to a meeting point at the top of the neck (a Y-shaped incision or a single dorsal midline cut depending on taxidermist preference). Document the incision placement diagram for each species you work, the tool used (scalpel vs knife blade, blade number for scalpels), and any anatomical landmarks that serve as incision termination points.
Fleshing removes the subcutaneous fat, membrane, and muscle tissue from the inner surface of the hide before preservation. For small mammals, a wire brush fleshing tool or a fleshing beam with a dull fleshing knife is used. The critical anatomical areas are the ears (must be split to remove the cartilage from the ear leather — this is the same procedure as ear boning described in section 6), the lips (the natural lip fold must be split open and the dermis exposed to the correct depth for hide paste adhesion), and the eyelids (thin dermis that tears easily). Document the fleshing tool, the fleshing surface, the thickness of the resulting hide at specific body regions after fleshing, and any areas where the hide was thinned more aggressively (fatty tail bases, cheek jowls on heavy specimens, footpad borders). Initial preservation between skinning and tanning: salt packing (fine non-iodized salt applied liberally to the fleshed inner surface), rolled and packed in a plastic bag, refrigerated or frozen. Document the salt brand, the application weight per square foot of hide, and the storage temperature and duration before sending to the tanner or beginning the in-house tanning process.
2. Tanning process chemistry
Tanning converts the raw hide from a biological material (collagen fibers in a ground substance matrix) into a stable, non-putrescent leather by forming chemical crosslinks between the collagen fibers. Without tanning, the hide is vulnerable to bacterial degradation, dry rot, and hair slippage (the separation of the hair shaft from the follicle in the dermis, which is the most common failure mode in poorly preserved amateur mounts). The tanning workflow consists of four chemically distinct stages: pickle, neutralize, tan, and oil. Each stage requires a specific chemistry and a specific endpoint measurement.
The pickle stage acidifies the hide to prepare the collagen fiber structure for tanner penetration and to suppress bacterial activity. Two acid systems are commonly used: formic acid (HCOOH, a carboxylic acid with strong bacteriostatic properties, used at 0.5–1.0% by weight in salt solution) and citric acid (H3C6H5O7, a tricarboxylic acid, used at 1.0–2.0% by weight). The pickle bath must also contain non-iodized salt at 40% concentration by weight (approximately 400 g per liter of water). The salt serves as an osmotic pressure equalizer that prevents the hide from swelling and the collagen fibers from hydrating and distorting in the acid solution — this is the primary function of salt in the pickle, not preservation. The target pH of the pickle solution is 2.0–2.5 (measured with a calibrated pH meter; pH strips are insufficiently accurate in this range). Document the acid used, the acid concentration, the salt concentration, the measured starting pH, the pickle temperature (room temperature 65–75°F), the duration (24 hours for small mammals, 48–72 hours for deer and large mammals), and the measured pH at bath entry and exit.
Neutralization raises the pH of the pickled hide to the working range of the tanning agent, typically pH 4.0–5.0. Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) is added to the pickle bath gradually — never all at once, as rapid CO2 evolution can damage the hide — in increments of 0.5 oz per gallon until the target pH is achieved. Check pH after each addition and allow 15–20 minutes for equilibration before re-testing. Document the sodium bicarbonate addition amounts, the pH readings after each addition, and the final measured pH before moving to the tanning stage.
Tanning agents crosslink the collagen fibers by different chemical mechanisms. Glutaraldehyde-based synthetic tans (EZ-100, Liqua-Tan, LUTAN F): glutaraldehyde (OHC–(CH2)3–CHO, a bifunctional aldehyde) reacts with the free amino groups of collagen lysine and hydroxylysine residues, forming imine crosslinks (Schiff base reactions) that are stable across the full range of mounting and handling conditions. These are the most common taxidermy tans and produce a white, pliable leather. Chrome tanning uses chromium(III) sulfate Cr2(SO4)3 to crosslink collagen fibers through coordinate bonds with the carboxyl and amino groups of collagen peptide chains; the result is a blue-gray leather with superior heat resistance and excellent drape for museum-quality mounts. Chrome tan requires a basification step (raising the pH from ~3.5 to ~4.5 during tanning using sodium bicarbonate or formic acid sodium salt) to fix the chrome. Document the tanning agent used, the manufacturer and product name, the concentration in the bath (typically 4–8 oz per gallon for synthetic tans), the bath temperature, the duration, and the endpoint assessment method (bend test: fully tanned hide is pliable and does not return to a rigid state at the thickest cross-section).
Oiling with neatsfoot oil (or a proprietary taxidermy hide oil) after tanning is required to restore the lubrication between collagen fiber bundles that was stripped during the acid pickle. Without oiling, the leather is dry, brittle, and prone to cracking at stress points (ears, face, around the eyes). Apply oil generously to the inner surface of the hide immediately after removing from the tanning bath while the hide is still damp; the oil penetrates most effectively when the hide is at 65–75% moisture content. Document the oil product, the application rate (weight of oil per square foot of hide), the application temperature, and the post-oil relaxation period before mounting.
3. Degreasing chemistry and method selection
Degreasing removes the triglyceride fat from within the collagen matrix of fatty species before tanning. If fat is not removed, the tanning agents cannot penetrate to the collagen fibers, the tan is incomplete, and the hide will turn rancid over time as the residual fat oxidizes — producing the characteristic odor of poorly mounted museum specimens decades later. Not all species require degreasing: white-tailed deer hides are relatively lean and typically go straight to pickle. Heavily fatty species that require degreasing include beaver, black bear, grizzly bear, waterfowl (ducks and geese have dense subcutaneous fat for insulation), wild boar, and most marine mammals. Document for each species whether you degrease, the method chosen, and the endpoint assessment before tanning.
Acetone degreasing: acetone (CH3COCH3) dissolves triglycerides by polarity matching — both acetone and fat are non-polar to slightly polar molecules, and non-polar solvents dissolve non-polar solutes (the “like dissolves like” principle). Acetone does not saponify fat (convert it to soap and glycerol), which is why it can be rinsed cleanly from the hide without leaving a soap film. Soak the fleshed, unpickled hide in acetone (100% technical grade; isopropyl acetone is not equivalent) for 24–72 hours, agitating periodically. The acetone bath will visibly cloud and yellow as fat dissolves. Change the bath when saturation is visible (solution is strongly yellow-brown). Safety: acetone is highly flammable (flash point −20°C) and must be used with adequate ventilation away from ignition sources. Document the bath volume, the duration per cycle, the number of cycles, and the final bath color as an endpoint indicator.
Ammonia degreasing: 10% ammonia solution (NH3 in water) at 100–130°F degreases via two mechanisms — saponification (converting ester bonds in triglycerides to soap and glycerol, which are water-soluble) and emulsification (the ammonium soap produced acts as an emulsifier for remaining fat). Mechanical agitation (rotation drum or periodic manual agitation) is essential to remove the emulsified fat from the hide surface. Ammonia degreasing is slower than acetone (48–96 hours for heavily fatty specimens) and requires thorough rinsing after treatment to remove ammonia residues that will interfere with the subsequent pickle pH. Document bath concentration, temperature (measured with a thermometer, not estimated), duration, and post-treatment rinse volume and time.
Dawn dish soap degreasing: diluted Dawn Original (sodium lauryl sulfate + sodium laureth sulfate + surfactant blend) at 1–2% in warm water (100–140°F) emulsifies surface and subsurface fat mechanically without chemical conversion. This method is gentler than acetone or ammonia and is preferred for bird specimens where feather barb structure can be damaged by aggressive solvents. Soak duration 24–48 hours with gentle agitation. Multiple cycles are required for heavily fatty birds (ducks, geese, pelicans). Enzymatic degreasing products (Biosupply ENZOL, or diluted biological enzyme cleaners) use lipase enzymes to hydrolyze triglycerides to fatty acids and glycerol at the molecular level; this is the slowest method (5–10 days) but the most complete and the gentlest on feather barbs and filaments. Document method by species, bath parameters, cycle count, and post-degreasing rinse protocol for each specimen type.
4. Mounting form selection and modification
Commercial urethane foam mounting forms are manufactured by companies including McKenzie Taxidermy Supply, WASCO, Research Mannikins, and Van Dyke’s Taxidermy. Forms are catalogued by species and by the measurement set taken from the specimen — body length, body girth, neck girth, and (for head mounts) the nose-to-eye and nose-to-ear distances. The form catalog dimension set does not match every individual specimen: deer nose-to-eye distances in particular vary significantly by age class and genetic lineage, and a catalog form for a given neck girth may have the wrong nose-to-eye distance, wrong interocular distance, or wrong eye socket orientation (eye cant angle is species- and individual-specific). If you mount the hide on an incorrect form without modification, the mount will have visible dimensional errors that become more apparent as the hide dries and contracts. Document the catalog form number used, the measured specimen dimensions, and the delta between catalog form dimensions and specimen measurements for each mount you document on Patreon.
Form modification to correct dimensional discrepancies uses two primary materials. Epoxy sculpting putty (Apoxie Sculpt, Aves Studio; two-part equal-volume mix, pot life 1–3 hours, full cure 24 hours, Shore D hardness ~80 when cured) is used to build up areas where the form is smaller than the specimen: building out the nose bridge to increase nose-to-eye distance, widening the interocular area to move the eye sockets farther apart, extending the muzzle, or reshaping the ear pocket geometry. Apoxie Sculpt adheres directly to urethane foam and can be carved, filed, and sanded after curing. Critter Clay (an air-dry clay specific to taxidermy work) is used for smaller corrections and for filling the gap between the hide edge and the mounting form around the face, eyes, lips, and ears. Document the specific correction applied to each mount: which dimension was wrong, how much material was added (in millimeters), what tool was used to shape the added material, and the visual assessment before the hide was applied.
Eye socket preparation is performed on the form before the hide is applied: the eye socket is routed or ground to the correct depth for the glass eye you will be using, and the socket geometry is modified to match the eye position in the reference photograph. The wall thickness between the eye socket and the skin surface determines how the eyelid drapes over the eye when the hide is pulled over the form — too thin and the eyelid collapses inward; too thick and the eyelid stands away from the glass eye unnaturally. Ear pocket geometry: commercial forms have pre-formed ear pockets that accept the ear cartilage in anatomical position. If the ear cartilage has been removed and replaced with a commercial liner (section 6), verify that the liner size matches the pocket geometry. Document ear liner brand and size used for each specimen.
5. Glass eye sizing, selection, and placement
Glass eyes for taxidermy are specified by three dimensions: total eye diameter (the outer diameter of the glass blank), iris diameter (the diameter of the painted iris within the glass), and the pupil shape (round, vertical slit, horizontal oval, or W-shaped as in ungulates). All three dimensions must match the species and, for portrait-quality work, the individual specimen. A whitetail deer eye is approximately 28–32 mm total diameter with an elongated horizontal pupil; a red fox eye is approximately 16–18 mm with a vertical slit pupil; a barn owl eye is approximately 22–24 mm with a round pupil. Within any given species, individual animals vary in eye size by age class, sex, and regional population. Document the measured eye diameter from the fresh specimen before it is discarded, compare to the glass eye selected, and note the difference. Glass eye catalogs (Tohickon, Pfeil & Holing, McKenzie) list eyes by species common name and by metric diameter — verify that the iris diameter and pupil shape match before ordering.
Setting depth determines how the eyelid appears to drape over the glass eye in the finished mount. Flush-set eyes (where the glass surface is level with the surrounding skin) appear glassy and un-natural; anatomically correct eyes are slightly recessed below the eyelid plane, with the upper eyelid slightly overhanging the glass at the twelve o’clock position. The correct recess depth is species-specific and is best established by reference photograph analysis: measure the proportion of the iris visible above and below the eyelid plane in your best reference photograph. The setting medium holds the eye in position while the hide is applied and provides a cushion that can be shaped to the eyelid drape. Critter Clay is the standard setting medium: apply a ring of clay in the routed socket, press the glass eye into position to the correct depth, and do not allow the clay to contact the front glass surface. Epoxy putty can be used as an alternative setting medium for permanent positioning. The iterative assessment method: after applying the hide and pinning but before any hide paste cures, stand back two to three meters from the mount and assess the eye position at normal viewing distance. Small adjustments in eye cant angle (the tilt of the eye axis toward the nose or away) and depth are easier to make at this stage than after the hide dries.
6. Hide paste, adhesive systems, ear boning, and lip tucking
Hide paste is the primary adhesive that bonds the inner surface of the tanned hide to the urethane foam mounting form. Commercial taxidermy hide pastes (McKenzie’s, WASCO Hide Paste) contain water, borax (sodium tetraborate decahydrate Na2B4O7·10H2O), glycerin (as a humectant to extend working time), and a surfactant for penetration into the hide surface. Borax in water produces a mildly alkaline solution with a pH of approximately 9.5; this pH level is bacteriostatic because most bacteria require near-neutral pH (6.5–7.5) to metabolize. The borax in hide paste therefore provides continued preservation of the mounted hide even after the primary tanning and continues to suppress bacterial activity at the hide-to-form interface. Apply hide paste to both surfaces (form and hide inner surface) for critical adhesion areas: the face, lip tuck, ear liner edges, and all areas where the hide must be held in anatomical position while drying. Document the hide paste brand, the application method (brush, putty knife, or roller), and the coverage rate per square foot.
Supplemental adhesives for structural gaps: Bondo (commercial polyester body filler; two-part: polyester resin + hardener, 3–5 minute pot life) is used for filling large cavities in the mounting form where structural support is needed immediately, such as gap-filling around the nose and lips where the foam form may not exactly match the specimen’s tissue volume. Bondo cures hard and rigid and cannot be repositioned, so it is used only for areas that will be covered by the hide and where precision is not required. Apoxie Sculpt (as described in section 4) is preferred over Bondo for areas visible in the finished mount where detail modeling is required.
Ear boning is the process of removing the ear cartilage from the ear leather (the outer ear skin) and replacing it with a rigid support structure. The ear leather is split along the medial surface — the skin is separated from the cartilage by working a flat tool between the two layers progressively from the ear tip toward the base. Once the cartilage is exposed, it is cut free and removed. The resulting hollow ear leather is then filled with a commercial ear liner (thin sheets of urethane foam cut to shape, or injection-molded commercial liners), or the cartilage space is filled with Apoxie Sculpt and allowed to cure with the ear held in the display position. Document the method used for each specimen: liner brand and size, or sculpt material and curing position.
Lip tucking is the process of splitting the natural lip fold along the upper and lower lip margins, preparing the inner dermis for hide paste adhesion, and inserting the prepared lip edge into the lip groove of the mounting form. The lip fold — the hairline fold where the hair of the face meets the naked skin of the lip margin — must be separated from the inside by running a scalpel along the dermis-to-subcutaneous junction for the entire length of both lips. This exposes the inner dermis of the lip fold, which is the bonding surface for hide paste. The prepared lip is then inserted into the groove routed into the mounting form and held in position with pins while the hide paste cures. Improper lip tucking is one of the most visible failure modes in amateur mounts: the lip fold will open or will show a seam line running along the mouth. Document the lip tuck procedure in detail because it is not visible in any process video once the hide is mounted.
7. Airbrush finishing and reference-photograph documentation
The finishing stage applies color to the exposed skin surfaces of the mounted specimen (nose, foot pads, bare facial skin, wattles, combs, and dewlaps in birds and some mammals). The underlying biological truth: skin color in fresh specimens is produced by blood perfusion (which disappears immediately at death), melanin pigmentation in the dermis (which persists), and structural color from the tissue architecture in some birds (which also persists but changes in opacity as tissue dehydrates). The taxidermist must reconstruct the lost blood perfusion color from reference photographs of living or freshly deceased specimens. Document the reference photographs used for each mount (species, season, sex, age class, geographic region) and the color sampling method (digital sampling from calibrated reference, or comparison to a standardized color chip set).
Airbrush equipment: a dual-action internal-mix airbrush at 20–30 PSI is standard for taxidermy finishing work. Transparent oil paint toning (Winsor & Newton Artisan water-mixable oil paints or traditional oils thinned with odorless mineral spirits OMS) produces the most naturalistic skin color because the transparent pigment layers interact with the underlying form color in the way that biological tissue does. Apply layers in sequence from the deepest undertone outward: (1) a warm base tone (burnt sienna or raw sienna thinned to water consistency with OMS) across all skin areas to establish the undertone, (2) a middle tone (mix of burnt umber and raw sienna) concentrated at the deepest creases and around the nostril openings, (3) cool shadow tones (ivory black or paynes gray at the recesses of the ear canal, the inner corner of the eye), and (4) warm highlight tones (cadmium yellow pale or naples yellow at the highest convex surfaces of the nose). Each layer must be fully dry before the next is applied; oil paint drying time with OMS thinning is approximately 12–24 hours per layer.
Pastel powder application for fine skin texture: dry pastel sticks (Rembrandt or Sennelier pastels) scraped with a knife blade to produce a fine powder, then stippled onto the nose leather with a stiff bristle brush, create the fine-pored skin texture visible in close-up photographs of finished mounts. This technique applies concentrated pigment at the micro-surface level without the flow that airbrush produces. Document the pastel colors used (manufacturer name and color number), the application sequence, and the brush type and stiffness. Protective topcoat: nose leather in finished deer mounts receives a gloss topcoat (Polytranspar Adhesive Clear, or Satin Polytranspar) to replicate the moist-appearing surface of a living animal’s nose. Foot pads on bird and small mammal mounts receive a matte topcoat (Createx Intercoat Clear or Windex-thinned craft glue) to replicate dry skin texture. Document the product, dilution ratio, and number of coats applied.
Freeze-drying as an alternative preservation method: commercial freeze dryers (Harvest Right, or industrial units from taxidermy suppliers) remove moisture from the specimen by sublimation under vacuum, bypassing the liquid phase. The specimen is positioned in the anatomical display position before freeze-drying and holds that position after drying because cellular structure is maintained (cell walls do not collapse as they do in conventional drying). Freeze-dried specimens retain more original color in skin, feather barbs, and bill/beak keratin than conventionally mounted specimens because oxidation during drying is minimal. Freeze-drying parameters: specimen temperature −20 to −40°C, chamber vacuum 100–500 mTorr, duration 5–21 days depending on specimen mass. Document these parameters for each freeze-dried specimen and include the pre- and post-freeze photographs to show color retention.
8. Rogue taxidermy and ethical sourcing
Rogue taxidermy (also called “anthropomorphic taxidermy” or “oddities taxidermy”) applies conventional taxidermy preservation techniques to create artistic or fantastical assemblages: small mammals posed in human clothing and Victorian parlor scenes (the tradition established by Walter Potter in the 19th century), hybrid assemblages (non-matching species assembled into fantastical creatures), and contemporary gallery art incorporating taxidermy specimens. The techniques are identical to conventional taxidermy — the same skinning, tanning, mounting, and finishing methods — but the design and composition goals differ entirely. Document the artistic intent, the species used and their sources, and the composition decisions for each piece.
Ethical sourcing documentation is more important for rogue taxidermy Patreons than for conventional sport taxidermy Patreons because rogue taxidermy audiences frequently include people unfamiliar with hunting seasons and wildlife regulations. Legal sources for taxidermy specimens in the United States include: hunter-harvested game animals (during legal hunting seasons with valid licenses and tags; document the hunter, the species, the date, and the jurisdiction), farm-raised animals (domestic rabbits, chickens, turkeys, rats, and other non-protected species), animals that died of natural causes or were found as roadkill (varies by state and species — document the specific regulation in your jurisdiction), and commercially purchased taxidermy supply specimens (sold as pre-tanned forms for educational and artistic use). The critical prohibition: the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) of 1918 and its amendments prohibit the collection, possession, transport, sale, or exchange of any feathers, eggs, nests, or parts of migratory birds in the United States, including birds found dead of natural causes, with narrow exceptions for permitted scientific research and educational institutions. Most North American bird species are protected under the MBTA; this includes all songbirds, raptors, waterfowl, shorebirds, and most other birds except non-native introduced species (house sparrows, European starlings, rock pigeons). Document your sourcing explicitly on Patreon to establish trust with audiences and to create a clear record for any regulatory inquiry.
9. Apple Tax
Taxidermy content reaches iOS audiences at rates that vary significantly by platform: YouTube taxidermy how-to tutorials have a relatively high desktop share because viewers often watch process documentation while working at a bench, placing them in the 58–72% iOS range (below the 75–85% iOS rates typical of Instagram-first visual crafts). Instagram taxidermy art posts and rogue taxidermy galleries reach 72–84% iOS. TikTok taxidermy reveal and transformation videos (the “before and after” format performs strongly on TikTok) reach 76–88% iOS. A Patreon earning $200/month from a YouTube-primary audience at 62% iOS loses $200 × 0.62 × 0.30 = $37.20/month ($446/year). At $300/month from a mixed YouTube and Instagram audience at 68% iOS: $300 × 0.68 × 0.30 = $61.20/month ($734/year). At $400/month from an Instagram-primary taxidermy art account at 76% iOS: $400 × 0.76 × 0.30 = $91.20/month ($1,094/year). At $500/month from a TikTok-primary reveal account at 82% iOS: $500 × 0.82 × 0.30 = $123/month ($1,476/year).
Enable Patreon’s web-only billing toggle before October 31, 2026. Update all YouTube description links, Instagram bio links, and TikTok bio links to the Patreon web URL rather than any mobile app deep link. Post a single “subscribe on the web” instruction pinned at the top of your Patreon page and in your platform bio, directing supporters to open a browser rather than the Patreon app. Test the subscription flow from Safari on iPhone before November 1. The web-only toggle removes the 30% Apple fee entirely for any patron who subscribes via the browser rather than the iOS app, with no effect on patrons who already subscribe via the web, Android, or desktop.
See the taxidermy Patreon tier structure guide for two-tier Patreon frameworks for sport taxidermists, rogue taxidermy artists, and educational taxidermy creators, and for how to structure documentation tiers versus portfolio access tiers.