Have These Fossils Been Painted Or Enhanced?

[wileyboys]

I picked up the fossils I purchased at an estate sale yesterday. In the comments to my post yesterday you asked for some better photos. Here are some close ups of the fish. Let me know your opinion. Have they been painted? If so where and how much? What do I look for?

Thanks again!!!

[snolly50]

Yes, in my opinion they have been embellished with paint. It is most evident on the Knightia shown in the 1st picture. Look at them under magnification and I believe you will discern the "enhancement." However, they display nicely and are "real" fish. Enjoy them.

[amour 25]

Need Ron to answer that, but look good to me.

[Fossildude19]

I agree. Both of them appear to have been significantly "enhanced".

The fins are mostly painted on, ... the bodies have also been painted over.

If you were to remove the paint, the fossils would not look nearly as impressive as they do now.

Regards,

[Troodon]

Pretty typical with these type of fish that the fins are painted. They are still nice and the bodies are real. Enjoy.

[RJB]

I personaly know 2 guys who will sit for days on end painting fish and then sell them to rockshops by the dozen or even by the hundreds. Sorry to say but your fish have been painted in. If you look closely you will be able to see the brush strokes. They are still fossil fish, just fixed up a bit.

RB

[sseth]

I agree. These fish have been painted. It looks as though the fossil scales flaked off in the splitting or drying process after splitting and they have use paint over the entire fossil. Typically on an unpainted fossil, the skull and backbone would have a slightly darker color than the rest of the fish. They would also have a bit more of a gloss to them due to the nature of the fossilization process.

[Eocenecarnage]

With the first fish, I would probably say yes, just because the back body near the tail fins seems to be painted over. However, the rest of the second fish and the rest of the body of the first fish seem real.

[Fossildude19]

With the first fish, I would probably say yes, just because the back body near the tail fins seems to be painted over. However, the rest of the second fish and the rest of the body of the first fish seem real.

I have to disagree with your assessment, as the second pic also shows painted on elements.

Regards,

[TNCollector]

If it were me, I would cover the thing in acetone to remove the paint and return the fossil to its natural state. Although it wouldn't look as pretty, it would be more interesting in my opinion if it was all original.

[Eocenecarnage]

Painting on fins is no different than adding plaster bones to a fragmentary dinosaur skeleton in a museum.

[JohnJ]

Painting on fins is no different than adding plaster bones to a fragmentary dinosaur skeleton in a museum.

Most often replacement bones have been modeled, or cast, from real bones. I suspect that the painted elements on most incomplete fish fins are not as comparatively accurate. Of course, this is just my opinion based on commodity-like nature of most marketed fish fossils.

"As is" vs. "reconstructed" is a subjective choice for most collectors.

[Eocenecarnage]

Most often replacement bones have been modeled, or cast, from real bones. I suspect that the painted elements on most incomplete fish fins are not as comparatively accurate. Of course, this is just my opinion based on commodity-like nature of most marketed fish fossils.

"As is" vs. "reconstructed" is a subjective choice for most collectors.

Yeah but when they cast the fake bones they often pernamently solder the real bones to iron rods with the fake bones

[JohnJ]

Yeah but when they cast the fake bones they often pernamently solder the real bones to iron rods with the fake bones

True. This happens often.

[Auspex]

The current state of the art in mounting a skeleton is to not do anything that is irreversible. The metal support armatures support the bones, but they can easily be removed.

[abyssunder]

I studied painting and graphics 15 years. I see there painted elements, as Tim shows very well.However they looks fine.

[PaleoWilliam]

It looks painted to me.