Thanks again fellas.
Ed- No I don't process my own rawhide, this hide was a med./sm. whitetail and fairly thin stuff. I didn't dye the wood under the rawhide, the osage was pretty dark from sitting around the shop for years with the back ring chased. I used 'moccasin brown' leather dye diluted with alcohol and added a little bit of raw umber acrylic paint here and there. I just rubbed the alcohol and dye mix on with a cloth and it shows up splotchy like that. Where I want some darker splotches I dipped a rag with alcohol on it in the umber paint and rubbed it in here and there. Fine steel wool on some areas will help distress it too. Also sprayed a bit of shellac on then rubbed more of the color in again. I like to get some color or pattern down, shellac lightly, allow to dry, then rub some with fine steel wool. After that I rub some more of the color mix into the bow for more depth before adding the final coats of clear finish.
To be honest I often screw up trying to get the look I want and then I'll just start rubbing colors on and off until I'm satisfied with the look.
Heres one more pic of the dye/paint on rawhide, (when you see it up close it looks like some thing a child did)
