Skull Dipping Extraordinaire: An Interview with Noelle Fulle

So what do you do when you can’t come up for a topic to write about and you see the skulls that are sitting in your office? You talk to the person who gave you all the skulls.

I decided to interview my daughter Noelle who is 16 years old and is usually my sidekick at the archery club. She started this hobby not too long ago and she really loves it.

The club members have actually played a big part in her hobby with giving her skulls and seeing what she has does with them. Even though there are spray paint cans all over the place- its great that she has pursued this hobby and she has made a small business out of it.

She wasn’t too happy about the interview but once she answered the questions she became very animated.

1.) What got you into dipping skulls with spray paint?

“I wanted to try something new and I was bored one day. I had seen it one day on a you tube video and wanted to try it so I asked my mom to get me some paint and a bucket.”

2.) Why do you like this hobby?

“Because every time I dip a skull I have no idea on what the pattern is when it comes out. Each skull that I have done gives me a different design and its neat to see what happens.”

3.) Explain your process since its not regular hydro dipping.

“Well I always make sure the skull are cleaned either by me or the person giving me the skull. I then do a base coat of whatever someone wants then I chose 3 or 4 colors. I put water in a bucket and then I spray paint into it and then move the spray paint around with a the stick and then I slowly dip the skull in starting at an angle with the nose and then upward toward the top.”

4.) Where do you get your skulls from?

“Members from our club and from family or family friends.”

5.) What if you don’t like a skull that you dipped- can you redo it?

“Yes I just paint it with a base coat of white or black and start the process over again.”

6.) Do you dip the antlers?

“No I tape them off with painters tape”

7.) How long have you been dipping skulls?

“About 2 years.”

8.) How many skulls have you dipped?

“19 so far and each of them have been different.”

9.) When you say you have no idea about the design- what do you tell your customers when they ask you how it will turn out?

“I tell them it comes out different each time and normally surprise.”

10.) How does it come out different each time? Do you do something different or is it the paint? Explain please

“It depends on how I move the paint around and how many layers of paint that I do.”

11.) Is there a specific time that you do skulls and why?

“Spring and summer and sometimes fall depending on the weather because it has to be warm for the paint to set completely. I usually follow the directions on the spray paint. I have to do this outside with a mask as my mom doesn’t want me to decorate the garage or basement with all the spray from the paint. It has to be at least 75 degrees or higher for me to do a skull.”

12.) What are your supplies that you use?

"Bucket - water- gloves- mask- newspaper- paint- piece of wood to stir. Pretty much it.”

13.) What is your normal price range for selling to customers and does it depend on the size of the skull?

“Depends on if its clean or clean it - normal $35 and up and yes it matters with the size.”

14.) If you have to clean a skull how do you do it if it is your own harvest?

“Well its definitely NOT in the house on my mom’s stove and its not over an open fire and its definitely not left over the winter and forgotten in the spring in our shed.

I have a garden bed that I have in the backyard and once the dirt thaws- I will bury and let the bugs do their job. I put something over it so that the critters don’t take the skull. Usually leave it for about 3-4 months to let the bugs eat to their content.”

15.) So I take it there is a story behind the shed thing? Would you like to share it will all:

“Wellllll, my gramps had found me a skull while walking in the woods and gave it to me and yes it still had its flesh and fur. Well, my mom ( now remember this for the later part of the story) said to put it in the shed until it starts warming up. I did. Spring comes along and we are doing work around the yard and my mom was in the shed and taking things out and she yelled me for don’t forget about your deer head that is in here. You may want to dig that hole so it can go in the soil. I dug that hole and my mom says I got it..

Well lo and behold - now remember she said to put it in there- she grabbed it by the antlers and forgetting that the brains and everything was still in the cavity- when she picked it up to move it-,the sludge came out of the back of the head - sludge meaning brain- and my mom kept yelling ewwwwwwwwww very loud and making gagging noises.

It just kept coming out and she put it on a shovel and gave it to me while saying that is the most disgusting smell I have ever smelled. Yeah everyone was laughing including our neighbor wondering what we were doing. My mom didn’t skip a beat and said to him. don’t worry I am not burying my husband as he is on the back deck” yeah fun times ‘“ ( Nadine - no it wasn’t it was really really gross and it smelled really bad)

16.) when you start dipping will you be willing to do a video showing what you do?

Sure.

As you can see some of Noelle’s designs are awesome looking and she has sold some of her pieces. She loves doing it and I am glad that she has found a passion that keeps her in the outdoors. The brain part not so much but everything else is okay.

Don’t forget to let your kids do something that you may not do only because you never know where there potential maybe.

Nadine Fulle

Pro-staff Reel Camo Girl