Never seen anyone paint the plaster, doesn't look half bad. I much prefer a European mount of smaller bucks, but I will occasionally do an antler plaque mount. I like to use the pre-made covers from Van Dykes that look like they are covered in leather. The angle on the skull should be determined at the time you cut it and fine tuned with a rasp/stationary belt sander, no need for the screw that was used to determine angle. I use decorative tacks around the skull plate cover and gold braid at the antler burrs. A nice oak or walnut plaque finishes off the project.
