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Thread: On Stranger Tides Mermaid Tail

  1. #1
    Senior Member Pod of Cali Prince Calypso's Avatar
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    On Stranger Tides Mermaid Tail

    ok so i think i posted something like this on the last forum but idgaf so im gonna do it again lol
    this is my mermaid tail
    http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...type=1&theater

    my intention to si do a scale patern like mermaid Kiara and add fins along the sides.
    I'm aiming for something that will resemble the mermaid tails from POTC On Stranger Tides... hopefully.
    there is just one problem. i have no clue where to start or what to do.
    if any one can help me i would really appreciated it.
    sketches, designs, sewing and fabric ideas. anything would be great

    Calypso

  2. #2
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    you know what bugged me about that movie? what happened to her and the guy after they swam underwater? The movie just didn't show anything else about them! Did he drown? Did she help him escape? I have nooo idea.

    good luck on your tail making journey

  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by AniaR View Post
    you know what bugged me about that movie? what happened to her and the guy after they swam underwater? The movie just didn't show anything else about them! Did he drown? Did she help him escape? I have nooo idea.

    good luck on your tail making journey
    I'm working my way towards reading the book after having had a good time reading other novels by Tim Powers and after having seen the film and trying to work out how you'd fit Jack Sparrow into one of his novels, I came to the conclusion that the guy who falls for the mermaid must have been a far more important character in the book than in the film.

    I remember being surprised by the way that he seemed to be a background character at the start and then oddly started to be more central to the plot while at the same time being pushed out of the way of Johnny Depp's swaggering.

    Perhaps the book has far more to say about the fate of the mermaid and her protector than the film could include?

  4. #4
    Senior Member Chesapeake Pod ShyMer's Avatar
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    So after doing a quick image search I see that the scales are shorter and wider.

    If you wanted to make them look textured and shimmery you could possibly use a finer point brush to dab more intense and whiter color on top of a darker base color. Blue should be pretty easy to pull it off with

    Have you looked up any of the other threads on painting a tail? There are a lot of good tips you'll wanna use, such as stuffing your tail with something so that the material is stretched out and you won't end up with crackly paint when you put it on.
    One thing you could maybe do if it works for you- I've not done it myself so I can't particularly vouch for it, though I've been eyeing it- is to do a screen printing/stencil approach. You'd take an embroidery hoop and put something like organza or some sort of mesh fabric on it. Trace or draw your scale design on it, trying to keep each scale the same so that it matches up, then put white glue anywhere you would not want paint to go through, such as the outline.
    When the glue is dry, you'd use it as a stencil, applying your paint on top so it goes through.
    The main advantage to using this technique would be that you'd get consistency. It might also be messier though, depending how the paint squished through your stencil. If it were me though, I'd do a test swatch first, using the stencil to make a base layer of color and putting more layers of color on top to define the scales.

    Anyway it's just one way to do it.

    There's also this method, using a piece of plastic to do one scale at a time, and maybe look at these swatches. They're lovely

  5. #5
    @ AniaR At one point in the movie (I can't remember where, I guess I'll have to see it again), someone remarks that if a man is kissed by a mermaid who loves him, he can no longer drown. If you have the movie see if you can find it.

    Alveric2

  6. #6
    Senior Member Undisclosed Pod
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    Did you get your blue tail from The2tail?? I think I have the same one!

    Anyway...For long side fins you should try similar colored mesh! Good luck!
    "Silence is beautiful, not awkward. The human tendency to be afraid of something beautiful is awkward."

  7. #7
    Senior Member Pod of Texas Mermaid Hamant's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by AniaR View Post
    you know what bugged me about that movie? what happened to her and the guy after they swam underwater? The movie just didn't show anything else about them! Did he drown? Did she help him escape? I have nooo idea.

    good luck on your tail making journey
    In the movie, it is stated that if a man is kissed by a mermaid, it protects him from drowning. She kissed him before pulling him under which meant that he wouldn't drown. They probably swam back to the sea to live together.

  8. #8
    Tht bugged me too. Ill try to find and read the book as well

  9. #9
    Senior Member Pod of The South Mermaid Star's Avatar
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    I an sure all of that was left open for the next movie! More mermaids!


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  10. #10
    I actually did some research on the tails in this movie and how the SFX artists designed them. They actually have a total of 5 fins all around the tail: the side fins that go from the waist to the end on the left and right sides (2), a heel fin (1), and a set of double fins that go along where the "shins" would be on the front side of the tail (2).



    In this picture (a screencap from the attack scene) you can see the heel fin that starts at around the back of the knee and goes down towards the fluke. You can also see the more prominent side fins, and you can barely see a hint of the shin fins on the underside of the tail.


    In this screencap, you can see a better side view of the tail. You can see the shape of the heel fin better and the same goes for the shin fins on the underside.
    And last one...

    Here is when Syrena is being kept in the small tank of water, she turns and moves around showing different parts of her tail. At this moment in the movie she shows the front side of her tail showing the two shin fins that run parallel to each other in the pictures above.

    I just wanted to give you these as a reference in case you wanted to do a super detailed version of the 'Stranger Tides' tails.

    And just on a side note, once you know where all the fins and stuff are on the mermaids, you start to notice them in other scenes like when Syrena is swimming through the mermaid pools and saves Philip. I know from watching the movie like a million times. Just a little obsessed here. Don't judge. haha.

    "She felt a sarcastic impulse to point out to him that in some circles "inhuman" would be considered a compliment..."

    - Waking Storms, Sarah Porter

  11. #11
    Senior Member Pod of Cali Prince Calypso's Avatar
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    thats was super helpfule, i'd been looking for tail refrences all day so thanks. now all i need is a good sketch of what it should all look like

  12. #12
    i absolutely loved the tails from POTC they're more fish-like- i cant wait to see what you come up with !
    [IMG][/IMG]

  13. #13
    With a little lighting change you can see what disney did for the mermaid school..

  14. #14
    Senior Member Pod of Cali Prince Calypso's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MermaidLanai View Post
    With a little lighting change you can see what disney did for the mermaid school..
    that is epic!!!

  15. #15
    it kind of reminds me of ariels tail with a longer fluke and a long dorsal

  16. #16
    i can't wait to see how this will turn out!!
    I Believe

  17. #17
    I've decided to do a similar thing here, as I have done with the thread talking about the mers from Harry Potter. :P More concept art weee! lol Of course I don't own them. Just sharing what I've found whilst on my journey through the internet.

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    Give me a heads up if anyone wants more.

    "She felt a sarcastic impulse to point out to him that in some circles "inhuman" would be considered a compliment..."

    - Waking Storms, Sarah Porter

  18. #18
    Junior Member Pod of Oceania Melbourne Mermaid's Avatar
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    Also hoping to create a tail just like the OST, which is quite difficult considering they where cgi'd. Any reference pics and screenshots of the tails would be appreciated <3 hoping to start it in January and have it done in april


  19. #19
    Senior Member Undisclosed Pod
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    ^ I dream of making a similar tail as well, but then again...who isn't?! lol
    "Silence is beautiful, not awkward. The human tendency to be afraid of something beautiful is awkward."

  20. #20
    Senior Member Pod of Cali Usagi's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Melbourne Mermaid View Post
    Also hoping to create a tail just like the OST, which is quite difficult considering they where cgi'd. Any reference pics and screenshots of the tails would be appreciated <3 hoping to start it in January and have it done in april
    Should I feel lame for not knowing what OST is? Lol
    Do you want this anemone to sting you?
    ......yes!

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