Creation of an Extended Merling Tail (Mermaid Aquata Inspired Project)

[MerlingLNereus206]

In The Beginning...
If there's one thing I'm known for amongst my friends and family, it's my habit of diving head-first into the things I want to do, no matter how hard they may be - and not always to my benefit. I have always wanted what I've wanted, and nothing less. When I started growing plants, I was told not to try this plant or that as they were "too difficult" to grow. With some trial and error, I grew those same plants a few months later. When I wanted to start doing live music, I started calling around to every venue to book shows and make a name for myself. And now, when I am ready to make my first silicone tail, I have no plans to stop.

I've had one tail in the past that lasted longer than a day - a shiny silver fabric tail that fit well, and was built around a set of bi-fins. I swam with a monofin construction for a year prior, and used to swim in Blue Springs, FL many times. I grew up in water, so my swimming skills have never been in question - that is until I tried a Finis Wave monofin and felt like my feet were going to pop off my ankles. I had always wanted a tail with a monofin, but when I finally got to try it out I hated it. Whomp whomp. Now, years later, I'm ready to invest in creating a tail that is closer to what I'm seeking. Something that I couldswim in for hours at a time without feeling like my ankles were going to break...

Hatching Plans and Obsessing...Just A Little!
An extended tail is something I've seen mentioned here a few times. I even noticed another creator on here, Merman Marinus, making a tail in the style of JMB FX Studios, which deeply impressed me and even inspired me to get going with the planning. I started hunting down pictures of the JMB FX tails, their internal construction, and their scaling. I had to know how they did it, and it wasn't hard to see. They even explain it in a video. But what I didn't understand was how to get the shape - how to fill in the tail around the flexible rod they used, or how to build up the body around the wetsuit. Then I found Mermaid Aquata...

Mermaid Aquata in Her Blue Siren Tail

https://www.instagram.com/p/ByOOsG2B2ZR/

And there it was. A smaller, more manageable tail, one that didn't require excessive padding and foaming, yet looked schockingly realistic. And wouldn't you know it, Mermaid Aquata has a three-part tutorial on how to make these tails!

Mermaid Aquata Extended Mermaid Tail Tutorial




Designing...Oh Crap
And just like that, I'm obsessed. It isn't enough for me to see the technique, I want to use the technique, improve upon the technique. Now I see exactly what to do, and how I'm going to do it - and it's not going to follow the tutorial exactly as much as take heavy inspiration. See, I like the way these fins look, but I can also see there being a problem with my ankles bearing all the weight of the fin. So instead, I'm going to take inspiration from both Aquata and Marinus. I'm going to make the fin from the polycarbonate, then build up silicone at an angle to allow the fin to come right off my heels instead of off my toes - something I think will ultimately help with the ankle struggle. Rather than rely on a single rod, I'll use Aquata's design plan and technique, then fill the space with aquarium wadding as recommended in the tutorials.

That's to say nothing of the visual design of the tail - something that I'm very torn over. On one hand, I appreciate a good, simple mertail. But then I recall the mermaids from POTC: On Stranger Tides and can't help but pause. The way the dorals and shin-fins flow, the way they drift in the water, the shape of the fluke, it's captivating. I think about Ariel's fins in the new Little Mermaid and how they not only look wonderful, but they inspire new ideas. I see these designs and I want to sketch. And these things each pose a new challenge to the process. I understand the process of making the fins out of silicone after having binged at least a hundred videos on tail creation, and I think I even have an understanding of how to attach them. But not everything can just be made out of floppy silicone. Other designs inspiring my tail include SikiRedFins and the fins on his tails. These particularly caught my eye due to their stiffness - unlike other tails, these pectoral fins and heel fins are rigid, supported by an actual internal "bone" structure. I've been considering how this might function (and even considered how added stiffness of an internal skeleton would aid Siki's Little Mermaid tail, but I digress) and it excited me as to the possibilities.

Now What?
It's a big endeavor, I know that. I'm not a fool. I know it will take years. I am not a sculptor, but sculpting will be required to create the scale sheet. I am not an engineer, but engineering will be required to build the monofin and test it. I am NOT a painter, but painting will be required to take the monofin in a silicone sleeve and transform it into a real, believable tail. I'll have to learn the in's and out's of silicone mixing, drying, and curing. I'll have to learn about pigments and color gradients underwater. This project isn't just about creating a tail though - it's about reminding myself who i am, what I'm capable of, and what I can accomplish when I am determined. At the end of the day, I will likely never have the money to buy a silicone mermaid tail from someone else. But I can buy the parts and pieces individually over a period of time, until I have enough to begin building.

I'll do my best to upload some photos I'm using for inspiration, as well as any drawings I throw together. I'm not even sure where I would begin with the coloring and painting yet, but I will absolutely be adding color once I finalize the design of the fins and the exterior. To my more experienced mers, merrows, sirens, and creatures, I welcome any and all input - but ask you to please not tell me that i cannot do this, or to try and do something easier. This is what I am doing, this is giving me a reason to keep going, and once it's done I will have learned something, one way or the other.

So let's get to it!

[Princess of the sea]

ooohhh I am excited for you! cannot wait to follow your progress!

[MerlingLNereus206]

Why hello! Actually, I wonder if I might discuss my concept with you! Your video was one of the ones I consulted when trying to figure out how I wanted this to go, so it would be cool to chat about ideas with someone who has the experience.

[Princess of the sea]

of course! let me know if there's anything specific you want to talk about. Or any questions you have