Silicone tail take two - a starry mermaid

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thank you Keena and Lilium <3
I should have enough of the purple and blue scales to get to the top of my dummy now!

[Mermaid Keena]

Eeee!!! How exciting! We should swim together once both our tails are done! (next summer) lol

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[Luna Dreamtide]

I love the blue with the purple! It must be so exciting to be getting closer to having this done!

[LouLouBelle]

I love the colour of those scales. They'll look gorgeous in the water [emoji177]


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[The Water Phoenix]

I must see more pictures! It's looking awesome already! :)

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thank you all! :)
Small update: I've poured and pinned more scales, but the priority the last week has been finishing my costume for Comic Con! I made a dragon out of silicone for my Daenerys costume since my older heat mouldable plastic one got broken at a con :( I'll put pictures in the non-Mer cosplay thread for anyone interested!
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160406/89da30a9dc3cd70c2a0ee85d81c6d0aa.jpg

[Hydra1337]

Omg it looks gorgeous! And I'm very interested in seeing that. I LOVE Game of Thrones and Danaerys is my favorite character.

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thank you!! ^_^

[Theobromine]

DRAGON PICTURES PLZKTHXBAI

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Haha okay! I can't seem to link to my post in the other thread, so I'll put them here too. He's fully posable and everything :) Pretty happy how he turned out for my first time working with a two-part mould.

Initial sculpt:
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160406/b8abe9307bc8d036ee620604b1323f90.jpg

Full costume:
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160406/6070b31f2de5e15bc14b258052d9270e.jpg

Close-ups of detail:
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160406/f028e8a02fa585ea1538f3a9d789a40f.jpg
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160406/8c2227599478885112dc4dbb708410ff.jpg

[The Water Phoenix]

So cute! I have a ceramic dragon I painted when I was about 4 years old, but the head keeps breaking off :) It's designed to sit on the edge of a shelf or something because his little feet curl over :)

[Theobromine]

IT'S SO ADORABLE!!!! I've been wanting to make a dragon too :D only not a Westeros dragon...

[Mermaid Keena]

Tail looks gorgeous!! Those colours look beautiful xxx your dragon is adorable!!

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[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thank you Water Pheonix, Theobromine and Keena!
Theobromine, this isn't my favourite style of dragon either, but I figured I'd have to make him recognisable!
Also, Drogon was completed from first sculpt to final paint in 8 days! I'm proud of how he turned out given how much time I had!

[Theobromine]

Oh, I didn't mean I don't like the style! I love it, actually! I'm a huuuuuuuge dragon fan and I think you did a really good job! I just meant I want to make one in my own particular style *cough cough* ;)

Seriously though, I've seen cute little poseable silicone pet dragons at Renaissance Faires before and yours totally beats them all by a mile. I've been really tempted to branch out into baby dragons lately, among other things, because OMG BABY REPTILES

[MermaidBrandie]

That's adorable! I've been wanting to make posable baby velociraptors.

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[Theobromine]

ME TOO

Maybe we should start a separate thread for this...

[MermaidBrandie]

Hahaha maybe? I was just tossing in my idea. ^.^
The tail is looking good!

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[Theobromine]

XD Sorry Miss Silverfin, didn't mean to derail your thread with dinosaurs, your tail is fabulous by the way! I love how clean the scales look and how well the colors are shaded!

(I will totally make a dinosaur thread someday. I've been wanting to make myself a pet baby dinosaur for ages.)

[Shyren Shey]

Your tail gradient is so pretty! And the Drogon you made is super cool. There are so many cool tail making threads to follow!~

[Kait]

OOO I like your Danaerys, such a cutie dragon to :)
Great progress on your tail!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Seriously though, I've seen cute little poseable silicone pet dragons at Renaissance Faires before and yours totally beats them all by a mile. I've been really tempted to branch out into baby dragons lately, among other things, because OMG BABY REPTILES

Thanks Theobromine, that means a lot :)
Also, I'd love to see baby reptiles in silicone! That would be so awesome! I love Western Bearded Dragons, I think they'd look awesome as a posable silicone pet!

And don't worry about derailing my thread with dinosaurs, I'm a geologist so I love all the dinosaurs :D As a side note, I kind of want to make a silicone trilobite now!

[The Water Phoenix]

OMG, baby reptiles in silicone! That would be the most adorable thing ever!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

I know right? I feel this needs to happen!

[Mermaid Lilith]

Oh wow!! That is gorgeous!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

More scales pinned now! The front is almost done (just the blended waist and the fluke transition left).
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160413/aa9b109307f1d93f1b2494526c667de1.jpg

I pinned some of my other dark purple scales that I made earlier, but I'm not happy with the colour transition. I'll make some new scales to help with the transition.
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160413/d003082c6ee1088bd223076b3456348a.jpg

[Hydra1337]

It looks absolutely beautiful! It makes me want to get a tail in those colors now. lol

[LouLouBelle]

The tail is looking absolutely beautiful and I love that little dragon! I like the colour transition on the tail - it looks so smooth. Gorgeous work!


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[Mermaid Keena]

Its so pretty!!!!

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[Luna Dreamtide]

Wow you've got a beautiful gradient happening. This is looking great!

[Shyren Shey]

Your Gradient is so good! It seems like it would be tough to keep track of all your color mixes to keep it consistent. Do you have to note down how much of what colors you're using?

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thank you all!

Shyren Shey, I don't note down how much for each mix, I'm dealing with such small amounts of pigment that it isn't really possible. Instead I just have an example scale on my work bench and I try to match the colours. A little bit of variation between them is nice too, it makes it a bit more unique!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

I've been experimenting with my pigments and I'm much happier with this colour transition! I just have to make a lot more now!
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160503/de215e0eb414e0f15f203c3b28a68f1e.jpg
I haven't made as much progress as I would have liked, but I've been working on some crocheted sea creatures for my friend's baby, and I need to get them done for this weekend. I'll post pictures when they are done, they are super cute!

[Mermaid Mia]

Looks fantastic! And those crocheted creatures sound adorable :3


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[Fifi Tigg]

Looking great! :D
Will you be bringing this tail to Mercon?
Would love to meet you and see your tail in person :)

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thanks Mia and Fifi!
Yes Fifi, that's my plan! I'd love to meet you too :)

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Loooooooooove that new purple!

[Kait]

Gorgeous purple! Keep it up :)

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thank you Lorelei and Kait!

[AnnaAbyss]

Your tail is looking absolutely beautiful! I have a question, how will the scales stick to each other if they're past their green period? Does DragonSkin have better adhesion qualities than other platinum cure silicones?

[Hydra1337]

Wow I didn't think of that. I'm curious on the answer as well.

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Dragon skin still does have a green period of about 3 days. However as PearlieMae has mentioned elsewhere, washing the scales thoroughly with detergent and isopropyl alcohol can allow them to still stick. I imagine because there is such a large surface area on the back of the scales, plus I'll be sealing them on the inside, they should be well stuck on. I'll be doing a test to make sure though!

[The Water Phoenix]

The purple gradients are beautiful! The colour transition is so well done. Can't wait to see it finished! [emoji1303]


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[AnnaAbyss]

Thank you so much for answering, Kate! I've wondered that for a while. :)

[PearlieMae]

Once you seal the scales to powermesh, seal the inside, and add a topcoat, even non "green" scales are liable to hold well because they are all encapsulated in new silicone. As long as they are clean, they bind pretty well! I haven't any problem so far, knock driftwood!

[swimmingsammi95]

I have never heard of this green period!

UlaBeAmazed!!

[Mermaid Alaria]

I am loving this thread! Amazing work so far, so inspiring. And thank you so much for the video tutorials! It's helping demystify the process for me. I'm still scared to try it, but now it's more excited than petrified... Keep it up!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thank you Alaria! I'm glad the video tutorials were helpful!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Oops, forgot to post my little critters! I'm not sure why the fish looks pink, it's more of a red-orange in person. I'm so pleased with how they turned out!
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160511/c9173f0358f09114a3a8a37f7dacdab2.jpg
I have new scales and fins poured! Lots of pinning to do!

[Mermaid Mia]

Oops, forgot to post my little critters! I'm not sure why the fish looks pink, it's more of a red-orange in person. I'm so pleased with how they turned out!
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160511/c9173f0358f09114a3a8a37f7dacdab2.jpg
I have new scales and fins poured! Lots of pinning to do!

Those are adorable!!!! And i look forward to seeing more of your beautiful tail work

[LouLouBelle]

Aww! Those are cute!

I love that purple. Can't wait to see more!


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[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thank you LouLouBelle!
So close now!
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160515/46c19b9001866dea18fa9f97b02bd3d5.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160515/b6509141df73501403590fc526d0ff1e.jpg
I just need to pour one or two new batches of scales for the back, the skin-transition scales, the rest of the fins and dorsal, and then the fluke!

[Mermaid Keena]

Eeeee!!! Your hip fins are so CUTE!! I love them!

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[The Water Phoenix]

Can't wait to see it finished! I haven't been working on my tail lately but this afternoon, after a long day of planespotting, I decided to play around with my silicone and make some bracers! :) BTW, your tail is looking gorgeous :)

[Luna Dreamtide]

Wow that's looking great. Those fins are so cute!

[Hydra1337]

It looks so close to being done! I'm so excited for you!

[MerQueen Nerissa]

Wow it's so pretty! Love the fins!

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[Merman Arion]

Wooooof!!! So cool! :clap: :clap: :clap:


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[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thank you all :)

[PearlieMae]

Wonderfully done! I love the colors!

[Mermaid Marius]

This is so beautiful, I'm pissed. Does that make sense? Like motivationally angry at this masterpiece. This makes me want to make a tail so bad because it's so amazing.

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[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thanks Pearlie :)
Haha I'm flattered Marius! I must say though, it's really been a labour of love. It's taken me about a year now to get this far with personal/health issues getting in the way and many times have I just wished it to be done already! I love the creative experience of making a tail, but oh gosh does it cause stress! If you want to make your own tail, go for it, but be prepared for a lot of blood, sweat and tears!

[Mermaid Russet]

THis looks AMAZING! :swoon: I am in LOVE!

[LouLouBelle]

Loving the colour gradient! The fins just sort of bring it to life. This is going to look amazing. [emoji4]


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[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thank you Russet and LouLouBelle :)

[Mermaid AshleyML]

More scales!
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/06/02/04d3e0f2de68fbf51a476c860edf4f46.jpg

These scales are absolutely beautiful!!!! My pondering thought is though how are you attaching them together

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thank you Ashley!
Pretty much nothing sticks to silicone but more silicone! These scales will all be glued down with the same silicone they are cast in.

[Mermaid AshleyML]

Thank you Ashley!
Pretty much nothing sticks to silicone but more silicone! These scales will all be glued down with the same silicone they are cast in.

Ahhh ok are you going to silicone them to a fabric?

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

A thin mesh, yes.

[Mermaid AshleyML]

A thin mesh, yes.

Ahhh makes sense lol sorry I'm nosey

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

All good, don't worry! :)

[Mermaid Caspiana]

I just went through this thread! It's amazing! Can't wait to see it finished! :) It makes me want to make one this way! My next attempt at a tail will be a silicone. But I'm repairing my fully sequined one I made last summer. Lol About how much have you spent in general? And if it's not too much to ask, how much are the individual things... Like silicone, molding clay, paint? :) Thanks and again it looks phenomenal!!! :)

[AelianaNympha]

I just went through this thread! It's amazing! Can't wait to see it finished! :) It makes me want to make one this way! My next attempt at a tail will be a silicone. But I'm repairing my fully sequined one I made last summer. Lol About how much have you spent in general? And if it's not too much to ask, how much are the individual things... Like silicone, molding clay, paint? :) Thanks and again it looks phenomenal!!! :)

It all depends on what materials you use. This thread is super helpful giving you an idea of your options.
http://mernetwork.com/index/showthread.php?2633-☆[emoji615]TAILMAKING-REFERENCE-INDEX[emoji615]☆-Look-here-BEFORE-you-post-any-questions!

And I've found Rogue Siren's instructable helpful in figuring out what each of the materials is used for.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Silicone-Mermaid-Tail/



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[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thanks Caspiana!
I'm probably not the best person to ask about costs, as I am in Australia and everything costs about double what it does in the USA. A quick search on Smooth-On's website will give you an idea of the materials cost. But the biggest cost will always be your time!

[Mermaid Caspiana]

It all depends on what materials you use. This thread is super helpful giving you an idea of your options.
http://mernetwork.com/index/showthread.php?2633-☆[emoji615]TAILMAKING-REFERENCE-INDEX[emoji615]☆-Look-here-BEFORE-you-post-any-questions!

And I've found Rogue Siren's instructable helpful in figuring out what each of the materials is used for.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Silicone-Mermaid-Tail/


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Thanks Caspiana!
I'm probably not the best person to ask about costs, as I am in Australia and everything costs about double what it does in the USA. A quick search on Smooth-On's website will give you an idea of the materials cost. But the biggest cost will always be your time!

Thank you both! :)

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Update time!

I have been working a lot on this, and am making steady progress. Unfortunately the cold weather here is really slowing me down. The scales for the waist transition are done, and I've been pouring a lot more fins and scales for around the dorsal. The fins and dorsal take quite a while to make because they have about eight different colours in them, I just wasn't happy with the more plain fins.
I'm going to reveal a bit more about my design due to recent tails by another tailmaker; I have always intended to do double heel fins (not copying Finfolk's latest designs, I swear). They will be positioned quite differently and a very different shape to what they've done.
As an aside, I couldn't find a decent apron to protect my clothes, so I've taken to wearing an old lab coat of mine :p Yay science!
Getting there, slowly but surely!

[Mermaid Keena]

Cannot wait to see your next pics!! :D it sounds so pretty

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[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Progress pictures! The front is nearly done, except for the blue waist transition and a few more scales to connect the fluke! The back is also nearly there! I have lots more fins to cast though!
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160625/77e004c2e27a24fb4d14b348a5eac324.jpg
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160625/a7769aeb03c3e6dafd704bfc1cb804f5.jpg
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160625/76dbe1017b9e69125fd529f5c13b8a9a.jpg

[mermaid mazu]

I have an odd question. I'm in design stage of my first tail. I really like the look of dorsal fins but is it not uncomfortable when you are sitting? I feel like getting used to a fin will be odd enough without the added "how do I sit" lol

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

This will be the first time I have had a dorsal on my tail, so I might not be the best person to answer (anyone else feel free to chip in). I've made my dorsal very flexible so it shouldn't make it hard to sit in my tail, but I've heard that some people with more rigid dorsals can have a bit of trouble.

[mermaid mazu]

I really like all of the elaborate hip, ankle and dorsal fins but the more logical side of me thinks I should do a more basic design considering I really don't know what I'm doing lol

[mermaid mazu]

37592 this is a rough design of my koi fish inspired design (the fluke will be symmetrical lol )

[Mermaid Lunette]

37592 this is a rough design of my koi fish inspired design (the fluke will be symmetrical lol )

hey! this is a really cool design :D although, this doesn't really belong in this thread. i am sure mers would love it if you put all this info and design and even questions in the 'show me your tail design' thread ?D probably better luck getting answers there too :)

[LouLouBelle]

This is looking fantastic! Not far from the finish line now!


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[Mermaid Keena]

Its looking gorgeous!!! Cannot wait to see it on and swimming haha not far away!

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[Luna Dreamtide]

That's looking great! I really like your fins.

[mermaid mazu]

Sorry, I'm new here, and she had been talking about her tain from design stage and beyond. I didn't mean to be inappropriate

[Mermaid Lunette]

Sorry, I'm new here, and she had been talking about her tain from design stage and beyond. I didn't mean to be inappropriate

no worries! we have all been there ^^ also, I just know the 'show me your tail design' thread would be a great place to put your lovely tail picture ^__^

ooh! or you can start a tail making thread all your own about your tail? ^^

[Hydra1337]

I love this tail so much.

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thank you everyone!
And ronda s, your design is lovely! Like Mermaid Lunette said, perhaps share it in the tail designs thread, or even when you start to make it, your own tail making thread! I look forward to seeing you bring it to life! :)

[Mermaid Tami]

Ok so this is probably really stupid but I've been thinking about making a silicone tail ( just finished my neoprene sequin one) sooooo I see all the photos everyone posts that show the individual scales with pins in them. So question #1. What's the netting/nylon that's underneath and what's it for?
#2. I see the pins holding the scales in place, how do you make them stay when the pins are removed? [emoji85]


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[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

The netting underneath is powermesh, this provides support and strengthens the tail.
All the scales will be glued down with more silicone, which will hold it in place without the pins :)

[Becoming_A_Mermaid]

I've been trying to do research because I plan on making my own individual scale tail soon and this thread is so helpful!! especially seeing how you did your scales around your hip fins!! I can't wait to see it all put together!!!

[Mermaid Tami]

The netting underneath is powermesh, this provides support and strengthens the tail.
All the scales will be glued down with more silicone, which will hold it in place without the pins :)

Thanks!


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[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Okay, so big updates!

For starters, the tail is finished! Yay!
I got progressively more ill after my last post, ending up in hospital for a while. My exhaustion was so bad that working on my tail became impossible. I still don't have a diagnosis, but I've got several specialists to see in the new year that can hopefully give me more answers. I have some medication that at least helps a bit, and I was able to work on my tail for short periods at a time so that I could finish it in time for the Australian MerCon! We had to leave on the Thursday night, I got my tail finished on the Wednesday night, but I did it!
A few weeks ago, I attended the very first Australian mermaid convention. Mermaids (and a merman) from all over Australia came to Busselton, and we had an amazing time swimming off of the jetty and at Hamelin Bay. It was a fantastic experience; I met so many amazing people that I've only ever talked to online and it was a welcoming, supportive environment. I've made so many new friends that I will treasure. A huge shout out goes to Mermaid Jessica Pearl, Fifi Tigg and Mermaid Amelia for organising this amazing event.
For the first time in over a year, at this convention I finally got to wear a tail in the water again. That first swim was amazing. I felt free and beautiful and strong! That weekend was the most physical exercise that I had been able to do for well over a year, and I could only keep going with lots of rest time and naps during the days. But I did all of the activities, and it was amazing. I miss my new mer-family already, and I can't wait until next year when we can all meet again!
Here are a few progress photos, and some from the event!
Scales about halfway done!
39782
39783
Relaxing on the beach!
39786
Images by Capture Later photography
39784
39785
Images by Peter Jovic Photography
39787
39788
39789
Mermaid Jessica Pearl and I
39790
Apparently I changed shape a lot since I made my duct tape dummy, so the tail didn't fit around the waist as well as I'd like at the convention, as I didn't have time to adjust it. I've since taken it in, and now it fits perfectly! I'm so happy with how it all turned out!

[Mermaid Mia]

It looks amazing!!!!! [emoji79]


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[Miyu]

OMG it's GORGEOUS!!! :swoon:

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thank you Mia and Miyu! :)


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[Mermaid Mystery]

i was wondering who that was! seriously you looked stunning in every pic, wish i could've been ther!


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[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

i was wondering who that was! seriously you looked stunning in every pic, wish i could've been ther!


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Aww thanks Mystery! :)


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[Rett]

Oh my goodness the tail turned out so lovely! You look amazing! Very jealous of your beautiful tail ;)

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thank you Rett!


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[Dame Melusine]

:jawdrop:

[LouLouBelle]

Your tail has turned out gorgeous! It's fantastic seeing pics of it in action. The last underwater one is my favourite! ❤️


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[Hydra1337]

Omg I love it!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thank you all [emoji1]


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