question about fins and flukes

[sculptor]

I've made a variety of tails for movie/tv work, and one of the things we've always done is keep the fins translucent so that they get a beautiful glow when back lit. The translucent, even diaphanous quality is present in a great many fish and other undersea life, But I see very little in the professionally made silicone tails or other mermaid photos. Is there some aesthetic aspect or technical reason for this? It seams to be we are missing out on some of the magic and realism.

[Sherielle]

I would think that a lot of the times, the fluke needs to be somewhat opaque to be able to hid the monofin inside it.
Pearlie Mae has created a lovely translucent fluke.

[Seraphina Suds]

Most commercial tail makers work with premade monofins and the majority of those monofins are made with opaque materials. Pearlie Mae has been working on transparent monofins. I think she'll be the first tail maker to market a translucent, monofin'd fluke.

I agree with you on the realism. Nothing kills the mystical vibe for me more than when a beautiful back lit shot is betrayed by the harsh line of the end of monofin. I've noticed it in Finfolk tails in particular.

Sent from my C6725 using Tapatalk

[sculptor]

I understand the need to hide apparatus, but what about dorsal fins, side fins an so on. To me if you are paying thousands of dollars for a realistic tail, it should be realist or at least naturalistic. Silicone is translucent by nature. By making it opaque you loose the beauty of the material and much of the reason for using it.

[MerEmma]

Silicone yellows/browns over time. Movie and TV tails are only needed for a brief shoot typically (or upwards of a year or two). Tails that are purchased by the mermaid public, are meant to be used for a longer time. Believe me, I LOVE translucent tails, but they aren't good for long term.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aUM60Rr3fQI/TctD6qZJqwI/AAAAAAAAAPM/Hva708MTAck/s1600/mermaids-26.jpg
Here is a screencap from the movie, in 2003. (source: http://merbooksblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/mermaid-movie-review-mermaids-2003.html )
http://mernetwork.com/index/attachment.php?attachmentid=3462&d=1340144320
http://i.ytimg.com/vi/fx4BMEv9oBQ/maxresdefault.jpg

Closer to the present. I believe Shimmerbaby owns them now although I think their company also has a new name now. Here you can see how they have aged, which really isn't necessarily *badly* but they certainly don't look as beautiful as they used to.

EDIT: These two are not precisely the same tail, but they were made at the same time for the same project (aka just for a different mermaid) with the same methods. As far as I know, anyway.

[Mermaid Cecelia]

I think most of the reason for using silicone revolves around it's durability, not its opacity. I totally agree that the whole translucency is appealing, but it's hard to achieve

[Madison MerFaerie]

To me if you are paying thousands of dollars for a realistic tail, it should be realist or at least naturalistic.

Not everyone would agree with that. Plenty of folks design their dream tails and they aren't always based on an actual fish or marine mammal. If you're paying thousands for the realistic look and feel of silicone, you should get exactly what your heart desires whether that be naturalistic or cartoonish.

Mermaids aren't real (gasp!), so you can really do whatever you want. No rules!

Also, if I had accessory fins on my tail, I'd probably want them to be bright! I'd be afraid that no one would even notice translucent dorsal, pectoral, and heel fins. I agree that they'd look awesome when the light hits them just right, though!

[Mer-Crazy]

Personally I base my mermaid self off the belief that I am a marine MAMMAL not a fish. And I, personally, have never seen a marine mammal with translucent bits (not saying they don't exist I just haven't seen them). So my tail is realistic, at least in my opinion, if not very decadently realistic but still realistic in my mind.

[Mermaid Wesley]

pssst the pics above are of two different tails(i think), they made 3 (i think) and all in slightly different colors. (i think)

[MerEmma]

Yeah, but they were still made at the same time by the same people. I should've mentioned that, though. I'll edit.

[sculptor]

Thanks, It helps to hear different viewpoints. I would hope there has been some improvement in silicone technology, over the past decade, that would help with the "yellowing/browning with age problem." A friend of mine tells me his 20 year old translucent urethane fluke, is as pretty and colorful as it was when it was cast. Has any one tried using urethane fins with plat. silicone tail skin? I'm curious about attaching or gluing them together.

[Theobromine]

Urethane and silicone don't bond together. I use urethane for my molds and I don't even have to use a mold release with the silicone. Silicone is a very difficult substance to bond; even industrial-strength silicone adhesives only have moderate bonding power. If you want urethane fins you'd probably have to make the full tail out of urethane, which can be done.

I also expect that silicone formulas have progressed since that movie was made and that the yellowing problem has been addressed. The movie industry uses silicone for tons of special effects work...it's not just us mermaids who use silicone, and the special effects industry is constantly working to improve its technology :)

[Sherielle]

Moo Prosthetics tails are close to transparent.
https://youtu.be/IdAsSJkTj6E

[Yulia]

Doesn't dragonskin cure milky too?
That's the main reason I always hear.

[PearlieMae]

Dragonskin cures milky if you pour it with any depth. If you do thin layers, it can stay pretty clear. But it's time consuming and labor intensive.

I am working on translucent fins and flukes and am having good success with it so far. I've had test patches of silicone outside in the elements for a year now, and none of them have browned like the silicone used in the tails pictured above.

I make my own monofins from clear polycarbonate and hopefully soon, you will see translucency as a signature feature in my tails. My personal tail is translucent with an iridescent organza lining.

edited to add: From the maiden swim...I've since swapped it out with an even more translucent fluke.

33133

[Theobromine]

Just to clarify, translucent and transparent aren't the same thing. Translucent means it lets light through, it doesn't mean you can see through it. So yes, while dragonskin does have a milky appearance if you pour it thickly, it still does let light through and is therefore translucent. If you don't tint or paint it too heavily, it will still retain its translucency which means you will be able to see light through it.

[sculptor]

I'm trying to gauge how much interest there is in translucency in tails, flukes fins, etc. That is, do enough people share my aesthetic to make it worth while to pursue? Let me know what you think. The translucency of the silicone can also be used to create exotic scale patterns similar to what is shown in the attached photo. I would like to create some tails, but I am searching for a few merfolk to swim on the journey with me. Anyone out there interested?
33135

[PearlieMae]

I'm already pursuing it, but would be happy to watch and comment as you do!

Hip scales on the side of my personal tail:

33136

[Meronica]

Since I live in SoCal too, I may be interested. I have a few contacts I think could help you out too.

I'll message you in a bit. (:


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[darksiren]

Translucency is a very important factor for me. It's why I sprung for the Hydra monofin for the tail I am about to start. I'm currently planning on doing fabric fins for tail #1, and am looking into what would work best to be shiny and diaphanous, while still being durable but see-through.

[Trident True]

I love translucent tails, I was thinking to get a look like this you could tint your silicone with a pearl looking colour but only the slightest amount, Just enough to tint it. IMO the macropearl by pearl ex look really realistic in the water. they give you that silvery, whitish clearish look.

Merbella has a clear waist band on her tails. perhaps the product she is using won't yellow over time.

PS. I do not follow Merbella's thread or any social media so if this has been answered before, well so be it.

[Spindrift]

I like the idea of a transparent fluke.

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