Making a Silicone Tail with The Green Mermaid

[The Green Mermaid]

Hello, everyone, I am The Green Mermaid, and over the course of the next couple of months I will be posting detailed descriptions and photos of my experience building a realistic silicone mermaid tail. My method will include creating a power mesh backing, individual silicone scales, a solid silicone fluke with no monofin, and hand painting with silicone pigments and metallic art pigments. If you have any questions please post I will reply as soon as I can. Thanks!

[Adalira]

Can't wait to follow your process, good luck on your journey :-)

[The Green Mermaid]

Thank You I appreciate your interest, Tell all your mernetwork friends who have an interest in tail making I love giving advise and tips based on what I have learned.

[Mermaid Wesley]

Cool! I'm on year 2 of making my individual scaled tail. Almost done now! It's a long process so good luck!


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[The Green Mermaid]

I have been doing alot of experimenting over the past year as well trying to figure out what process I wanted to use. Initially, I wanted to use a single sculpt method but I decided an assembly method would be easier. Then I found Pearlie Mae's method of single scale placement and I was hooked. I think my next tail will be a single sculpt tail.

[The Green Mermaid]

Ok here is some of my inspiration I am battling between the colors on my tail. I am not sure if I want to go green which is my favorite color or pale skin tones which looks amazing in the water.
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[The Green Mermaid]

To sculpt my fluke I found an image online and pasted into Paint (computer program). Then I cut the image directly in half and mirrored it to create two symmetrical images. Then I simply chose which one I liked best. I printed them out on several pieces of paper like a poster and taped them together. I taped it to a piece of plywood and covered it with a clear vinyl sheet. Sculpt away!

[Mermaid Wesley]

Both colors look awesome!


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[The Green Mermaid]

Thanks! I guess I will have to wait until I start testing my scales then I can put them against my skin and see which one compliments my complexion most

[The Green Mermaid]

Im having issues uploading picture of my sculpts has anyone else had this problem?



I figured it out the photos were huge and I didn't realize how big they were.

[The Green Mermaid]

Ok here are the sculpts I have been working on. I am going for something simple and realistic not whimsical or fantastic.

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[The Green Mermaid]

I am going to try and sketch up some color designs this weekend if I get them done I'll post them. I am also going to try and finish the accessory fins and scales on the fluke. I noticed the scales on the fluke are much thinner than those on the scale sheet so I'm considering thinning those out as well.

[Mermaid Alea]

Very cool looking sculpts!

[The Green Mermaid]

Thank you! I have been trying to get them close ot how real fins look.

[Mermaid Alea]

I definitely get a realistic feeling especially from the first two. If the spike parts on the last two were thinner towards the end, they would look more like the ones on the largemouth bass. We have a largemouth bass mounted on our wall and I like staring at the fins of it for inspiration.

Have you sculpted before? You are doing a great job it looks very clean.

[The Green Mermaid]

I haven't done much sculpting before no. I made a small mermaid sculpture but thats all really. Thanks for the advice I thought they did look a little big Ill thin them out this weekend.

[The Green Mermaid]

Here are some pictures of the mermaid sculture I was talking about.
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[Luna Dreamtide]

I really like the first fin, it's definitely a realistic look. With your attention to detail, I'm sure the final tail will be lovely.

[Mermaid Alea]

Oooh that mermaid sculpture is great! :eek: It reminds me of a few sculptors that I started following recently like Rosa Grueso, Nicole West, etc. They all sculpt mermaids as well as other fantasy creatures.

[Luna Dreamtide]

Here are some pictures of the mermaid sculture I was talking about.
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That sculpt is lovely too. Is it in polymer clay by any chance?

[Trident True]

this Looks good. just something to think about in regards to a full silicone fluke. As most silicone's rage in the softer side you may need to make your fluke quiet thick to get the density you need to push water away in the water. I have done this but unfortunately it wasn't as thick as it should have been and it was like kicking water.

[The Green Mermaid]

I really like the first fin, it's definitely a realistic look. With your attention to detail, I'm sure the final tail will be lovely.
Thank you!, Yes I love small details I think it makes the overall tail look better. I hope all the detail will be captured in the silicone.

[The Green Mermaid]

Thank you! Yes I did consider this while sculpting. This is why the ribs are so thick on the caudal fin (Fluke) The half sculpt is also almost an inch thick so I hope the final product will be closer to two inches in closest to the foot pockets and will gradually taper to a thin edge. I also ordered a much more rigid silicone that what is usually used for mermaid tails this way it will be less flexible. In addition to all of this I will insert two Razor Short Training Fins as foot pockets to give me more control. I took inspiration for this idea from Mike Van Daal Tails, the PAX tails from the "Mermaids" movie and the tails by latexmans from the Thai tv show that roughy translates to "Love this Heart with Fins".

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[The Green Mermaid]

I just realized some of my sculpts didn't post because after I resized them in Paint they turned into PNG format so I just changed them to JPG.
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[The Green Mermaid]

Oooh that mermaid sculpture is great! :eek: It reminds me of a few sculptors that I started following recently like Rosa Grueso, Nicole West, etc. They all sculpt mermaids as well as other fantasy creatures.
Yes I know of them I was inspired by their work and the work of some others to try my hand at sculpture it took a while but I was happy with the result I am glad you enjoy it as well :D

[The Green Mermaid]

Ok here is my scale plot. I want the tail to be very much like a largemouth bass.
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[Keiris]

Your attention to detail is AWESOME! Can't wait to see more!

[The Green Mermaid]

Thank you! That is a huge compliment coming from someone who already make such an excellent tail!

[Sabrina the Selkie]

Wowza. That IS attention to detail.

[Adalira]

Wow, it is starting to look so great! I'm so excited to see more! :-)

[AnnaAbyss]

Wow this looks fantastic! I am also basing my tail on the PAX mermaid tails. :D

[Trident True]

Yep, yep, yep this is coming together... I like it. :cheerleader:

[The Green Mermaid]

Thank you everyone, it is truly an amazing feeling to read these kind comments it motivates me to continue working! Today I've got to clean house but I am hoping to get my sculpts by tonight! I will post pictures of what I finish. The accessory fins are a pain because I have to use my hands less and tools more. I feel hands are the best tools so this can be frustrating, But I will press forward!

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[The Green Mermaid]

Wow this looks fantastic! I am also basing my tail on the PAX mermaid tails. :D

I wish I could use the single mold method they use but I don't have any helpers to take a life cast of my lower body. I hope that I can save up and hire someone to do it like at the college or something. That is my next tail though. Another way you could do that tail is with Keiris' method actually, Just sew in some sculpted padding around the foot pockets.

[The Green Mermaid]

Sorry for no posts my week has been busy I am starting classes next week and I've been working until 6 every day eug....I am hoping to get a lot down this weekend.

[Ashton]

*lurks in the corner watching*

[Mermaid Coralia]

*lurks along side Ashton to watch*

[Marinus Mortimer]

*swims over to the merls to join in the lurking fest*

[Mermaid Catkid]

oooh, me and you might be bass tail buddies! im sure yours will look better, though, being silicone.

[Moustik]

Hello! I am new, I would like to create a silicone siren tail with the same method as you. What is the material you use for sculptures?
Thank you!

[Hydra1337]

Your sculpts are beautiful. I can't wait to watch this thread progress.

[Rett]

Did your tail ever make it to completion?