HELP?! Silicone tail hybrid? Lionfish tail!

[Misty Lau]

So, it's near Christmas, and visions of candy canes and mermaid tails swim in my head. I'm pretty sure I've decided on my tail design. However, I'm wondering if there's any materials that would work for the translucent brown parts of my tail, the membrane type parts in all the fins, including the fluke and dorsal.

Does anyone know of any material that would actually work? It still needs to be flexible, but colorable, and silicone needs to cure around it.

On another note, from the front angle, I've plunged in fluke-first, letting bubbles escape my mouth, enjoying the slow sink. From the back angle, I'm swimming up with my webbed hands aiding me. I'm sorry if the different fins are hard to see. Also, yes there is a fish skeleton in my hair. This has a lot of meaning to me, some of it having to do with the death of my finned companions, who's aquarium failed in an accident.

PLEASE DO NOT COPY MY TAIL DESIGN. I have no worries if you're inspired, or you are just a Lionfish mer, but please do not copy my tail design directly, including the various fins. :thumbs up:

[Marinus Mortimer]

The picture need to be resized or cropped to 1500x1500 max anything bigger won't upload.

[Misty Lau]

Oh alright, thank you. I'll resize it right now.

[lynsea]

Some mesh like fabric is what you're looking for. It's basically thin, strong, netting that virtually disappears when silicone is poured over it. That would be my suggestion but there are plenty of people on this forum that can provide more input.

[Misty Lau]

So the membrane parts of my tail would have to be a strong mesh, then? Mesh isn't really the look I'm going for with those parts of the tail... thank you though, for your help.

[lynsea]

It would be a clear mesh, which, when covered in silicone, would be basically invisible. This gives you a lot more strength than just regular silicone which can tear.

[Misty Lau]

Strength is not the issue, thank you though. I'm looking for a material for the membrane parts of the tail, which should be translucent, flexible, and colorable.

[Luna Dreamtide]

Well silicone is translucent, most noticeably when thin. So the mesh suggestion for adding strength is a good one because silicone can be more likely to tear when thinner.
So you could make really thin silicone membranes and strengthen them with mesh. Then you could tint the silicone itself.
A mer on here actually made a silicone tail with membrane like fins. I'll link a photo if I can find it.

[PearlieMae]

Actually, just plain silicone would suffice.

Power mesh will strengthen the fins and stay stretchy. It'll also be somewhat translucent. Tulle will strengthen fins and will virtually disappear inside the silicone, but it won't stretch.

[Misty Lau]

Ah, thank you so much. I'd love to see a photo of that tail. And since it will be for the dorsal fin, I'll probably need some elasticity and stretch.

[Miyu]

As PearlieMae said, tulle works well as a strengthener; I've found any sheer organza-type material also works well for embedding in silicone. I use organza-type materials for my fabric fins, and Morticia and I tested smearing silicone all over a scrap piece and it turned out wonderfully :)