Sea Lions, Seals and Selkies Oh My!: Has anyone made pinniped tails?

[Joy&RaptorsUnrestrained!]

I notice that there are a few orca tails, a couple discussions about dolphin tails, but little to no threads about pinnipeds, despite the prevalence of the selkie myth. While I'm not sure a Walrus tail would be all the rage in Milan this season, I find that lack of pinniped tails kind of surprising. How would you guys make one?

I am not sure what materials to use (maybe a gray wetsuit kind of thing might work... I'm uncertain if there's any way to simulate fur or sealskin that would hold up to regular exposure to water), but after looking at images of seal and sea lion fins, I imagine that it should be possible to decorate or mold flippers (though probably not a monofin) to at least somewhat mimic the general shape.

[Theobromine]

I've never heard of such a thing but I think it's a really cool idea and I'd like to see if anyone ever actually does something like that. If you think about it, it makes a lot more sense for the aquatic half of a mermaid to be mammalian as well (pinniped or cetacean), considering humans are mammals and it just wouldn't work, biologically, for us to be half piscine. I still think fish mers are the most beautiful, though...it's a constant war between my uber-scientific biologist side and my airy-fairy fantasy lover side :P

[merboy78xy]

I agree with the thought Theobromine...
The fish-side is so lovely, but the mammalian side makes a lot of sense. I think a Pinniped tail would be a cool idea! I'm not sure how long it would hold up, but there are some great faux fur fabrics out there, including spandex ones... I've seen some interesting ones at Spandex House...
curious and cool idea. It would be kinda neat to make a student film/indie film that features an Undine and do some cool effects!

[Mermaid Star]

I haven't made a realistic selkie tail.. but I have made a selkie like fuzzy tail. Here it is.


http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/552466_324007027691120_1765072837_n.jpg

[merboy78xy]

that's exactly the fabric I'm talkin about!! Now if it was a brown or a grey...
Could be perfect!

[Mermaid Star]

I know they have them in brown. I would have to look for the grey. I could make them if there was interest

[Mermaid Fenicia]

That fabric is called 'veloures depanne' and I use it for most of my tails as it quite cheap and comes in a lot of colors here in Antwerp ~_^

[Mermaid Saphira]

I created a design a few years back based of a seal. It is perfect for anyone who uses the foil monofin or a pair of swim fins :)

[MermaidRaegan]

Fuzzy! I've been wanting to make a sea lion tail for my mertender for like ever, since he's so picky about what he will and will not swim in tail wise. If someone manages to do this, they win the internets.

[spottedcatfish]

That would be really cool!

[spottedcatfish]

I've decided to make a selkie tail.

[Joy&RaptorsUnrestrained!]

Cool Spottedcatfish... you'll have to let us know how it goes.

I noticed that foxmoon productions has what they call a selkie tail, but it's basically two pockets in the fins to separate each of a pair of flippers (as compared to the "merfolk" tail, which has a single pocket for a pair of flippers, and the "La Sirene" tail for a monofin), and their fabric doesn't really appear like sealskin.

On another note, I thought that a bipedal selkie costume (maybe with a modified gray hoodie designed to look like sealskin) might be a cool costume to wear to the Good Faeries Ball at Faeriecon (if I go to it... I was considering a Ganconer costume for the Bad Faeries' Ball... if I go to it, of course).

[spottedcatfish]

Cool Spottedcatfish... you'll have to let us know how it goes.

I will definitely let you all know how my tail construction goes and try to take pictures of the process.

[Mermaid Miel]

A friend of Mine is actually making a selkie tail for himself. Using Stretch velvet (veloures depannes) and Flippers instead of the monofin.

[Sirenade]

Stressedjenny on Deviantart.com as a bunch of "selkie" type mermaids. This one is my favorite. :D

http://stressedjenny.deviantart.com/gallery/?offset=312#/d3ebcn8

[Nate Walis]

In danger of giving away the subject of the story that I'm working on, I just have to say that the timing of this thread is uncanny.

[spottedcatfish]

Stressedjenny on Deviantart.com as a bunch of "selkie" type mermaids. This one is my favorite. :D

http://stressedjenny.deviantart.com/gallery/?offset=312#/d3ebcn8

I LOVE StressedJenny's work on DA. There is a group deidcated to selkie art on DA too.