So you don't want seams?

[Lyna]

I hear this over and over and over again...
"I want a tail...but I want a realistic tail. But I don't want seams. Like this picture on the website I saw..."
Yea guys. There's seams. Unless you have a silicone casted tail with NO LINER....you're bound to have seams.
Oh, but you didn't see them in the awesome photo's from that web page? No duh. Photographers have this handy dandy awesome tool that we like to refer to as Photoshop. Wonderful thing. Maybe you've heard of it? lol
So here's a quick example I wanted to show you guys. I edited the tail AND made this before and after image all in 90 seconds. So if you want that perfect shot....stop worrying so much about your seams, and invest in either a good photographer, master retoucher, or your own nifty copy of CS anything. Happy editing kids!

[Merman_Shawn]

All hail the Gods of Photoshop!

[Sea Pearl]

Amazing! Thank goodness for photoshop:)

[Joy&RaptorsUnrestrained!]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_vVUIYOmJM

I love this video... it is hilarious :)

[Lyna]

bah ha ha ha ha ha!!! thank you SOOO much for sharing that!! this is my new favorite video. it's going all over my fb's.....now.

[Felicia]

WOW i almost died watching this. I'm am so reposting everywhere lolz

[Mermaid Saphira]

All hail the Gods of Photoshop!

:hail: :hail: :hail:

[AniaR]

mertailors tails have seams, they get photoshopped out. My tail doesnt have seams because Raven lined up all the scales, but if people want to edit out their seams there's a website www.picmonkey.com that is FREE and you just need the clone brush.

[Lyna]

never heard of that. i have like 3 versions of photoshop though....so i've never had a resaon to look for another editing software. there are tons out there though. and ooh....i plan on getting a raven tail...i did not know she made them without seams...pretty sure the model i'm looking at has them though..

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Raven's 1000 dollar option has seams because it is made on neoprene. The 3000 dollar option also has seams because it is made from multiple scale sheets, but she does a fantastic job of hiding them by lining up the scales.

[Lyna]

ahh.... well i also plan to get a mermaid creations silicone tail that i've already designed. i'm not sure if he has seams or not to tell you the truth, because his are not lined....they're silicone to skin...but i never bothered to ask.

[Firemaid]

Seams are my enemy! I will defeat them with clever sculpting, several small scale sheets and fins. I will win the war!

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Jesse has seams in his tails, as does Mike Van Daal, and almost all other tail makers. Unless you mold the whole thing in one big piece, it will have seams. However, most of the high end silicone tails have hidden seams. They're there if you know how to look for them, but they're hardly noticeable. :>

[Lyna]

ive seen a van daal in person and grabbed all over it and it had noooooo seams. friggin awesome. they really dont bother me though.
if you're performing...i promise people are not staring at your seams.
girls perforn in fabric all the time and you never hear them complain. you're moving and they're soaking in everything overall.
they're so "in your face" in stills because your tail is motionless so you can stare right at them. in which case...photoshop.

[Arella]

Yay for photo shop!

[Winged Mermaid]

That's great, hahaha XD

Yes, photoshop is great! Clone and heal tools are your best friend for editing a tail.

It's true, the only tails that don't have seams are ones made from body casts, or a form made from your measurements that is similar to a body cast. Even that is only if you're good- I've seen some tail makers do body casts and still have seams. Too bad the only tail maker who did and was good at that turned out to be a scam artist (Adam Martyn). :/

It's true that Mertailor tails, Mike Van Daal tails, and Raven tails all have seams. The Mertailor ones can be really obvious, even from looking at it straight on (not on the side with the seam) because he uses so much silicone that it's actually raised at least an inch or two off of the normal scale texture (example (http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc227/winged_mermaid/Making%20Mermaid%20Tails/310699_794917708372_199100519_38318929_4934847_n.j pg), example (http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc227/winged_mermaid/Making%20Mermaid%20Tails/310891_2394737347154_1212552728_32958291_4279986_n .jpg), example (http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc227/winged_mermaid/Making%20Mermaid%20Tails/582277_309384135817162_1186493167_n-1.jpg)) . With Mike it depends on the scale size you get- smaller scale patterns end up like this (http://s219.photobucket.com/albums/cc227/winged_mermaid/Making%20Mermaid%20Tails/?action=view&current=IMG_1096.jpg), but the larger ones look like this. (http://s219.photobucket.com/albums/cc227/winged_mermaid/Making%20Mermaid%20Tails/?action=view&current=51928_461721343317_571913317_5643245_17712 41_o.jpg) That's his latex tails. His silicone ones are the ones that, I seriously was could could only find one picture of a hint of a seam, and there are pictures that are up close and high def with where they should be on multiple tails. You have to have a keen eye and some reflective lighting to see it - but you can make the seam out in this picture. (http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/s720x720/529484_464042140273053_1252699413_n.jpg) Raven does a really good job with hers, but if you're looking for the seam you can spot it (example (http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/s720x720/383397_3866776787549_1641566566_n.jpg), example (http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/s720x720/556117_10151920612850425_251125204_n.jpg), example (http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/208823_4098877789929_2071679125_n.jpg)). So all in all MVD silicone tails are the least obvious from any I've seen. But that's only if you're picking things apart. Buuut when you spend upwards of $2,500 you want to be realistic about what you're going to get.

[Winged Mermaid]

Also, for people who don't want to spend money on Photoshop, Gimp (http://www.gimp.org/downloads/) is a really good photoshop alternative. I use it, as do lot of people I know. Plus it's shareware so it's free! They even have Gimp for Windows (http://www.gimp.org/windows/) now!

[Firemaid]

On a serious seam tip. I am casting strips of scales, in lue of a huge sheet. Each strip is about four rows thick. The IDEA is that we can stagger seams all around the tail and hopefully end up with a pretty seamless look. we have also been playing with a thick silicon that can actually be molded. We are going to use it to build around any visable seams and hide them. My friend has used a similar technique to hide seems in a silicon predator costume. I sure hope it all works out the way he says it will.

[Mermaid Annariea]

okay, this is totally off subject, but winged, how in the world do you make words turn into links to places?? i wanna learn!! D:

also, that video about photoshop was hilarious. i put it on my facebook xD

[Winged Mermaid]

okay, this is totally off subject, but winged, how in the world do you make words turn into links to places?? i wanna learn!! D:

It's a hyperlink with text! All you need to do is highlight the word you want to become the link, then click the hyperlink button in the editor (it's the globe with a little chain link symbol below it). Then type or paste the URL in the box and hit "ok". Easy peasy :)

[Mermaid Annariea]

SWEET, thanks so much :D

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I have to say, I'm doing my best to hide the seams on my silicone tail (hence why it is taking me so long to finish this tail) but it is REALLY hard to hide them. O.O;

[NerineArcticMermaid]

I
That's great, hahaha XD

Yes, photoshop is great! Clone and heal tools are your best friend for editing a tail.

It's true, the only tails that don't have seams are ones made from body casts, or a form made from your measurements that is similar to a body cast. Even that is only if you're good- I've seen some tail makers do body casts and still have seams. Too bad the only tail maker who did and was good at that turned out to be a scam artist (Adam Martyn). :/

It's true that Mertailor tails, Mike Van Daal tails, and Raven tails all have seams. The Mertailor ones can be really obvious, even from looking at it straight on (not on the side with the seam) because he uses so much silicone that it's actually raised at least an inch or two off of the normal scale texture (example (http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc227/winged_mermaid/Making%20Mermaid%20Tails/310699_794917708372_199100519_38318929_4934847_n.j pg), example (http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc227/winged_mermaid/Making%20Mermaid%20Tails/310891_2394737347154_1212552728_32958291_4279986_n .jpg), example (http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc227/winged_mermaid/Making%20Mermaid%20Tails/582277_309384135817162_1186493167_n-1.jpg)) . With Mike it depends on the scale size you get- smaller scale patterns end up like this (http://s219.photobucket.com/albums/cc227/winged_mermaid/Making%20Mermaid%20Tails/?action=view&current=IMG_1096.jpg), but the larger ones look like this. (http://s219.photobucket.com/albums/cc227/winged_mermaid/Making%20Mermaid%20Tails/?action=view&current=51928_461721343317_571913317_5643245_17712 41_o.jpg) That's his latex tails. His silicone ones are the ones that, I seriously was could could only find one picture of a hint of a seam, and there are pictures that are up close and high def with where they should be on multiple tails. You have to have a keen eye and some reflective lighting to see it - but you can make the seam out in this picture. (http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/s720x720/529484_464042140273053_1252699413_n.jpg) Raven does a really good job with hers, but if you're looking for the seam you can spot it (example (http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/s720x720/383397_3866776787549_1641566566_n.jpg), example (http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/s720x720/556117_10151920612850425_251125204_n.jpg), example (http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/208823_4098877789929_2071679125_n.jpg)). So all in all MVD silicone tails are the least obvious from any I've seen. But that's only if you're picking things apart. Buuut when you spend upwards of $2,500 you want to be realistic about what you're going to get.
Hey is that one my team? Not sure since the name is spelled different but it looks like my tail unpainted..i never saw that picture before..
If it is my tail..itdoes has 2 seams..one on either side of the dorsal

[Kanti]

It'll always be pretty impossible to hide the seams unless you re-shape the entire foot area or
keep your toes constantly pointed.
Since your feet are probably going to be moving around there's just no way to deal with it realistically
besides modding the tail over to compensate for the shape/movement of your ankles.

I think another factor has to do with the ankles being measured incorrectly o_o

[NerineArcticMermaid]

Iona.. if that is my tail........ how did you come across that picture? Ive never seen it before......

[Spindrift]

latexmans' tails don't have seams!

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I realize this is an older photo, but Mike's tails do indeed have seams. I found an example on accident. Hiding seams just takes time and practice, hence why his tails seem to be seamless. He's had a lot of practice.

[MerShellly]

If you have seams on your tail, you could say that that's your lateral line. Fish have lateral lines that sense vibrations in the water to warn them of possible predators and sharks use theirs to hunt.

[AniaR]

there is always seams unless it's poured into a full 3d mold. just a matter of how well hidden the seams are.

[MerShellly]

I know :) I was implying noticeable seams. I guess I sould've made that clearer lol. What tail makers use 3d molds to make their tails?

[PearlieMae]

Raina, Raina, Raina...you remarked too quickly.

My tails have no seams, and I don't 3D cast.

What's with the thread resurrection?

[MerShellly]

This was the only thread I could find pertaining to seams, and not too long ago I learned about the purpose of a fish's lateral line, so I thought I'd share. I am really curious though what tail makers use 3d molds. I'm not very familiar with the process of making a tail in general.
And I think she was also including seams that the tail makers try to hide, not just seams like the Mertailor's.

[Mer-Crazy]

Raina, Raina, Raina...you remarked too quickly.

My tails have no seams, and I don't 3D cast.

What's with the thread resurrection?
I was just about to say 'tails with individual scales like Pearlie's and Finfolk's individual scale tails don't have any'.

[AniaR]

Raina, Raina, Raina...you remarked too quickly.

My tails have no seams, and I don't 3D cast.

Egads you're right! :facepalm: