Punzie's first tail

[Aino Revontuletar]

Hi everyone,

I am planning to start work on my first tail as soon as I can manage to get my supplies together. I will be using dragonskin silicone (yep, silicone for my first tail, I will be diving in the deep end!) I have been thinking in the meantime about tail designs and themes. As a few of you know (and the rest could probably guess) I absolutely ADORE the movie Tangled and my first thought for a tail was to make a tail based off Rapunzel - what she would look like if she were a mermaid. I was thinking of a colour scheme similar to her dress in the movie - pinks and lilacs, perhaps with a pattern that resembles the Corona sun symbol, which is a reoccurring symbol throughout the movie.

But then I came across the tails that MVD has been making recently with the glowing pigments, and I thought I absolutely MUST have glowing pigments in my tail if I can get them. The first thing I thought of when I saw them was how amazing it would be to have a Northern Lights themed tail with actual glowing auroras on it. Then I thought I could make a mermaid persona based off the drowned maiden Aino, from the Kalevala, which is the Finnish National Epic.

For those who haven't read it, here is what Wikipedia says about her:

Aino is a figure in the Finnish (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland) national epic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_epic) Kalevala (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalevala). It relates that she was the beautiful sister of Joukahainen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joukahainen). Her brother, having lost a singing contest to the storied Väinämöinen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%A4in%C3%A4m%C3%B6inen), promised Aino's "hands and feet" in marriage if Väinämöinen would save him from drowning in the lake into which Joukahainen had been thrown. Aino's mother was pleased at the idea of marrying her daughter to such a famous and well born person, but Aino did not want to marry such an old man. Rather than submit to this fate, Aino drowned herself (or ended up as a nix (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nix)). However, she returned to taunt the grieving Väinämöinen as a fish.

The name Aino, meaning "only", was invented by Elias Lönnrot (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elias_L%C3%B6nnrot) who composed the Kalevala. In the original poems she was mentioned as the "only daughter" (ainoa tytär). I go by the name Revontuletar on most sites (you can stalk me now, hehe :P ) which means "Daughter of the Northern Lights." I was thinking of giving my mermaid the name Aino Revontuletar, which would literally translate to "Only daughter of the Northern Lights."

I imagine Aino's lake to look something like this:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8217/8262957243_e08c613de3.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/theaurorazone/8262957243/)9418
Northern Lights Over Lake Inari (http://www.flickr.com/photos/theaurorazone/8262957243/) by The Aurora Zone (http://www.flickr.com/people/theaurorazone/), on Flickr

So those are the colours I will be using, making my mermaid a sort of nocturnal Arctic lake mermaid, with bright glowing colours and patterns that mimic the Northern Lights. I also particularly like this idea because it will match my hair colour too. I am blonde naturally but I dyed my hair green about a year ago, my hair colour also being inspired by the Northern Lights. It is still the same colour now. Here is a pic of it from March last year when I first dyed it (it has grown quite a bit since then, wow :D That makes me happyyyyy :D ) It is actually currently more green than that, but you get the idea (I couldn't be bothered taking a more recent photo, LOL)
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So there, that's my current idea for my tail :D Pics will come soon. I just bought myself a drawing tablet, and I think the first thing I will do when I get around to setting it up and testing it out is to do some tail designs! ^_^

[MerEmma]

Wow, I love the colors you have picked out! <3

[Mermaid Wesley]

ooh cant wait to see!

[Odette]

good luck! <3

[Delphine]

Best of luck, Rapunzel. I'm tackling dragonskin for my first tail, too. Love the colour theme of the Northern Lights! Do you have any design sketches to show? I've also never heard Aino's story. Thanks for sharing, that. :) Where do you get glowing pigments, Rapunzel? I've bought shimmer pigments for Delphine's opal-pearly tail from Smooth-On, though it may be cool to have some added glow for the opal-spots: 9427 9428like these images. Also reminiscent of the Aurora Borealis, huh? :)

[Aino Revontuletar]

Thanks everyone! I will have some sketches to show soon ^_^ I just have to get around to doing them, haha. And Delphine your tail idea sounds absolutely magnificent, I can't wait to see it!! I am not sure where to get the glowing pigments from, but I know Mike from FlipTails has been using them in his silicone tails, and he has to get them from somewhere, right?

[Aino Revontuletar]

Ahhhh I just ordered my monofin - a Finis competitor - I'm SOOOOOO excited!!!! ...Still haven't gotten around to doing my sketch yet though XD

[Delphine]

Whoo! I hope you get your monofin in the mail fast. I was super pumped when mine came in this huge brown box, which I promptly ripped open in excitement. Yay, glad you like my idea, though it's more pearly as opposed to opal now. Looking at other's tails, sometimes I think I'm going for too plain a tail with iridescent white. Hm, never heard of FlipTails, though I'm still very new to this merworld of making & buying tails. Post updates as you go, I'd like to see your progress, too. :)

[Aino Revontuletar]

I am new to the mer-world too, I still have a lot more research to do on this, especially with regards to getting supplies and stuff together. I thought the monofin was a great start, but where to go from here...hmm... Delphine I love the pearly iridescence of your tail, but if you wanted it to be less monochrome, perhaps you could vary the colour a bit, perhaps with light pastel colours here and there, making it still pearly but also giving it a bit of that opal look too.

[Delphine]

I am new to the mer-world too, I still have a lot more research to do on this, especially with regards to getting supplies and stuff together. I thought the monofin was a great start, but where to go from here...hmm... Delphine I love the pearly iridescence of your tail, but if you wanted it to be less monochrome, perhaps you could vary the colour a bit, perhaps with light pastel colours here and there, making it still pearly but also giving it a bit of that opal look too.

You are? Cool. A fellow semi-newbie, haha. Yes, I'm constantly doing research, today was an especially heavy research day. It all helps, from books, to photos & artwork & movies involving merfolk, to talking to Pro mers & non-pro mers & all the loves mers on here. Those things all help fuel my art practice, at least.

Good call about the pastels. I may get some smaller amounts of pigments to do some "flashes" of colour to give it the opal effect. I think I'd have to make small dragonskin batches, mixed with the pastel pigments & paint or water down the dragonskin mixture & airbrush it on the more finished tail directly. Please, let me know if you find the glowing pigments, & I'll do likewise.

[Aino Revontuletar]

You are? Cool. A fellow semi-newbie, haha. Yes, I'm constantly doing research, today was an especially heavy research day. It all helps, from books, to photos & artwork & movies involving merfolk, to talking to Pro mers & non-pro mers & all the loves mers on here. Those things all help fuel my art practice, at least.

Good call about the pastels. I may get some smaller amounts of pigments to do some "flashes" of colour to give it the opal effect. I think I'd have to make small dragonskin batches, mixed with the pastel pigments & paint or water down the dragonskin mixture & airbrush it on the more finished tail directly. Please, let me know if you find the glowing pigments, & I'll do likewise.

Hahaha yes, I think I am more of a newbie than you are though, I only found out about this stuff a couple of weeks ago (if that, hahaha) I was just like "dude, I have GOT to make me one of these!" hehe. And yes, I think the light pastels just painted on softly to give it that flash of colour here and there would really make your tail stand out more and give it that opal effect you were originally going for. I will definitely let you know if I find out where to get the glowing pigments. Now I have to get my sketch done. It's really very rare for me to ever do preliminary sketches of stuff I am making, I usually just have the general idea in my head and just go with that. But I will definitely be doing one for the sake of this thread :D

[Delphine]

Really? Wow! Good for you. Haha, welcome to the epic journey that is tail-making. Hm, I would highly recommend doing even a thumb-nail tiny sketch of your ideas. There are so many people who think they "can't draw" or just don't do preliminary sketches (including some of my fellow art students, believe it or not), but I've found they help everyone, regardless of ability or if they normally prefer to just start making. I promise it'll help you visual your project better, although you don't have to take my word for it. Try it out! :) I look forward to seeing your progress & process, Rapunzel!

[Aino Revontuletar]

it's not that I can't draw well, it's just that I'm the type who usually just gets a vision of it in their head and just decides to wing it, hahaha :p I don't usually bother with them because I am just like "I know what I am going to make, so why don't I just get on with it and make it already?" I have tried doing them before but they never did anything for me and I do just as well without them. But I can definitely see the point of doing one in this case since I am documenting my progress on here (I have also never documented my progress on anything before either)

[Delphine]

Aw, I didn't mean to suggest that you don't draw well. I meant those are just 2 common reasons why many don't do preliminary sketches or thumb nails. :) Even if you don't normally do sketches, I'd love to see your idea. It can be fun to do something new. (Lol, besides making a mermaid tail.)

[Aino Revontuletar]

Absolutely! And it will be coming soon :D

[Delphine]

Hey, Rapunzel! That's great. I'm excited to see what's been floating around in your head. Firemaid has shared some glowing pigments with me.

http://www.riskreactor.com/Glow_In_The_Dark_Pigments/Glow_in_the_Dark_Pigments_Main.htm

If you do want them, make sure you read into them. Some of the pigments PPWB-# seem more temporary than others, like PPSB-# (lasting only 10 hours, then others are "rechargeable"). I'm thinking to get a few of the 1oz, so Delphine can have a little flash, like an opal.

Although I've not researched them much yet, these may be an excellent possible powder pigment to mix into the silicone during pigmenting phase!

[Aino Revontuletar]

Wow thanks Delphine! I will definitely look into those as well :D They seem rather confusing, so I think I might email the company about it. I am thinking of using the PPSB-24 Light green and PPSB-10 Turquoise although I am not sure yet. Let me know if you find out any new information on them and how to use them

[Delphine]

Rapunzel, you're very welcome! Those are nice colour choices. Yeah, I'm into those colours, too. And the violet. I think I need to limit myself to only 3 colours, though..^__^" Good call. Lemme know if they share some cool info about their products! Yep, I will.

[Aino Revontuletar]

I was thinking of using a little bit of the violet too, but I think most of the glowing colour on mine will be the light green. Oh and I did my sketch but I figured it doesnt really tell you much unless it is coloured, so I am doing a full colour rendition xD

[Delphine]

Cool. The green will accentuate your hair nicely. Yay, can't wait to see the coloured sketch!

[Aino Revontuletar]

I GOT MY MONOFIN YAY!!! It's a competitor :D I have yet to try it out, but YAY!! In other news, my picture is finished. This is my tail, as seen from the back:
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[Aino Revontuletar]

Agh I was going to add a couple of spots that look like stars on there but I forgot. Oh well, you get the idea :D

[MerEmma]

That design is so gorgeous.

[Aino Revontuletar]

Thanks :D I'm glad you like it!

[Ashe]

Wow, that design is amazing!! :O Like, really, that is so pretty! And lucky you, miss I bought a Competitor monofin ;)

[Aino Revontuletar]

Thank you so much! And yes, I am super excited about my monofin! It is so big, my fluke is going to be huge!

[Mermaid Saphira]

I love the northern lights! I've always wanted to tackle a tail based off of them. Best of luck to you and I am looking forward to your progress :D

[Aino Revontuletar]

Oh yes me too, the northern lights is one of my favourite things :D And thanks!

[Delphine]

WOWWOWOW! Congrats on getting your monofin. And the competitor! -long whistle sound- Ooo, yes practice! Monofin-swimming takes some getting used to.. I only went a couple times & need to go again. It all helps & is a great work out! XD

Rapunzel, this is a glorious tail! I LOVE your sketch! What, may I ask, will you use to create the fins? They look thin & ribbon-like here. I'm assuming the tail base (where your legs go) is silicone. You can definitely achieve this look with fabric, like Brenda Stumpf: 97069707

I suggest taking a look at her other fantastic work on her Mermaid Project: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/271642832/mermaids/posts

[Aino Revontuletar]

Well, I was just going to use silicone for all of it, just made thin particularly at the edges of the fins so I could get the glow and have a translucent look like some fish fins have. And yes I will practice, I can't wait to go swimming! I am pretty sure I will be good at it though because I used to swim like that all the time as a kid, because I wanted to be a mermaid, hahaha :D

[Mermaid Wesley]

It sooks so great!!! Good luck!!

[Delphine]

MerHopefully! Have to say, I always love your username. It's so fitting, somehow. Like the hopeful desire of many of us on here to be like merpeople or to believe in them in life or stories. Or, at least the great things they can teach us. :)

Rapunzel, I'm sure you'll be fine. Haha, I used to swim like that as a kid, too. I started to get the hang of it, the first time I used it for over an hour. It's very different from how I used to swim, with the propulsion & all. You really fly through the water like a fish! Man, you're making wanna go swimming, again. Must squish it in, asap! Yes, many fish have translucency in their fins, which I like. Mine will have some, too. I don't get why most of the tails on the market are so opaque, even if they are lovely.

[Mermaid Momo]

Are you going to sculpt out the ruffles in clay first then cast them in silicone? Or are you going to cast very thin flat sheets of silicone and attach then to the tail and ruffle them up?

[Disfusional]

That is an amazingly intense design!!

if you do not mind me asking... What software did you use?

[MermaidIsis]

I cant wait to see your tail! be sure to post pics!

[Aino Revontuletar]

Thanks! :) I just used photoshop elements

[Aino Revontuletar]

Are you going to sculpt out the ruffles in clay first then cast them in silicone? Or are you going to cast very thin flat sheets of silicone and attach then to the tail and ruffle them up?

I'm not sure yet, but I think there will be some clay sculpting involved because I will want texture in them to make them look like fish fins. I will start by sculpting the base of the ruffles - if you like, the main part that covers the monofin. It will be just flat with texture and then ruffle out (I will draw a pic of the front of the tail if you like, because I don't think I will have as many ruffles on the front side). Then I guess I will add the other ruffles on as I go. At this stage I am just going for my usual "figure it out as I go along" method ;)

[Ariel-Starfish]

WOW! That design is stunning!! :jawdrop: What program did u use to make the design?

[Disfusional]

WOW! That design is stunning!! :jawdrop: What program did u use to make the design?

Hey Ariel Starfish. I asked the same thing. Here is the answer:



Thanks! :) I just used photoshop elements

[Kanti]

Gorgeous design!
I love the ruffles on the fluke! Seems very lolita-ish
You definitely have a nack for photoshop! Awesome shading/coloring etc!

[Aino Revontuletar]

Gorgeous design!
I love the ruffles on the fluke! Seems very lolita-ish
You definitely have a nack for photoshop! Awesome shading/coloring etc!


Well I am a lolita, so I suppose I do just have a predispostion towards ruffles, hahaha :D Although the inspiration behind the ruffles comes not from lolita but actually from the Northern Lights and how they move across the sky, in a sort of serpentine manner - like this:
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It almost looks like ruffles, doesn't it?

[jukumerboii]

punzie this design is EPIC!!!

[Aino Revontuletar]

Thank you so much! I'm so glad everyone likes it, I really hope it will turn out to look at least something like this in the end!

[Aino Revontuletar]

I just went to the ocean baths today and tried out my new competitor monofin and holy hell can this thing fly! I could swim about 50 metres in one breath effortlessly, this thing is awesome!!! Here is me testing it out in the backyard pool the other day (It's much more suited to the ocean baths, the backyard pool doesn't give much room to swim!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uqK2bKQCuc

[MerEmma]

Wow, that does look fast! So cool. And jealous, too, haha.

[Aino Revontuletar]

it is fast! I couldn't believe how fast I could swim in it! I got quite a few looks from the other swimmers, hahaha

[Delphine]

Hey! Not sure if I'm supposed to call you Rapunzel/Punzie or Aino now, but I found something that made me think of you. http://torivarn.deviantart.com/art/Aurora-Rupture-3581605509888
I feel like you could appreciate this beauty. Also, congrats on getting your super fancy monofin. I'm glad you're enjoying your practice. That's awesome, keep it up! :)

[Aino Revontuletar]

It doesn't really matter what you call me, most of my friends call me Punzie but I figured since I now have a mermaid name that I would change my username. So I guess in the mer-world I will be known as Aino. And wow that is a nice picture! I would love to see it first hand one day!

[Aino Revontuletar]

Agh, sorry I haven't been on here in ages >.< I have had a lot of shit going on lately and have been really busy with a ton of other stuff, so my tail making has kind of been put aside for the moment. I am also moving house in September and dont really want to get started on it until after the move, since moving great big molds and mold boxes and everything doesn't sound too appealing. Also the fact that winter has arrived and I can't go swimming anymore has kind of contributing to all my mermaid stuff just being put on hold, but as soon as I get back to it I promise there will be more updates!

[merline]

what is a lolita?

[Mermaidmechanic]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lolita_fashion

[Aino Revontuletar]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lolita_fashion

I was going to link this but you beat me to it!. If you're interested in learning about it I would visit hellolace.net too

As an example, here is a fairly recent photo me wearing one of my favourite outfits (ignore the weird stuffed toys hahahaha)
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[Mermaid Caspiana]

Well, I was just going to use silicone for all of it, just made thin particularly at the edges of the fins so I could get the glow and have a translucent look like some fish fins have. And yes I will practice, I can't wait to go swimming! I am pretty sure I will be good at it though because I used to swim like that all the time as a kid, because I wanted to be a mermaid, hahaha :D
Same I (even last year lol) would tie my fet together with a bunjee cord. The same feeling almost as monofin would give. I was expecting to get a tail last year but, alas, still in the process of making it. Lol

[Mermaid Caspiana]

I just went to the ocean baths today and tried out my new competitor monofin and holy hell can this thing fly! I could swim about 50 metres in one breath effortlessly, this thing is awesome!!! Here is me testing it out in the backyard pool the other day (It's much more suited to the ocean baths, the backyard pool doesn't give much room to swim!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uqK2bKQCuc
You should also try swimming with your hands at you side kinda flowing with you or straight. It looks a little more relistic. ;$

[MerEmma]

You should also try swimming with your hands at you side kinda flowing with you or straight. It looks a little more relistic. ;$

It takes less ab-work though to put your arms in front. Plus, I like the way both look. After all, she was just testing the fin. :P

[Aino Revontuletar]

Hehe yes, I have done a lot more swimming since then! I have well and truly got the hang of it now! I haven't been able to swim for a few months now because winter, but as soon as the weather warms up I will be back to swimming again!

[Mermaid Caspiana]

It takes less ab-work though to put your arms in front. Plus, I like the way both look. After all, she was just testing the fin. :P
I know, it was just a suggestion. ;)

[Mermaid Caspiana]

How the process of this btw? I can't wait to see it!

[Kumori Kitsune]

your hair is so kool i'm so jelly

[Aino Revontuletar]

Unfortunately due to illness, moving house and the financial troubles assoiated with both, I have had to put this project on the backburner for now :/ It's still in my plans for the future though, and as soon as I get out of hospital I am planning on getting my mold box for my scales organised (since it is the easiest part to start with and the only thing that won't cost me the earth money-wise). I plan to continue updating this thread as I go, it's just going to end up taking a lot longer than I previously thought. So rest assured I'm not dead and nor is this project, it is still a WIP

[Delphine]

Take all the time you need, ladyfish! :) Hope you're better soon! Health is the most important. Perhaps as you embark on the scale sheet we may get an update? It's a long process (not as expensive, phew!) as any in tail-making! You get kinda.... methodical about it, get into the rhythm of doing the scales.

[Aino Revontuletar]

Thanks :) I will definitely update with all the progress I do make, no matter how small! So yes, as soon as I start on my scale sheet you will see me posting here more. The expense of it all really is a big problem, but I am hoping my health will improve and I will be able to begin saving up again, here's hoping.

[Aino Revontuletar]

I am nearing the $2000 mark in my tail savings and I am at a fork in the road. Do I start out trying to make my own tail, or do I just accept that it is way too daunting a task and get a Merbella's tail instead? Keeping in mind that I probably wouldn't be saving any money at all by making my own, since everything is so expensive here, and I have absolutely zero experience with molding and casting (I do have experience with sculpting but that's about all) and I have nobody to help me who does have experience with this sort of stuff. I so badly want to make my own but right now it is looking like that's just not going to work out, since I will have virtually no room for error due to the expense of supplies :(

[PearlieMae]

I've been working on my tail for some months, I am an experienced crafter and artist with an arsenal of tools and space to and it is still a daunting task. Personally, I would not suggest making a full silicone tail to anyone unless they already had some serious crafting chops and drive to create a tail. Now remember, that is just one person's opinion. If I had the money available in one lump sum, I couldn't say that I would hesitate to order a Merbella, Sirenilia or a tail from Jazz, Jessica, or Golden Pearl.

[Aino Revontuletar]

I've been working on my tail for some months, I am an experienced crafter and artist with an arsenal of tools and space to and it is still a daunting task. Personally, I would not suggest making a full silicone tail to anyone unless they already had some serious crafting chops and drive to create a tail. Now remember, that is just one person's opinion. If I had the money available in one lump sum, I couldn't say that I would hesitate to order a Merbella, Sirenilia or a tail from Jazz, Jessica, or Golden Pearl.

Thanks for your input :) I really do want to be able to make my own, and say that I made it, but as I have never used those materials before I am not sure. I am an experienced crafter and artist who has worked with a variety of materials from clay to fabric but admittedly I haven't done molding and casting before. For quite a while I thought I could do it, I've looked at other peoples' threads, seen their progress, watched Kanti's tutorial vids, but I am at the point where I am thinking maybe I am not as capable as I thought I was and maybe I am biting off more than I can chew, so to speak. If it wasn't going to cost me so much money I wouldn't hesitate at all, but with the costs involved I have to think to myself "If it really worth it if I screw up?"

[Merman Arion]

Sirenalia is offering a full silicone tail for 1200$ which is a pretty good deal considering the high quality of their last tails.

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Or you can pick Merbella if you would like. It's up to you :)

[Aino Revontuletar]

Oh wow those are lovely! Do they have a facebook/website? I have never heard of them before.
Edit: never mind - I found it!

[Aino Revontuletar]

I am leaning towards just going YOLO and ordering some monster clay and ultracal (Pretty sure this is the first time I have ever said YOLO in my whole life, hahahah). I just really have my heart set on making my own. One minute I am all like "You can do this! Tail is go!" The next minute I am like "but what if something goes wrong?!" I do have the space to do it, and I have the money to at least get started, but I am doubting myself like crazy. I know that if I do end up making my own, I think I will have to simplify my tail design - all those ruffles would be a nightmare trying to cast in silicone I should think. Ughhh

[PearlieMae]

Well, there it's plenty of info on here and lots of people to answer your questions! I didn't realize you had crafting skills. Good luck!

[Aino Revontuletar]

Thanks :) it just seems very daunting when there are so many tools and supplies to get and I don't have anyone around me who is experienced with molding and casting. It would be so much easier to just be able to ring someone up and be like "hey, can you come over and help me pour my molds?"

[Mermaid Oshun]

Making a tail is very stressful, very expensive and a LOT of hard work. Before you make your first mold you will spend weeks, hundreds of dollars and a lot of sweat labor making scale sheets and fluke sheets. Placing one to three thousand little circles meticulously on a board is about as much fun as having your finger nails ripped out. Then you will spend hundreds more and a lot more stress making molds. When your first mold cracks or crumbles, you will feel like committing suicide because it will mean you have to buy all of the above AGAIN and go thru all the above steps AGAIN to make new molds.

Ever thought of being a private duty nurse and cleaning up after a patient's bathroom needs? That's how you will feel if youre lucky enough to get a good mold and you get to clean up the clay out of the molds. That can take several days of hard labor by itself. Then you pour your molds. God forbid you have some silicone inhibition, you will feel like committing suicide AGAIN!. Then you've got to throw out hundreds of dollars of partially uncured silicone , buy some more silicone that costs as much as gold...and start over! Get a good pour in silicone, then the real nasty sticky, gooie work starts. You spend hours with pinching sticky goo with needles to make seams.
You'll really rip your hair out with the final details. I have gone through 5 airbrushes, 2 compressors, 3 scale sheets,3 scale sheet molds. and thousands of dollars of silicone in a matter of a few months.
I went to bed crying, exhausted and flustered MANY nights over MANY MONTHS! This will take up several rooms of your house with messy goo, big bulky molds, paints, noisy air compressors and an assortment of other sticky, gooie things. Making a tail will take over your life with a lot of mess, stress and cost a king's ransom.
You know what?... I've had to redo each of the above steps SEVERAL TIMES! My advice... DON'T DO IT! You will be much happier and much more stress free for just saying NO. :lol: Make yourself content by just looking at the pretty pictures online and be done with it.

[Jessica]

Golden pearl, I'm sorry you've had such a rough time! I had things go wrong too.....a messed up scale mold, cure inhibition with my first tail....the problems are never fun, but overall I still really love tailmaking and I hope you do too!

Aino,
I'm not going to sugar coat it.....making your first tail is really time consuming, messy and difficult! If you're planning on making more than one tail, then it is worth it to make your own because you can reuse your molds. If you're only making one tail, I would just buy one.....by the time you spend all the time and money on supplies.....it's really worth it to buy a really good tail from someone else. Your first tail will not be perfect.....you learn so much from the first one! My second tail (Eva's tail) is 100 times better than mine! Seriously....I can't believe how much I have improved! You won't be 100% happy with your first one and although my first tail looks great in pictures..... I can easily pick out 20 flaws that I fixed with my second tail.

I will say this.....I'm happy that I made my own tail......but I'm even happier that I'm going to make myself another one that will be even better! It really changed my life, and I really fell in love with silicone. I'm kind of in awe....if I can sculpt it, I can make it! It's so much fun when things go right....and so frustrating when they go wrong! It's very fulfilling though......when I was working on Eva's tail it really made me so happy to make her dream of becoming a mermaid come true. :) If you do decide to make your own, you have support and help here! It just isn't the same as having someone there to tell you or show you the best way to do things....or to catch a mistake.

The best advice I can give you is to make a small project first! Try making a scale top, scale wristbands or even try sculpting a little sea creature. You can buy trial sizes of everything and see how the process works. If you make a mistake, you're only out maybe a hundred or so (depends on how expensive materials are where you're at) and you build the confidence you need to complete a larger project, like a tail. I really wish I had started small! It would have prevented so many mistakes!

I'm here if you ever need any help!

[Aino Revontuletar]

Golden Pearl, that's what I am afraid of. Wth the cost of materials here I really can't afford to mess up! I am no stranger to time consuming, repetitive craft work. Making scale sheets and cleaning out molds wouldn't really bother me too much, I would just put my music on, sit there and just do it. However, what does bother me is the possibility of messing up with the molds and the silicone. I have researched enough that I understand the process of making one reasonably well, but I doubt my abilities with mixing and pouring and stuff.

Jessica, thanks for your advice. At this stage I can only see myself having the funds to make one tail, and you're
absolutely right in saying that I probably won't be 100% happy with it when I do end up completing it. The price of silicone especially here is so crazy that I don't see myself
buying more and continuing after the tail is done. You have given me a lot to think about. I already have my monofin that I bought to put in my tail, but I might have to consider selling it and buying a tail, as much as I love sculpting with clay and such and despite my visions for a wonderfully unique tail designed and made entirely by me, I really can't
afford to mess up and find myself hundreds or even thousands of dollars out of pocket with no tail to show for it. I would go for it if I lived in America where silicone is like a third of the price and readily available, but living in Australia presents its own problems with this sort of project

[Aino Revontuletar]

Jessica, I think your idea of starting out small is a good idea. I think I might make myself a top to start with. That sounds like a good idea. Thank you for that!

[Mermaid Oshun]

Golden Pearl, that's what I am afraid of. Wth the cost of materials here I really can't afford to mess up! OH YOU WILL mess up.Each step has so many possible errors that it is impossible to get through it the first time w/o having to redo some element at least only once if you're lucky

[emma11]

Well I don't know if it's worth it to worry about mess ups haha. If you're careful and thoughtful, you won't lose much money.

Do small tests first, a tiny scale mold, a tiny fluke mold with the detailing to see how it catches.

Then you'll get the hang of it, but you also won't waste money if you do mess up. ;) fear of messing up shouldn't stop you! It's part of learning, plus it's so fun!


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