Leg Casting to make a mold for a tail?

[Prince Calypso]

So I have hit a huge snag in my planning of an H2O/POC styled tail.
My boyfriend, always the over achiever that he is has concluded that for best result we do a plaster cast of my legs for the tail
Great, Perfect. One problem, even though he knows how to do the cast he has no idea of how to use to make an extended tail form
or what to do after that.
We've both been scouring the web for days trying to find the exact process for the H2O tails that JMBFX Studios uses but nothing but pictures
they don't explain the process at all.
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I've downloaded videos as well and i get that a casting is required for the tail and that the leg casting is used to make the neoprene sheath that goes inside the tail.
I even get a vague idea how to make the fluke and all that but
We have no idea what to do next!
Someone help me!! I'm so close to this being an actuality *FREAKING THE FUCK OUT*:jawdrop:

[Aziara]

When I look at the leg cast, it looks like the toes are sort of pointed? Maybe the girls stood on an incline (or a pair of 5" heels?) when they cast them? And the neoprene sleeve looks to be several different thicknesses, to even out the shape of the legs into a solid cone shape instead of leg shapes. You can't see it so much in the photo you posted, but I saw it in a 'making of' video...but even that video didn't say much beyond 'leg cast=neoprene sleeve=silicone=scales'. There really isn't much info out there... I think they don't really want folks copying it by showing the whole process....grr... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wg2xMJNNSE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=me5D4ZRrDSY Even these video just gloss over the whole process, but it's all I can find.

[Firemaid]

So think of the leg cast as a dress form.
It's there for you to build on top of!
Also plaster alone will not hold up.
Once you make the plaster version you will need to cut it in half (so you can get out)
then use it as a mold for something more durable.
I used fiberglass...

[Prince Calypso]

So think of the leg cast as a dress form.
It's there for you to build on top of!
Also plaster alone will not hold up.
Once you make the plaster version you will need to cut it in half (so you can get out)
then use it as a mold for something more durable.
I used fiberglass...

I get how making the mold works. my boyfriend wants to use foam
so do i use like clay or something to build on top of the mold then cast that in silicone?
that's the issue i'm trying to figure out

[Rain]

They have workshops that show exactly how they make things, one day I'd like to save enough money to be able to go take a few classes.

[Mermaid Dottie]

I would add the foam to the bottom, where your feet go, and then shape it how you want. Make sure you add a little shelf thing for where the fluke is supposed to go. I wish I knew how they filled it out when wearing it, though.....

[Mizuko]

I made my leg cast using glad wrap, duct tape, and then fibreglass. :3

[Prince Calypso]

*shakes head*
Is there anyone who actually knows about this kinds stuff in the Mer-Cammunity?
Raina?, Raven? Jesse? Anybody?
Hell at this point i'd even settle for help from The Mertailor Himself

[Aziara]

I think you might be breaking new ground, Calypso... I think most folks only use their leg cast as a manikin to wrap their scale sheet around. I suppose you could build clay on top of a leg mold and use silicone directly on it... I was thinking of using the same technique to save time. I would keep in mind that anything built on top adds to the size, however. I was going to 'take in' my duct tape leg cast by a few inches before fiberglassing it and adding clay. Also, isn't dragonskin really runny? You might have to get the thickener from smooth-on as well.