Jessica's Second Dragonskin Tail

I really love how it's coming out *.* very good job! <3

I just have to tell you this looks amaaaaaaaaziiinggggg

Thanks so much everyone! I'm so excited!!:D I can't wait to see pictures of Eva in her tail. My goal is to finish the tail up this week and get it mailed to Eva by Monday/Tuesday.

I finished trimming the scales for this side and started painting the point/end where the body will attach to the fluke. The dark green still needs another layer, but this side will finished up tomorrow!

Omg Jessica! This tail is absolutely AMAZING!!!! Im so jealous of you! I think i will suck at making tails like these!

Good luck!
Kisses Mermaid Myrthe :)

Wow jessica, contgrats on having a whole mermaid pod following this thread lol. I appricaiate all the information that you have given me as far as how to go about making my own, as well as getting to watch your progress. it looks beautiful, eva's going to plotz!

Thanks mermaidmyrthe and adella!

mermaid myrthe,

I'm sure you could make a beautiful tail! There are so many tutorials and threads on here to show you how :) silicone is tough to work with, but fabric tails are very easy and fun to make! I made several before I started working with silicone :)

I'm working on sealing the fluke together right now and I will start painting the other side of the tail today. I really love this fluke, but you would not believe how hard it was to get all these teeny cuts in the edge lined up right! I'm "babysitting" the fluke right now as it cures to make sure nothing is slipping!

Pictures coming later today ;)

Quick question...did you seal your fluke sculpt clay before making your mold?

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Originally Posted by PearlieMae

Quick question...did you seal your fluke sculpt clay before making your mold?

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No. I used monster makers clay and it works just fine with shell shock. You don't even have to use a release agent (Mizuko didn't and her molds turned out great!) but it does make it easier to get the clay out if you do.

However, you do use release agent make sure you clean your mold thoroughly! If any is left in the mold, it can get on your silicone fluke and prevent silicone from bonding to your fluke. This is a real problem if you're going to paint!

I know you're using a different clay so you should do a test to see what works best! Are you trying to reuse your sculpture? I have to peel and scrape the clay out of my molds so the actual sculpture is totally ruined during the process.

Hope this helps!

Thanks!

I poured a test with resin that is like Shell Shock (Smooth-On makes it under our label, so I don't know if the EXACT same resin) but I haven't pulled it off the clay yet. I won't be using a mold release, the clay is oily enough.

Naw, not going to reuse the original sculpture, the clay is way too soft for that.

Has anyone sculpted their original in paraffin, I wonder?

Hi pearlie,

i dont think anyone has used parrafin before. Do you think it would melt before the shell shock captures the detail? Shell shock heats up so it could be an issue.

I finally finished assembling the fluke. I had to redo it a few times because of the ridges on the edge of the monofin. They were much more visible than I wanted and it took a few tries to get it right. I'm still working on fixing one side where the edge is more visible.

I also turned the tail inside out and reinforced the seams from the inside.

fluke pictures!

Looks very nice :D Keep up the good work

Beautiful work! The fluke is wonderful!

Thanks, re paraffin. I will have to try it. I have paraffin, beeswax, and jeweler's wax. The resin I'm using heats up, too, but it sets its shape well before it gets hot enough to melt anything.

Off to the lab!

Ahhh it's beautiful!! I LOVE these colors :) I can't wait to see it fully assembled!

WOW! <3 seriously beautiful! :D

Thanks azurin luna, Pearlie, jade and Mizuko! I'm so excited to finish this tail!

pearlie, let me know how the paraffin works!

I've been painting the back side of the tail and things are coming along well. :)

the colors are still light and need another layer at least:

Oh my goodness! Jessica, that tail is gorgeous! Eva is one lucky mer! :)

It"s beautiful!

I thought of using wax myself but haven't tried it yet, I'm very interested to know if it does!

if you start your own business you should send each tail with a little sea horse the shade of thier tail like merbella does with thier tails

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Originally Posted by mermaidCrae

if you start your own business you should send each tail with a little sea horse the shade of thier tail like merbella does with thier tails

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^ such a cute idea! I love it! :)

Thanks cecelia and Kae!

I've been painting again today and the back side is almost done! I'm also getting ready to attach the body to the fluke. Things are finally coming together! More pictures coming soon :)

thanks so much for all of your support! You all inspire and motivate me! :)

Are you airbrushing or hand painting? Looks amazing!

Hand painting! I've thought about using an airbrush, but it seems like a lot of extra work to clean it! I'm also painting in my dining room....and there's carpet on the floor....doesn't seem like the best idea! I also really love having so much control over the colors and the application. I know every single scale :)

hand painting is relaxing too :) I just get lost in my own little world!

I know exactly how you feel!

Jessica, this is looking wonderful! I am so happy to see how this is coming together for you! :)

Thanks julz! It's so much fun to have so many of us making tails at the same time!

Hi Jessica

Yeah, I just wish I was doing silicone or that someone out there was doing latex also at the same time. some of the tips and tricks transfer over between them which is helpful, but it would be nice to exchange tips on the specific medium that I am working with with someone. I do read the forums on the latex tails, but having someone that you can contact directly(Live thread) can really help.

I am going to soon be ready to paint. Trip to walmart today to get clothes pins and other holding devices.

Julz,

it would be nice if more people would make latex tails too! I think a lot of people lately just go straight into silicone because it's a better material and will last longer, but it's just so expensive! It's really great watching your progress though and I'm always here if I can help you with anything :)



I've been working on attaching the body to the fluke! I have the front side attached, and I'm waiting for the back side to cure. Then I have to wrap the scales on the sides around and seal them together! It's so exciting to see it look like a tail!

The scales still need another layer of dark green to get the emerald color where they attach to the fluke.

Here are a few pictures! (Front side)

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Originally Posted by PearlieMae

You did the seam down the back and wouldn't do it again? Now you are making me rethink my strategy! Was it super difficult, and why?

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For Pearlie & all who are thinking of attempting one seam from the middle of your back, to ankles:

Well, haha, there's a lot of reasons I would rather try another way.. At first, I thought it'd be a simple matter, doing one seam instead of two however that was not the case. I really struggled to get it to STAY. I cut apart my two scale tests & played with ideas of how to keep them together. I tried various styles of clamps etc. to get it to stay still, however my dragon skin silicone really fought back! Literally I'd be pinning it together with clamps, go down a section, & it would separate. Shampoo, rinse, repeat. Eventually, I had to literally do it in many sections, with the tail base (waist to ankles) inside-out with.. kinda like bandages of silicone-covered lycra. Still, it fought back with my force & the clamps. The process was easiest at the bottom with my ankles, and hardest at the top where my butt & waist were, because there was more curve to attempt to line up together. Perhaps if done another way it'd be easier. The way I did it, I would never do again because it was so frustrating. Probably the most of all my tail parts. The rest was more smooth.

I'm actually thinking of doing mine in four pieces, front belly piece, back, and two leg sides, with the sides having different scale patterns and details...I'm also including embedded rhinestones down the sides! :dance:

Jessica, is it creepy to say that the colors of that tail makes me crave sushi?

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Originally Posted by PearlieMae

I'm actually thinking of doing mine in four pieces, front belly piece, back, and two leg sides, with the sides having different scale patterns and details...I'm also including embedded rhinestones down the sides! :dance:

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^ this will be really neat! I love the idea of using rhinestones. I would like to use some on my scale top, but I don't want to cover them completely with silicone. Any ideas on how to get them to stay?

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Originally Posted by PearlieMae

Jessica, is it creepy to say that the colors of that tail makes me crave sushi?

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Haha! I will have to warn Eva to swim fast! :shark:

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Originally Posted by Jessica

^ this will be really neat! I love the idea of using rhinestones. I would like to use some on my scale top, but I don't want to cover them completely with silicone. Any ideas on how to get them to stay?

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I'm going to use acrylic rhinestones because their edges are not sharp, and you could nick them on the edges to really get them to grab the silicone. I also plan on nestling them into the scales in the point of the underlying layer (does that make sense?), and covering them with a glossy "slime"coat when I coat the whole tail.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PearlieMae

I'm going to use acrylic rhinestones because their edges are not sharp, and you could nick them on the edges to really get them to grab the silicone. I also plan on nestling them into the scales in the point of the underlying layer (does that make sense?), and covering them with a glossy "slime"coat when I coat the whole tail.

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makes perfect sense! Your tail is going to be so beautiful and you are going to look like a Barbie :) I think I will have to find some rhinestones and stick some on my top! :)

Only if Barbie has a flat chest, round belly, and thick thighs! Hahaha!

I do have some ideas for a silicone top, a different take on seaweed and octopi...the ones I've seen don't float my boat.

Pearlie, I can't wait to see what you come up with!

I've been hard at work last night and all day today. The tail is coming along GREAT! It's almost finished :)
I'm just waiting for the latest layer of silicone to cure on the back, and then the front needs another layer of dark green and just a bit of pink on the edge of the fluke.

Mermaid acupuncture :)

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Originally Posted by Jessica

I've been hard at work last night and all day today.

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These tails are a LOT of hard work

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jessica

Pearlie, I can't wait to see what you come up with!

I've been hard at work last night and all day today. The tail is coming along GREAT! It's almost finished :)
I'm just waiting for the latest layer of silicone to cure on the back, and then the front needs another layer of dark green and just a bit of pink on the edge of the fluke.

Mermaid acupuncture :)

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It is so beautiful! I'm glad to see the pins are working, those pink pearl pinheads make me want to embellish parts of a tail with pearls! I saw someone repaired her tail and added pearls to it to wonderful effect not too long ago...

Golden pearl,

so much work! It's so rewarding though! It's just amazing when you take a step back to think about it...we take buckets of goo and turn them into beautiful tails. How amazing is that?! :)

pearlie,

i was thinking the same thing! I know which tail you're thinking of and it looked so lovely with all the pearls and sequins :)

I have decided the four of you need to team up, because you are all making the most gorgeous tails ever.......... I love how many different textures you are all working with!!!! The tails are sparkly, transparent, layered, and out of this world!