Selkish's Ratchet Workshop

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Originally Posted by PearlieMae

I made some opal scales almost two years ago, and they still hold up (I've been trying to kill them just to see how durable they are...). The opal 'glitter' is super flimsy. I wish I bought more when I had the chance because now I can't find it.

Attachment 35863



PS: ignore the cat hairs.

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Originally Posted by MermaidRaegan

PRETTY!!! *grabby hands*

You should do some test pulls Selkish, I think it would be totally worth it to have something like that.

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I actually did do some test pulls of the opal (there are pictures somewhere in this thread) but the scales were cutting themselves out because my confetti was too thick. I'll deal with that another time but Pearlie Mae has got the look I was kind of going for. My friend who's around here somewhere MerSeaKilling (because puns) is working on a really cool method that I hope she documents as well. Maybe if I ever have free time again, we'll post some pulls.

So I've been thinking about a thing and I want to get some input from people...

Since I've started this project, I've wanted to make a set of armor to go with my tail. 'cause metal tail... metal armor... get it? Eeehhh eehhh??

Anyway, inspired by Thom, I was thinking of making a couple scar pieces to add to my tail for that "battle hardened" look to go with armor. I'm just trying to figure out how I'd go about doing all that... Thoughts? Ideas? Would that be cool or does that just seem too busy?

Oh, because for some reason I forgot to post this when I filmed it.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBOSVS3B...clearly_golden

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBOcZv6B...clearly_golden

It's video of my scales on the mannequin.

You could probably make a scar piece like the ones they sell at Halloween and put it somewhere on your tail body, then place scales around it. I'm not sure how you're binding all of the scales together once they are placed, but I imagine the same method would work for a scar piece as well. Did that make any sense? I have no idea. It is late here lol

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MermaidRaegan

You could probably make a scar piece like the ones they sell at Halloween and put it somewhere on your tail body, then place scales around it. I'm not sure how you're binding all of the scales together once they are placed, but I imagine the same method would work for a scar piece as well. Did that make any sense? I have no idea. It is late here lol

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I wouldn't want the scars to be permanent I think. There might be a bit of lift under the scales when I'm finished but that would be my choice. The other issue is that nothing likes to stick to silicone.

So I put everything back on the dummy that fell down a bit back. (Stupid fish butt) I just wanted to see what I had to make more of and it turns out I'm HALFWAY FINISHED.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...2e47c9a417.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...b5ebb69ac7.jpg

SOON IT WILL BE FLUKE TIME!!!


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Woo! It looks nice!


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woohoo!

Shiiiiny.

That is looking really cool! Great work!

Well f*#%nuggets.

So I was thinking about my rose-gold scales and now that I know how to manipulate my pigments I took a crack at a more accurate rose gold pigment using my leftover dragonskin slow... And I'm frustrated.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...1fcd015987.jpg

LOOK AT THAT COMPARED TO MY ORIGINAL COPPER SCALE!!! WHAT THE HELL!? WHY DID I EVER EFFFFFF SETTLE FOR THAT WEIRD ORANGE COPPER. AAUUUUGGGHHHHHH

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVq5qKVArzU


An accurate representation of how I'm feeling right now.
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So I've made a butt ton of new rose gold scales.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...8d67ad6fbb.jpg

A fish butt-ton.

Seeing as I've almost finished with the body scales now, it's time to see about attaching this stuff together.

Also, I made somewhat smaller scales.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...288af45a84.jpg

Somewhat


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That's looking really good! I'm really liking that rose gold colour you've mixed.

ooo! Looks great!

Pretty!

That 'weird orange copper' is nice and will make for some nice transitional scales! Adding them into your rose gold might give the tail a more organic feel and really make the rose 'pop'!

The beauty of individual scales is that you can change things around!

This is looking amazing!

you are going to be our bronze statue mermaid

A a mermaid with a copper-rose-gold-blue tail, I LOOOOVE these colors, even the orangey-copper one. :) This is looking fabulous!

Thanks guys

I'm just going through the phases of tailmaking I think. As Ashton once told me: you love it, you hate it, then you love it again. BUT I did get some new pigments. I got them when I started the rose gold, and I thought that the cotton-candy would rose the scales up before I just tried to do it with copper. But I did make a little video for you guy to see how they sparkle!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzSqx9WNi74

I swatched them on my hand too but because it's just pure pigment, it doesn't stick very well. They're in the same order as the video.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...b104f9efaa.jpg

Is it an update if I basically mention I dumped the project on Ashton?


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I saw her updates. It's a beautiful collaboration!

Haha :mermaid kiss:

So while Ashton does the heavy lifting and attaches scales to my fishbutt, I decided to start working on my fluke. I'm buying a competitor off a friend so using that as an outline, I've started building the fluke mold.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...ca13047f97.jpg

The fluke will have two broad "arms" with webbing in between. And is totally based off a panel from this comic.

http://thismighthurt.tumblr.com/post...-buy-the-comic

Seriously, its my attitude as a mermaid in a nutshell.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...2306620f6b.jpg

The small baby scale texture for the arms

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...0bc08815d1.jpg

Trying to see what the texture might look like.



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Lovely!


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I actually have that little book. My stepmom gave it to me for Christmas.

Update: the tail has been to Texas and back and is exactly in the same state it's been since it left. This is of course my fault for not taking the fact that Ashton had like, real life to take care of and was to be expected.

Now re-stuffed and in California, my legs are hanging in my friends garage while I get ready to start sticking scales on. (Don't even get me started on freaking out about fluke sculpting.)


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http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...ec48e3be53.jpg

My legs. Hanging and waiting to be scaled.


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So now that the tail is hung again, I get to repin all the scales I've pinned to this thing twice already. http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...5800b242e4.jpg


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It's very cold in my friend's garage. There are moths in here. I have my friend's SCA Rattan next to me for protection.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...4e5344b03d.jpg


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http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...0eb133fa0e.jpg

One got away.


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In my experience, swords are always a good thing to keep around. Scares the gnomes into leaving things alone :lol: Tail's lookin' goooood!

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Originally Posted by Miyu

In my experience, swords are always a good thing to keep around. Scares the gnomes into leaving things alone :lol: Tail's lookin' goooood!

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Hehe thanks. My friends and I have quite the collection too.


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So I'm spending a lot of time thinking about my tail now. Especially now that Ive placed basically the entire front.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...249b8b5fbe.jpg

I keep thinking about the HUGE swath of rose gold that's going to be the backside and I'm worried about color variation. I love the gold leafed scales on the front of the piece and the texture they bring. So I may be making even more rose gold scales for the butt, but with rose gold leaf- provided I can find it. -sigh-


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Wow that looks great, Selkish!

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Originally Posted by Sabrina the Selkie

Wow that looks great, Selkish!

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Aww thanks!

I came in a few weeks later to find my leg model has been tearing apart at the top so now I have to work a little quicker. I also start a new job in march so I'm going to have even less time. I've basically started gluing down the individual scales now and once the front is done, I'll lay it down and do the back.




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1/4th of the way done. Kill me.


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My rose gold leaf came in!!!! (In a fancy ass package.)
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...ca36f9e0f5.jpg

So gonna spend some time making additional butt scales.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...0429c8d5a0.jpg


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Butt scales. Yes. :P
Good luck!

Very nice!

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So here's some fun. I had to pull my tail down completely because hanging it was tearing the mannequin. Then I restuffed the mannequin to find I'd had the whole thing at an angle and there are several scales tacked in the wrong place. So time for some surgery. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...c449858a40.jpg


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