Mermaid Lily's First Silicone Tail

[Lily]

Sorry for not updating in the last few days. I was going to make my scale sheet mold and fluke this week, and do some test paints on the sample scales, but I'm so goddamn sick I can barely get off the couch. It's not strep (two separate tests came back negative) so it's probably "just" the flu. I never get sick, so this is really knocking me on my ass. Hopefully I'll feel better soon, because I've been staring at my pigments and sketching color ideas and I'M SO FUCKING EXCITED I CAN'T STAND WAITING!!! I've settled on a deep navy, silvery blue green, pearl with a slight silver tint, and spots of warm coral. Probably going to tip the edges of the fins with black glitter and the palest areas with white glitter, maybe some blue or teal glitter for the midtones because who doesn't love glitter, amiright? Sketches coming soon!

Also 90% of my shell top supplies arrived yesterday - just waiting on a few strands of faux pearls, which will probably take a while as they're coming from overseas - and I want my merboobs! Immune system, you need to step up your game already.

[Lily]

Since I haven't been able to do any physical work this week, I thought I'd post my colors! Also: first images of my fluke design!



Debating whether I want to add a dorsal...

Oh, and just to avoid any allegations of "copycatfish," I've been dreaming of a blended waist since I first started designing my tail over a year ago. While I'm not 100% sure of Merbella's method, I will not be trying to make my waist look like hers; my idea is actually fairly different in terms of final look. Also, just in case we use similar methods, I won't be posting any step-by-step pics of the process in case it brushes up against her trade secrets.

[Mermaid Neri Elvina]

Woah! Lily amazing work!

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[Ashton]

Wow! that is really pretty!!

[Lily]

Thanks guys! I'm hoping to paint my bracer this week so I can get some practice with the airbrush and make sure my colors look as good in person as they do in the jar!

Oh, yeah, look, I actually accomplished something in between coughing fits!


This is the seam side of my bracer sample. The seams aren't quite as subtle as I'd like but it was great practice and now I know how to do better on my tail. No pic of the front yet, gonna wait 'til it's painted.

In other news, my parents managed to last almost 10 whole days before adopting another puppy. I was worried how it would go, as my dad had said he wasn't sure he could love another dog after Phoebe passed. However, I think the new puppy is fitting in just fine.



Her name is Tilly (short for Mathilda) and she's an 8-week-old mini schnauzer. Hopefully I'll be able to get home and meet her while she's still so little!

[Mermaid Neri Elvina]

Cute puppy!! Those scales look great Lily!

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[Lily]

Sorry I haven't been posting much. I'm still recovering from what my doctor is now saying was walking pneumonia. I'm on an inhaler and some antibiotics but she said it will probably be 1-2 more weeks before I'm really feeling better. Ugh.

I did manage to make a mold of my scale sheet and am slowly cleaning out the clay. I want to have this tail done within a month.

[Ashton]

I hope you are ok! Working while sick sucks. My back wont stop hurting but I still am hunched over my scale molds pulling them!
Now a days, becoming a mermaid is a lot harder than just trading your voice in to a sea witch.

[Mermaid Wesley]

Your design is still gorgeous ugh

[Mermaid Neri Elvina]

Feel better soon! xx

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[Mermaid Sabie]

Your scales are beautiful! And the puppy's a cutie!

[Lily]

Now a days, becoming a mermaid is a lot harder than just trading your voice in to a sea witch.

I actually lost my voice for a solid week with this illness! I would have had no currency if a sea witch had come along with a trade offer!

Feeling much better now, though I'm still coughing a fair bit. I got a fancy spray gun and started experimenting with painting this weekend and so far it's looking really good on my samples! Still need to tweak the tank pressure, air flow, and paint flow settings to find what works best for me, but I'm loving the way my pigments are looking on my scale bracer so far. No pics today (just had a date lunch with hubby and am a little tipsy, need to lie down on the couch) but I'll be painting more this week and starting my fluke sculpture! Wheeee!!!!

[Lily]

Just finished up the first coat of paint on my scale bracer! I couldn't properly capture in photos just how amazing and sparkly my pigments are - in direct sunlight, it looks almost bedazzled! It needs a little more of that medium blue, then I'm going to add those pink whale shark-inspired spots along the white-blue transition (like in my mockup), and add a glitter topcoat over the darkest color. Because the world needs more glitter!

Front 3/4. Loving this pearly white! Might add a little bit of interference color over it to give it more depth.



Back 3/4-ish. Darkest blue-black at the sides, center of back is medium blue/grey.


Front full-on. Definitely needs more of that medium blue.

[Mermaid Wesley]

pretty!

[Ashton]

Love the color! Those look wonderful!

[Mermaid Ruthie]

WOW

[Lily]

Thank you everyone! I finished up the painting today and now it looks even better!

Before adding the spots. I wanted to show you what that medium blue really looks like in some bright sunlight!


Spots! I'm not 100% happy with how they came out but they're still super cute!


From the side:


The back. It started to get overcast and I lost the light, but that's the same medium blue as the first image.


3/4 front. Love the color transitions:


SO SPARKLY!!!!!!!


Now I'm even more excited to construct the full tail!

[PaolaMF]

what kind of paint you use? thanks

beautiful work !!

[Rett]

Im excited to see the outcome! I love the scale mold you have made! Its going to be fantastic!

[Lily]

PaolaMF, I'm using powdered mica pigments (same stuff they make eyeshadow out of, tons of them on Etsy!), mixed with silicone and thinned out with paint thinner.

Finally finished my fin sculpts! I redid each of the extra fins at least 4 times trying to get them just right!

The fluke is about 4ft across from tip to tip of the lowest flair.


Ankle fins!


Hip fins!


And the masterpiece, my fluke!


Making molds this week. My goal is to have the tail finished by the end of the month!