Something that's been on my mind

[Mermaid Wesley]

First off I want to tell you all that I have been totally guilty of this before, so don't think I'm attacking anyone, but I think it's really worth saying. I'm also aware that some of you are totally gonna brush me off and ignore me, but I'll do my best anyways lol

Ok. Here goes: If they only reason you want to make your own silicone tail is to save money, don't do it.

"But Wes, $600 vs $3000!!!!!" (ish) I knowww I know. I know. It seems like the most obvious and smart and genius decision. I know. I did this. I went "pssshhhh 3k? I could do that! I'm gonna DIY this shit and kill it. #mermaidlifehack"

Ohhhh guys. Oh guys. No. Noooo. No. Not only have I likely spent around 1000 with experimenting and messing up and supplies I didn't end up needing and ones I accidentally bought too much of and gas money and shipping costs, but it's been almost 1.5 years since I bought my silicone. I've cried, gotten allergic reactions, hurt myself, wrecked molds, scrapped sculpts and started over. LITERAL blood sweat and tears have gone into my tail- and IM NOT DONE YET.

If I had started saving instead of making a tail 1.5 years ago, I would be able to buy whatever silicone tail I wanted and I don't even have a good paying job. I could order a Merbella tail with all the bells and whistles in another six months. And even if it took me another year of saving, it's totally achievable.

Now after a year of having tailmaking supplies all over my house (my parents are so patient and supportive but they're sooo annoyed by the mannequin in the living room at this point) I am constantly stressed by my tailmaking, constantly worried about screwing it up, constantly worried about fit and about if it looks good to other people or if it's ugly or if it's whatever. It's a stress point in my life.

Sometimes I wish that I had just saved for a finfolk tail and been done with it. If money were my only motivator? I would be bummed that I did this. It's too hard, too involved, and too frustrating. There's a really good reason tail makers charge so much.

Thankfully, money is only part of the reason. I love creating. I love showing off my progress and learning to do art in a new medium. I'm SO glad to be making my own silicone tail. But the money part is like... 6% of the reason.

I just wanna save you guys the stress and pain of starting this project and getting in over your heads. WE MAKE IT LOOK EASY. I promise it's not. Is it worth it? That's up to you.

Now if you want to make a tail for the sake of making a tail, don't let me discourage you. It's doable. It's just a TON of work. A ton of fun work, but work nonetheless.

I'm pretty sleepy so I hope this makes sense. *hugs and fishes*



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[AniaR]

well said.

[Mermaid Alea]

Thank you for saying this. I have been wondering what I will decide to do eventually. I love Merbella tails and obviously Raven has tons more experience when it comes to making tails then I would if I were to make my own. The artist in me says I can do it myself because I like doing things myself, but that definitely is not the easy way.

Another thing is I am not so sure I am even good at sculpting - at least maybe not enough that I would be satisfied with it.

It is like when you draw something and you see another artist draw the same thing but theirs is wayyy better at least in your mind. I worry that I would find that to be the case if I made my own tail.

Maybe I could just make a silicone top and from creating that I would get a little bit of an idea of what route I want to take. Of course I have been thinking about this for a while and I am not doing anything anytime soon. Most likely I will be staying with fabric for at least 2 more years.

Anyways, I want to say that while you have struggled with finishing your tail I think it is looking beautiful.

[Ashe]

I definitely needed to hear this. I may have given up on my dream of creating a silicone tail months ago, but I decided I wanted to do this out of money. If I hadn't been so busy with other things and had actually started the project, I know that I would be where you are now. As a person I am ambitious, messy, scattered and am constantly striving for a perfection that I won't achieve. Luckily, however, I don't have to worry about these things.

As for other people thinking about making a silicone tail, please please please read and take this into account. I've seen a few mers simply give up on their silicone tails after getting a taste of what the process is like.

[Dancing Fish]

Having been through it myself....I reluctantly but completely agree! Unless you have previous experience working with clay and silicone, you probably won't save money- I calculated that in the end, with the experiments and testing different monofins and having to repour an entire half a fluke, I spent a little under $2000 (and I didn't even make a scale sheet mold). More than enough for a respectable tail from a tailmaker! Only do it if you really have a passion for DIY. I make my own everything because I love crafting.

[Theobromine]

I'm really glad you posted this. It is 100% true. You should only take on a project like this for the right reasons, the love of crafting things with your own hands. I very much love creating and I originally wanted to start out by making my own silicone tail, but then I realized that I wasn't likely to save myself money in the long run, I didn't have enough space to properly devote to a project that size, and I also wanted my first tail to be amazing because I wasn't sure if I'd ever be able to afford another. So in the end I was really glad I chose a professionally made tail for my first silicone tail. I got my dream tail, and then later when I was in a better position I was able to start playing around with silicone and practice on small projects. I'm working on my own silicone tail right now and I have been since the beginning of this year! Even though I'm now experienced with casting silicone, making this tail is taking a bloody long time!

[Mermaid Wesley]

Thank you for saying this. I have been wondering what I will decide to do eventually. I love Merbella tails and obviously Raven has tons more experience when it comes to making tails then I would if I were to make my own. The artist in me says I can do it myself because I like doing things myself, but that definitely is not the easy way.

Another thing is I am not so sure I am even good at sculpting - at least maybe not enough that I would be satisfied with it.

It is like when you draw something and you see another artist draw the same thing but theirs is wayyy better at least in your mind. I worry that I would find that to be the case if I made my own tail.

Maybe I could just make a silicone top and from creating that I would get a little bit of an idea of what route I want to take. Of course I have been thinking about this for a while and I am not doing anything anytime soon. Most likely I will be staying with fabric for at least 2 more years.

Anyways, I want to say that while you have struggled with finishing your tail I think it is looking beautiful.

I think starting with a top is a good idea! practice sculpting and see what you can do. Don't let me scare you away if you think you would enjoy it! :O

and thank you, I blush.

[Luna Dreamtide]

Thanks so much Wesley. It's a great check on the motivation behind tailmaking.
My friend, for whom I'll be making my first tail for, has every confidence in my abilities, yet I've not even begun to experiment in the silicone tailmaking medium. I can only hope that my exisiting artistic skills will aid in my ability to complete this project.
Mans starting with a top is a great idea. Definitely switching to this for my plan.

[Mermaid Fenicia]

I would love to order a tail from the USA to Belgium, but after reading how much p&p and taxed I will need to pay (It would double up the price of the tail), I'm going to make 1. There is a shop in the Netherlands where I can buy dragonskin, the rest I have already at home, order online or can buy in local shops.

[Saren]

Thank you for writing this. I hve been on off and off debating whether or not I should make my own silicone tail in the future. I have a terrible habit of taking on things too great for me. I do it during cosplay all the time. I have a ball gown that has been 5+ years in the making and still not done.

Thanks to you I'm at peace. I won't make a tail. I'll support these amazing tail artists instead. In the future though, I may buy some silicone and clay to make my own tops or small things like scale necklaces. Something I won't cry a million years if I have to scrap and re-do. Great ides guys!

[RastaMer]

This is great advice. Thank you for sharing your experiences and opinions, especially with the influx of people making their own silicone tails. It is sad to see when it doesn't work out and ends up being a waste of money.

[Mermaid Wesley]

This is great advice. Thank you for sharing your experiences and opinions, especially with the influx of people making their own silicone tails. It is sad to see when it doesn't work out and ends up being a waste of money.

That's really at the heart of my intention. I understand being frugal, but I've seen it happen multiple times where people give up and end up /wasting/ money. I love that people are making their own tails. Imo it's sometimes more fun to see than a bunch of pro tails, even when they don't look as polished. But I would hate to see people admire my tail and decide they'll save money by copying me, only to give up when it gets tough.

OH and people who want to make tails specifically for making money- been there. It's awful if you don't have a love for what you're doing. And I was doing simple fabric tails. I didn't make much either.


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[PearlieMae]

Wes, have I told you how much I love you?

[Mermaid Wesley]

Wes, have I told you how much I love you?

Aw *bats eyes* no you should tell me again *blows kiss*


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[Dancing Fish]

OH and people who want to make tails specifically for making money- been there. It's awful if you don't have a love for what you're doing. And I was doing simple fabric tails. I didn't make much either.

I keep reminding myself of that. It seems so clear. I like to craft. I can't craft endlessly, I run out of funds. Maybe I could sell my crafts to buy more materials for all my crafts! Then reality sets in...deadlines and taxes and good pictures and advertising and pleasing clients... LOL. Maybe someday I'll get my act together, but today is not that day...

[Mermaid Wesley]

^SAME


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[Mermaid Galene]

This is such a wise and helpful perspective, Wesley! And I completely agree. Silicone tailmaking is a huge undertaking with a steep learning curve. Like any complex art, it initially devours untold quantities of time and money. That road is best traveled for the satisfaction of the artistic journey, not for the purpose of cutting financial corners. Best to recognize this at the start and make an informed decision about making vs buying. I personally have 25 years experience, as a former pro puppeteer, with sculpting and mold making and painting and costuming. And I have no doubt that if I were willing to invest a year or more of my life and several boatloads of dollars, I could make a gorgeous silicone tail. But I would rather free up my time and energy for the myriad of other artistic paths I enjoy wandering, whilst an experienced tailmaker of unquestionable brilliance works her tail off to help me get my tail on!


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[PearlieMae]

This is such a wise and helpful perspective, Wesley! And I completely agree. Silicone tailmaking is a huge undertaking with a steep learning curve. Like any complex art, it initially devours untold quantities of time and money. That road is best traveled for the satisfaction of the artistic journey, not for the purpose of cutting financial corners. Best to recognize this at the start and make an informed decision about making vs buying. I personally have 25 years experience, as a former pro puppeteer, with sculpting and mold making and painting and costuming. And I have no doubt that if I were willing to invest a year or more of my life and several boatloads of dollars, I could make a gorgeous silicone tail. But I would rather free up my time and energy for the myriad of other artistic paths I enjoy wandering, whilst an experienced tailmaker of unquestionable brilliance works her tail off to help me get my tail on!


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I just hope I can make it as awesome as the idea behind it, Galene!

Aw *bats eyes* no you should tell me again *blows kiss*

I freakin' adore you!

Making silicone tails is a very daunting process. I'm still new at it, and I have a slew of mermaids depending on me. It's taking a lot longer than I ever could have imagined, but I AM getting there.

I honestly can't think of anything else I would rather be doing, artistically! I really feel I've found my calling, my first indication being that I am no longer compelled to wander the aisles of the art supply/craft stores, looking for something that speaks to me. I spend my every available moment working on tails, monofins, sculpts, builds...longing for the day when I can quit my day job and do this full time 24/7! (Unfortunately, abandoning a 30+ year career for something that may sputter out in a few years is a big consideration.)

So, if you are thinking of taking on the herculean task of making your own silicone tail, do it for the love of exploration of materials, the drive to create your vision, the satisfaction of creating, problem solving, and completing a tail you would be proud to wear for years to come. Don't do it because you think you can do it on the cheap, because when you factor in supplies AND your time and effort, you will have spent tens of thousands in frustration alone.

(Didn't mean to hijack your thread, Wes. )

[Mermaid Amelia Pond]

Ugh .... this 100x over.
And I wouldn't have listened because I'm stubborn anyway and I have to try something before I let someone else do it. If I knew everything I do right now I would have ordered a tail with pearlie mae. Hands down. I'm so stressed and having nightmares about not finishing it on time and worried that it will mess up. Full on nightmares waking up in sweat scared to death. I just want my tail finished... and when it falls apart I'll save up n pay pearlie mae to make me one of her amazing tails.

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[MerMaiden Lissa]

I thought about eventually creating a silicone tail, but I decided against it. I do plan on making a painted neoprene tail, but I have experience sewing difficult fabrics, and I might have my dad airbrush paint it. Mermaiding is never going to be a career for me, so I'm questioning whether or not I'll ever get a silicone at all.
This thread is very helpful. Thank you!

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