To professional and advanced tail makers: “next-gen” tail techniques

[she11sea]

Hi MerNetwork,

This post is mer-tailored (pun intended ) to all the professional and advanced tail makers out there.

I’ve been thinking about how we can take our tails to the next level. I’m a huge fan of movie effect prosthetics, cosplay and I’m also an engineer with a medical background.

I’ve been doing a ton of research and I have some weird out of the box ideas with new and innovative materials on how to improve current mermaid tail construction.

I'm still new-ish to this network, so is this the best sub-forum to post my thoughts to professional and advanced tail makers to get their opinion? If not please direct to where all the pros hang out.

Thanks!

She11sea

[RoseburgFlyer]

It's my perspective that tail makers with new techniques and ideas keep them to themselves in order to stay competitive in the market. I like that you're interested in sharing, however I expect that other professionals and advanced tail makers are unlikely to share their own techniques, which will make it difficult to collaborate.

[MerEmma]

I would say MerNetwork is one of the big hubbubs (lol?) for mermaid costume discussion. There are some Facebook groups and YouTube channels that talk about the mer community as well, but I think we have the largest forum. I would say that the biggest tailmakers don't post here much (Mertailor, MerBella's, FinFolk) but that isn't to say they don't ever read the forum or hear from us at all. Quite a few users here do have personal experience with making silicone tails as well!

[she11sea]

It's my perspective that tail makers with new techniques and ideas keep them to themselves in order to stay competitive in the market. I like that you're interested in sharing, however I expect that other professionals and advanced tail makers are unlikely to share their own techniques, which will make it difficult to collaborate.

Totally understandable they would want to keep their own secrets to remain competitive. But I guess I'm just more Elon M(oll)usk type of engineer that wants to share ideas, and collaborate openly with other tail makers to make the most effective and realistic mermaid tail out there, without patents or owning IP.

[she11sea]

I would say MerNetwork is one of the big hubbubs (lol?) for mermaid costume discussion. There are some Facebook groups and YouTube channels that talk about the mer community as well, but I think we have the largest forum. I would say that the biggest tailmakers don't post here much (Mertailor, MerBella's, FinFolk) but that isn't to say they don't ever read the forum or hear from us at all. Quite a few users here do have personal experience with making silicone tails as well!

Ah nice! Have you made your own tail? What Facebook groups and YouTube channels do you follow?

[MerEmma]

Ah nice! Have you made your own tail? What Facebook groups and YouTube channels do you follow?

I have only made a spandex tail myself, haha. As a broke college student, anything more realistic is a long way off for me. Nerdmaid Faith is one on YouTube who usually buys tails--Courtney Mermaid is one who has a business making & selling tails, I know PearlieMae also was doing individual scale tails (which were pretty out of the box in the best way, imo!). There are some Facebook groups for buying & selling tails, as well as just individual pods for different local areas. Take some time to look around on the Making Tails subforums and you'll find quite a few people who've made their own tails and documented the process. (MerNetwork does have some rules about "digging up" old threads though, so if you have a question for the user themselves in some cases it might be better to PM them?)

If you've got some ideas and are not hesitant to share/don't care about ownership of them, then it might just be nice to post somewhere on the forums with some of your ideas to generate discussion. We've got a LOT of tailswimmers here who could give input and talk about the feasibility of them or just to workshop them!

[Mermaid Kassandra]

Hi MerNetwork,

This post is mer-tailored (pun intended ) to all the professional and advanced tail makers out there.

I’ve been thinking about how we can take our tails to the next level. I’m a huge fan of movie effect prosthetics, cosplay and I’m also an engineer with a medical background.

I’ve been doing a ton of research and I have some weird out of the box ideas with new and innovative materials on how to improve current mermaid tail construction.

I'm still new-ish to this network, so is this the best sub-forum to post my thoughts to professional and advanced tail makers to get their opinion? If not please direct to where all the pros hang out.

Thanks!

She11sea

I would definitely love to collaborate even if I am not a pro I only made one silicone tail for myself, individual scales and same old techniques but I was thinking of employing new materials too but I can’t find a good and safe alternative to silicone

[emmayangxoxo]

Hi MerNetwork,

This post is mer-tailored (pun intended ) to all the professional and advanced tail makers out there.

I’ve been thinking about how we can take our tails to the next level. I’m a huge fan of movie effect prosthetics, cosplay and I’m also an engineer with a medical background.

I’ve been doing a ton of research and I have some weird out of the box ideas with new and innovative materials on how to improve current mermaid tail construction.

I'm still new-ish to this network, so is this the best sub-forum to post my thoughts to professional and advanced tail makers to get their opinion? If not please direct to where all the pros hang out.

Thanks!

She11sea

I would love to hear and maybe collab if ya want! I’ve made fabric tails but wanna make silicone tails


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[midwesternmermaid]

I don't know if you want to consider this "next gen," but I've figured out a way to do the circle scales with greater precision than cutting out individual circles or tracing strips of circles. I used one of my design programs (and you could probably do this in something like Microsoft word or whatever it's called now) to lay out 1-inch circles in a strip. I printed it off, cut out the positive, and use charcoal and my dirty chamois to dust in the negative. I cut out the positive and i have almost-perfect strips of 1-inch circles. It's so much easier to glue these guys than trying to line up every. Single. Circle.

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[midwesternmermaid]

I'll also add that I've done a few fabric tails, but am focusing on silicone. I do have an art degree (so not what i planned on using it for), an art-based business, and a brain geared for creative problem-solving.

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[she11sea]

I'm glad there's interest even during the pandemic! I posted my first as a separate thread, let me know there what you all think!