Theobromine's sea serpent silicone tail!

[Vrindavana Starfish]

Wow that top is seriously cool.

[JamesGunnels]

you are very talented

[Mermaid Leira]

Love it, stunning! Very artistic!

[Mermaid Aprilia]

Wow, that top came out brilliantly!

[Mermaid Galene]

FABULOUS top !

[Theobromine]

I'm thinking of changing my scale design a little. I'm not going to scrap the chameleon scale idea, but I'm going to modify it a little by mixing in some other types of scales, I think. Stay tuned. I'm hoping to be able to actually get started on sculpting it this week.

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Are you maybe going to do a blend of larger scales and smaller chameleon scales?

[Theobromine]

Yep, that was sort of my original plan actually (since if you look at chameleon skin up close, the scale sizes vary), but I think I'm also going to blend in some other scale shapes as well. I still have to do an actual concept design, though.

[Mermaid Nerida]

Your top is soooooo gorgeous. Like. I....... Ugh! I. CAN'T. EVEN.

Sent from my shell phone under the sea!

[Theobromine]

Thanks so much, Nerida! Tomorrow I'm actually going to have the chance to finally swim-test it! I've been so busy lately and I also hurt my back last week so I've been recovering from that...I haven't really been able to work on my project lately. But hopefully soon I can get back into it.

[Trident True]

WOW.... you deff have the gift of Artistic talent. I love your sting rays, they look so real. the top your created is very unique i think and when its inspired by the sea they look even better. the love the colour of it too it doesnt look fake looking or washed out. Very Impressed.

[Theobromine]

Thank you! I really appreciate your comments! I wore the top swimming today and it worked great, held up well and was really comfy! It may be heavy out of the water but like the tail, it was neutrally buoyant so it didn't feel heavy or pull on my neck while swimming like shell tops do. Success!

In tail news, I haven't gotten much done lately since I wrenched my back last week (it's better now). But I did get a board on which to make my actual sculpture. The problem I ran into...it's not long enough! The biggest boards you can find at the hardware stores are 4'x8', and my design is a bit longer than 8 feet! So I have to figure out a way to extend the board just so I can sculpt the tip of the tail :P

[Theobromine]

It took me a while to beat the ennui that's been plaguing me, but I finally finished making the pattern for my fluke shape and I really like how it looks! It may not seem like much but I kept psyching myself out because I wasn't confident about translating my ideas and small sketches to a full-size pattern. I still have to extend my work surface a bit but pretty soon I can start actually sculpting!

[Theobromine]

Ok, I haven't updates this in a while so I don't know if anyone's paying attention. I haven't been getting very far lately but I HAVE been working on the tail. I decided to start off making one of the side fins before starting on the main part of the tail, just to see how certain things work and how my design will look in silicone. It's coming along slowly but surely and I only have a little more detailing to do on the fin (second side, as it's going to stand up so has to be 3D), then I can mold it!

BLARRGRHGALKLHDJFKJGRLLH symmetrical sculpting though!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Driving me nuts! I've been trying to be super perfect about making sure the two sides look as perfectly mirror-image as possible and I'm never QUITE satisfied. I know it will never be 100% perfect but I am a perfectionist and get super frustrated with myself when things don't turn out how I want them

I think, once I actually have the thing cast in silicone, I will post a picture of it. I've just been super paranoid about posting any of my designs anywhere online, especially after what just happened with Mermaid Syphira and Jazz. So please forgive my lack of pictures so far *beats dead horse*

Also.....I'm quitting my crummy job. There were just too many Last Straws, culminating in me getting bitched out about my attendance after calling out sick when I was...get this...sick :P (This is a thing that happens a lot, and not just to me). So even though I didn't find a new job first, I'm peacing out. I'm going to pursue doing this Mermaid Thing, and I'm also planning to get a scuba instructor certification, which I have been wanting to do for a couple years now. So yay! I've been second-guessing myself a bit lately, but this morning I saw a thing Pearlie Mae posted on Fb that made me feel a hell of a lot better....



Thanks, Pearlie Mae

[Trident True]

BLARRGRHGALKLHDJFKJGRLLH symmetrical sculpting though!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Driving me nuts! I've been trying to be super perfect about making sure the two sides look as perfectly mirror-image as possible and I'm never QUITE satisfied. I know it will never be 100% perfect but I am a perfectionist and get super frustrated with myself when things don't turn out how I want them

im the same, get an A0 sheet of paper or A1 X2 sheets placed together fold in half drawn fluke shape, cut out, symmetrical fluke. for finer details. fold fluke shape over in half, draw design on then simply cut along the lines. Don't cut over the paper edge though. this gives you the butterfly effect. everything will be 100% symmetrical.

[Theobromine]

That's basically what I'm doing. The problem isn't getting the outlines drawn right, it's making sure everything translates perfectly into clay. I'm not doing a fish-like fin, it's got a lot of tendril-like things that make the design more complicated than it looks, and I have to get the two halves to match up perfectly when they're cast in silicone, because the membrane between them should be thin enough to be translucent. So it's not just the outlines that have to match up, it's all the inner details as well. That's the idea, anyway.

Just out of curiosity, Trident True, where in QLD do you live? I lived in Townsville for three years.

[Trident True]

I Live down near Rainbow Beach. just off Fraser island 15 mins both ways to either ocean or bay

[MermaidBrandie]

I love the little stingray. Hair clip?

[Theobromine]

Nice, Trident! I never made it to that area but it sounds lovely!

Thanks, CoyoteWalker! I suppose they could be made into hair clips! I just really enjoy having them as cute little animals, though. Mermaid Pets. I might start offering them for sale pretty soon, so stay tuned.

Also! My fin mold came out perfectly! I haven't had the chance to actually cast the fin in silicone yet, but I'm excited to see how that turns out. I'll have to be really careful as it's verrrry thin in parts (intentionally). I just have two more days of crappy job and then I can work on this tail full time and I'll finally really be able to get somewhere with it!

[Theobromine]

Sorry it's been so quiet around here. I've been sculpting away and am nearing completion on my fluke! I'm so excited for it to be done! I'll post a picture of that once it's finished, but for now....here's my fin that I made! It's only a small part of the tail, but I'm really excited that it turned out. I cast it a little too thick so the edges didn't blend together perfectly but that's easy to fix for next time. This picture has both sides put together so it's symmetrical, but I got lazy and didn't trim off all the tiny overflow bits on the edges because this isn't the final version. Final version will be a lot neater. Hope you guys like it though! I've worked so hard to make this tail concept unique!



I've also decided to try making some mer-armor! I love armor and I made some last year for my cosplay at PAX, and I've noticed that some people might be interested in mer-armor as well. I'm working on a breastplate and if my first set turns out well I might consider taking commissions on them!