Lorelei's First Silicone Tail Attempt!

[Mermaid Lorelei]

(And my first tail ever!)

I've finally started working on putting together my first tail. I'm still in the beginning stages, but hopefully everything will continue to go smoothly and I'll have a tail soon!

I want to pay a huge shout-out to the members here on this site. I probably would have been able to figure out all of the necessary steps and the information on my own, but it would have taken FAR longer. Thank you to all of you who have taken the time to detail your adventures (and mis-adventures) and thank you for being diy-ers!

When I get the time, I will be posting progress photos and any sort of information that I find out on the way.

For starters, though, here's my current tail inspiration.



Also, here is the design I have come up with and am hoping to create. (Minus the stripes on the body. I decided I didn't like them. And the body might end up being more purple and black.)

[Spindrift]

I actually really love the stripes. It's a very unique design!

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Thank you! You like the stripes though? I might change them to yellow then and do the body in a dark purple... I don't know. O.o;

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Progress Photos!
I found two. The first is the clay for a heel fin.


The second is the clay for a hip fin.

[AniaR]

wow! cant wait to see how this turns out

[Mermaid Jewel]

Wow looking good! I love the design, gorgeous!!

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Oh, thank you guys! I really just hope it comes out well.

[New York Mermaid]

you got to love bettas they are so unique and inspiring i cant wait to see your tail finished, i have 2 bettas which have inspired me to make 2 tails.

[koiboi]

im excited to see the results of this process, i'm taking notes!

[merboy78xy]

lookin great loreli!
I'm so excited to see more! nice job with the clay, and you're quite the artist!

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Lanai - Bettas are wonderful little creatures. I have one of my own (little Kovu) who I will probably base a tail off of one day. :3

Koiboi - Haha, I'll try and get some more process photos up as I can for you.

Merboy - Well thank you! It's actually my second time ever working with clay, so I was hoping it came out alright. The first time was back in fifth grade and I made a pig. XD

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I don't have anymore progress photos yet, but here are two videos of me practicing my monofin swimming. :P
http://www.facebook.com/v/10150515475789240

http://www.facebook.com/v/10150515528454240

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Some of you might recognize this. It's the same technique that Star is currently testing. I had had the same idea a while back and was excited to see someone else take it for a test ride. :3
These scales are just sitting on my table, not yet glued down. My boyfriend (I love him so) is making me a mold box to lay them in. I was impatient though and just had to play with them. XD

[Odette]

oh wow. i love the design! its so cool! did you draw that?

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Thank you! Yes, I did draw it. :3

[aWittleNoob]

I honestly think you should keep the stripes.....
i think you might wannna do the stripes on both sides if it ends up you didnt like it with stripes on only one side

[Mermaid Lorelei]

The stripes were drawn on only one side as a comparison picture. I wanted to have plain vs. stripes where I could easily compare the two. The more I look at it though, I'm thinking of inverting the colors and possibly doing purple/blue for the main body and having gold highlights. It might not look as garish that way... I dun know.

What makes you like the stripes, if I might ask?

[mermaid.dreamer]

Ooh! That's beautiful! I really like the stripes I'm excited to see how it turns out

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Thanks!

[aWittleNoob]

i really like the stripes because it makes it stand out and POP.... it also makes it alot different compared to other mermaid tails
I really like the current color pallete because it's unique, and self original...... I wonder if I made one of these could I enter it in the state art competition :O