Page 93 - Q01-2021 Fins Magazine

MER101 by Mermaid Odette v 7. Beauty first. Pour the “beauty layer” first. It’s a more v

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liquid layer that you apply to make sure every part
of your sculpture is fully covered. Then you can add
DIY SILICONE TAIL more layers of thicker ultracal and also add burlap to

help prevent your mold from cracking.

8. Flip it over and carefully clean out all the clay. Then
add a layer of acrylic spray before adding silicone.

9. Pour silicone. I suggest dragon skin medium 10.
Mix as instructed and add pigment and pour. Add
There are many ways to make a silicone tail. This article is to give you good mesh after to help prevent your silicone sheet from
guidelines to start with. You can take any of these steps and do them your tearing.
own way as well. Don’t be afraid to experiment! 10. Gluing. Glue your pieces together with silpoxy or
more silicone. I like to use strips of mesh and silicone
SAFETY: Please always wear gloves, a respirator, and eye protection along the seamline to make it stronger. You should
while working with any of the products mentioned and keep in mind have two flukes and two scale sheets to glue together.
this is an adult activity and adult supervision is needed. Always start from the bottom up.

1. Design. You need to draw what you want. What shapes do you 11. Painting. It’s a guide all its own. The best meth-
like? How many fins? How long and wide? You can draw on paper od is to airbrush it on. To do this you need a good air
then redraw with measurements on a large piece of rosin paper. compressor and a paint gun. You’ll need to mix your
2. Measure. It’s important to measure how big your fluke or cau- pigment, silicone and thinner to be able to paint your
dal fin will need to be to fit a monofin, if you choose to put one in. tail. You only need a very small amount of silicone or
You also need to make sure your feet can fit into the base of the fin you will quickly clog your gun.
with room to spare.

3. Trace it. After you draw out your fin, you can use a projector to I encourage you to look at as many resources as you can. There
make your fin the size you want and trace it onto the rosin paper. are many videos and forums that share their methods. Be safe
You can then also use tracing paper which is important for the and have fun!
next step.

4. Sculpt. Put the rosin paper over a flat, moveable surface, like
plywood, then start putting a layer of clay down until it fills the
shape of your fluke. Once you finish and make this part perfectly
flat, you can use the tracing paper to add where the details belong.
Then peel the rosin paper off and sculpt around the impressions.
5. Scales. A popular method is making scale sheets out of craft
foam and gluing them together. Make sure they are all glued down
well so when you pour the ultracal, it won’t go between the cracks.
Make the sheet as long and wide as you need. Another option is
sculpting the scales. An aquatic performer for over

6. Border. Make a border or a box to pour your ultracal into. a decade, Mermaid Odette is
dedicated to all things themed
Once you have made a border. You will put mold release all over entertainment and marine
the sculpture and box to prevent the ultracal from sticking. science. Tucson’s mermaid
bringing the fun and fantasy
of mermaids to the desert!
Learn more about Mermaid Odette:
themermaidodette.com
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@mermaidodette