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How do you make those furry costumes?
Posted 10 years agoFursuits are costumes base on anthropomorphic animals. Anthropomorphic animals are animals with human characteristics. These costumes are a complicated piece of art that takes dedication and lots of foam. Fursuit makers spend many hours working on these costumes, but how do you make those furry heads? There are many things to think about when making these suits for example design, preparation and how to make it. (I will not be discussing resin bases in this informative essay)
Before you think of even making a fursuit you have to sketch up the design. Some animals are easier to make than others. For example, a dog will almost certainly be easier than making a dragon. Fursuits can be any color or design from brown to purple and from spots to swirls. It is basically anything you could imagine it to be. You can also choose a design that is realistic, cartoony like, or somewhere in-between. The more undefined the shapes are, the more cartoon like the fursuit is going to be. Another thing to keep in mind is the facial expression of the animal. If it is realistic then it will have a less exaggerated expression then if it was cartoony like. Is your character mad, sad, scared, happy, or just trying to look cool? To change the expression of your character you have to change the eyebrows, eyes, muzzle, and if you want to get real creative, the ears. For example, if your character is mad you could put the ears back, tilt the eyebrows down, and frown the mouth. Most importantly you have to think of movability. You can have hand paws made like a regular glove or you can have foam in the fingers. This can prevent you from moving your fingers as freely and will make your hand sweat twice as fast. Do you want a long tail, a short tail, or a tail that is high up in the air? A long tail will drag on the floor making it very dirty, which would need to be washed regularly. A short tail would be cheaper, but depending on your animal it may look strange if the animal normally has a very long tail. A large tail that hangs high in the air needs lots of support. This support can come from a brace that goes up your back. There are many feet paws that can be made. For example, some of the feet paws can be stompy, realistic, or normal. Stompy feet paws are where the feet paws are huge and basically stompy. Realistic feet paws are smaller and look more human like. Normal feet are large with more of an animal like feature. There is a style called digitigrade and plantigrade legs. Digitigrade is when the legs are curved to look more animal like, while plantigrade is where the legs are straight like legs of a human. To make digitigrade legs you have to apply foam to certain parts of your legs. Digitigrade legs are harder to move in and they can get hot fast, while plantigrade (a bodysuit with no foam in the legs) has better movability and you can wear it for longer periods of time for it doesn’t get hot as fast. There is a lot to consider before the making of a fursuit but after you make the design you have to prepare and gather up your materials.
Preparation is key when making a fursuit. First off you need to save up the money. These things aren’t cheap. Some people can make them cheap but it doesn’t come out as nice. For example, fur is expensive. Long shag fur would probably be best to make a fursuit. The cost range of this fur is from 19 to 30 dollars but most fur can be found around 25 dollars. You can get cheap fur, but I don’t recommend it. The first fursuit head that I made I purchased cheap fur that only cost about 11 dollars for one yard. This fur was extremely hard to work with and the backing of the fur showed through. You also need the following, lots of hot glue, a hot glue gun, scissors, balaclava (optional), a styrofoam head, a sheet of buckram, different varieties of foam, paints, furs, Sculpy clay, and patterns for the foam base. The base of the head will be put together by hot glue and in order for it to stick together for a long time you will need lots of hot glue. It is also a very good idea to buy more than you need because it is a real pain to run out while you are on a roll. I advise the person who is making a fursuit head that they do not buy cheap tools. If you do this it will take up twice your time. You have a choice to choose between a balaclava and a foam head base. Balaclavas are a close-fitting garment covering the whole head and neck except for parts of the face. Balaclavas can be brought online or you can make your own from something like a pair of pantyhose. Your other choice will be a foam head base where the outcomes of the head will be a bit bigger then if you use the balaclava. A styrofoam head or an object you can place the head on will be needed for this project. You may get away without a styrofoam head if you use a foam base but if you use a balaclava you will need one. Buckram is used for the eyes. It is easier to see out of then pantyhose and it hides your eyes from being seen by other people. Foamies and upholstery foam are the foams you will need for this project. The Foamies will be used for the eyes and the upholstery foam will be used for the base, the shaping of the head, and for the legs. Paint can be used for dry brushing, painting the inside of the mouth, and/or painting the eyes. The fur will depend on what design you have, the less complicated your design is the easier it will be. Patterns for the head are extremely important. In order to find out how to make these patterns you need to look up tutorials, otherwise the shape of your head head may not look the way you want it to. Speaking of tutorials, watch every single one you can before starting. This really helps. If you don’t like the way that persons project turns out then don’t use their tutorial. Finally, you should first practice before you make your own head. I learned many things when making my first head. The more the practice the better yours will be. Now that you got your preparation down you now have to make the final project.
Now that you prepared for this project you can now make a fursuit. First you have to sculpt your head base. This is where your pattern would come in. Use your patterns to cut out your pieces of foam. Then you glue them in their proper places. Make sure that the glue is on low heat so you don’t melt the foam. There are many tutorials online to show you how to do this. Next you want to make your shape look as natural and smooth as possible, any rough edges have to go. Do this process slowly or you may cut off a little more than you wanted to. Cut out holes for your eyes and mouth. Next make the eyes, the teeth, and the nose. For the mouthpieces you could make your own teeth and tongue out of foam or just fleece and stuffing. The more cartoonish the creature is going to be the less teeth there should be. I recommend you making a tongue out of fleece not Sculpy so you have that nice soft plushy look. Then you have to tape the whole head. Many people use duct tape but I recommend using masking tape for it is easier to work with, just make sure you do a couple of layers. Look from your design and back to your head, using a Sharpe, trace your design on the tape. Cut the tape off of your head very carefully without cutting out any of the foam underneath. Trace these patterns on the fur. Don’t forget to make a neckpiece for your head otherwise it would look awkward. Keep in mind to leave a little more room when cutting for seam allowance. Pin the pieces on the head to make sure everything fits. If they do sew them together preferable by hand and it should fit like a glove. Apply glue to some places of the head. Do not do it so much that you could feel some bumps, make sure it is as smooth as possible. Finally, you could do some finishing touches like airbrush or dry brush decals. Now your project should be done.
That’s how you make an animal costume head. Take a step back and note what you like and how you could have done better. What do you do after you make this anthropomorphic costume head? You can go to Furry conventions, do some fursuit outings, and/or sell it to make money. I find fursuit making very relaxing and rewarding in the end.
Before you think of even making a fursuit you have to sketch up the design. Some animals are easier to make than others. For example, a dog will almost certainly be easier than making a dragon. Fursuits can be any color or design from brown to purple and from spots to swirls. It is basically anything you could imagine it to be. You can also choose a design that is realistic, cartoony like, or somewhere in-between. The more undefined the shapes are, the more cartoon like the fursuit is going to be. Another thing to keep in mind is the facial expression of the animal. If it is realistic then it will have a less exaggerated expression then if it was cartoony like. Is your character mad, sad, scared, happy, or just trying to look cool? To change the expression of your character you have to change the eyebrows, eyes, muzzle, and if you want to get real creative, the ears. For example, if your character is mad you could put the ears back, tilt the eyebrows down, and frown the mouth. Most importantly you have to think of movability. You can have hand paws made like a regular glove or you can have foam in the fingers. This can prevent you from moving your fingers as freely and will make your hand sweat twice as fast. Do you want a long tail, a short tail, or a tail that is high up in the air? A long tail will drag on the floor making it very dirty, which would need to be washed regularly. A short tail would be cheaper, but depending on your animal it may look strange if the animal normally has a very long tail. A large tail that hangs high in the air needs lots of support. This support can come from a brace that goes up your back. There are many feet paws that can be made. For example, some of the feet paws can be stompy, realistic, or normal. Stompy feet paws are where the feet paws are huge and basically stompy. Realistic feet paws are smaller and look more human like. Normal feet are large with more of an animal like feature. There is a style called digitigrade and plantigrade legs. Digitigrade is when the legs are curved to look more animal like, while plantigrade is where the legs are straight like legs of a human. To make digitigrade legs you have to apply foam to certain parts of your legs. Digitigrade legs are harder to move in and they can get hot fast, while plantigrade (a bodysuit with no foam in the legs) has better movability and you can wear it for longer periods of time for it doesn’t get hot as fast. There is a lot to consider before the making of a fursuit but after you make the design you have to prepare and gather up your materials.
Preparation is key when making a fursuit. First off you need to save up the money. These things aren’t cheap. Some people can make them cheap but it doesn’t come out as nice. For example, fur is expensive. Long shag fur would probably be best to make a fursuit. The cost range of this fur is from 19 to 30 dollars but most fur can be found around 25 dollars. You can get cheap fur, but I don’t recommend it. The first fursuit head that I made I purchased cheap fur that only cost about 11 dollars for one yard. This fur was extremely hard to work with and the backing of the fur showed through. You also need the following, lots of hot glue, a hot glue gun, scissors, balaclava (optional), a styrofoam head, a sheet of buckram, different varieties of foam, paints, furs, Sculpy clay, and patterns for the foam base. The base of the head will be put together by hot glue and in order for it to stick together for a long time you will need lots of hot glue. It is also a very good idea to buy more than you need because it is a real pain to run out while you are on a roll. I advise the person who is making a fursuit head that they do not buy cheap tools. If you do this it will take up twice your time. You have a choice to choose between a balaclava and a foam head base. Balaclavas are a close-fitting garment covering the whole head and neck except for parts of the face. Balaclavas can be brought online or you can make your own from something like a pair of pantyhose. Your other choice will be a foam head base where the outcomes of the head will be a bit bigger then if you use the balaclava. A styrofoam head or an object you can place the head on will be needed for this project. You may get away without a styrofoam head if you use a foam base but if you use a balaclava you will need one. Buckram is used for the eyes. It is easier to see out of then pantyhose and it hides your eyes from being seen by other people. Foamies and upholstery foam are the foams you will need for this project. The Foamies will be used for the eyes and the upholstery foam will be used for the base, the shaping of the head, and for the legs. Paint can be used for dry brushing, painting the inside of the mouth, and/or painting the eyes. The fur will depend on what design you have, the less complicated your design is the easier it will be. Patterns for the head are extremely important. In order to find out how to make these patterns you need to look up tutorials, otherwise the shape of your head head may not look the way you want it to. Speaking of tutorials, watch every single one you can before starting. This really helps. If you don’t like the way that persons project turns out then don’t use their tutorial. Finally, you should first practice before you make your own head. I learned many things when making my first head. The more the practice the better yours will be. Now that you got your preparation down you now have to make the final project.
Now that you prepared for this project you can now make a fursuit. First you have to sculpt your head base. This is where your pattern would come in. Use your patterns to cut out your pieces of foam. Then you glue them in their proper places. Make sure that the glue is on low heat so you don’t melt the foam. There are many tutorials online to show you how to do this. Next you want to make your shape look as natural and smooth as possible, any rough edges have to go. Do this process slowly or you may cut off a little more than you wanted to. Cut out holes for your eyes and mouth. Next make the eyes, the teeth, and the nose. For the mouthpieces you could make your own teeth and tongue out of foam or just fleece and stuffing. The more cartoonish the creature is going to be the less teeth there should be. I recommend you making a tongue out of fleece not Sculpy so you have that nice soft plushy look. Then you have to tape the whole head. Many people use duct tape but I recommend using masking tape for it is easier to work with, just make sure you do a couple of layers. Look from your design and back to your head, using a Sharpe, trace your design on the tape. Cut the tape off of your head very carefully without cutting out any of the foam underneath. Trace these patterns on the fur. Don’t forget to make a neckpiece for your head otherwise it would look awkward. Keep in mind to leave a little more room when cutting for seam allowance. Pin the pieces on the head to make sure everything fits. If they do sew them together preferable by hand and it should fit like a glove. Apply glue to some places of the head. Do not do it so much that you could feel some bumps, make sure it is as smooth as possible. Finally, you could do some finishing touches like airbrush or dry brush decals. Now your project should be done.
That’s how you make an animal costume head. Take a step back and note what you like and how you could have done better. What do you do after you make this anthropomorphic costume head? You can go to Furry conventions, do some fursuit outings, and/or sell it to make money. I find fursuit making very relaxing and rewarding in the end.
