more fursuit planning

combined a bunch of features i liked from various duke sketches i've done over the last year into a sort of über-duke. the mask is going to be pretty huge!

this head is going to be fun to engineer, seeing as the jaws don't quite align, and i want the mouth to open, and exaggeratedly so, so i need to come up with some sort of flexible, durable lever system that will be comfortable.

once i figure out a good jaw extension mechanism, i can build up a core form overtop with klean klay, dupe cheaply with latex and plaster bandage, make an ultracal core, then sculpt the final piece on that. that should also help with controlling air circulation and comfort.

i'm considering doing it up in foam silicone rather than foam latex, since it will be more durable, even if silicone doesn't breathe as well and is more expensive. it'll give me a chance to mess with the stuff, since i've wanted to ever since i first heard of it.

i could see myself easily throwing another $200-$300 at this thing just in raw materials. and then there's the body to consider. i don't mind, i figure that'll pay for itself down the road. fursuit making is both an art and a science, and i don't mind experimenting in this department because it's hella applicable skills for the portfolio and resume.

to top it all off, i wanna get him one of these extremely deliberate zippers: http://orgxiii.org/zippers/ — you could say i have a notion that this will be fantastic.