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Just finished foaming Crackle's head! He's a caracal, and he's got follow effect eyes, a moving jaw, and BIG FUCKING EARS <3
The bump on his head is the base for his hair.
Here's the character design sheet: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/4970107
VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPvNbLNt-uI
The bump on his head is the base for his hair.
Here's the character design sheet: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/4970107
VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPvNbLNt-uI
Category All / Fursuit
Species Feline (Other)
Size 960 x 1280px
File Size 1.79 MB
Aw that's brilliant. :O
I love when people create feline suits; they are always so different and imaginative. You don't see then too often, compared to canines, rodents and even birds.
Looks amazing so far. I wish I had the time/energy/patience to make myself an Icykat outfit. ;;
..Are there any suggestions you could give me, for the easiest way to construct a head without killing myself in the process? :C
I love when people create feline suits; they are always so different and imaginative. You don't see then too often, compared to canines, rodents and even birds.
Looks amazing so far. I wish I had the time/energy/patience to make myself an Icykat outfit. ;;
..Are there any suggestions you could give me, for the easiest way to construct a head without killing myself in the process? :C
Aw, thanks so much! <3
It's so true. You really don't see enough feline suits out there. I've noticed a lot of professional makers don't make very good felines either :/ Probably because they're so used to making canines? I dunno. They tend to look a bit "off" to me, with the exception of a few excellent makers.
I definitely could! I've only really used one method to construct my heads, so I can't say I have enough experience to tell you which is the easiest, but the method I use is a bit of a hybrid of the standard plastic mesh method and the just foam method and it's worked fine for me.
What kind of a head are you looking to make? Moving or static jaw?
It's so true. You really don't see enough feline suits out there. I've noticed a lot of professional makers don't make very good felines either :/ Probably because they're so used to making canines? I dunno. They tend to look a bit "off" to me, with the exception of a few excellent makers.
I definitely could! I've only really used one method to construct my heads, so I can't say I have enough experience to tell you which is the easiest, but the method I use is a bit of a hybrid of the standard plastic mesh method and the just foam method and it's worked fine for me.
What kind of a head are you looking to make? Moving or static jaw?
You're welcome. I can't wait to see this completed. :)
Yeah, I've noticed that too, in a way.. I'd say the majority of suits out there are canine. Then you have things like bears or rabbits, and then maybe felines. It could be why many suit builders have trouble. I've noticed those who build many canine suits make other suits with muzzles that tend to be a bit unnaturally long, but usually it isn't too noticeable. Then again, I give anyone props who is able to complete a suit of any kind. I get discouraged when it comes to furring and pattern making, myself. :(
Anyway. I'd love any sort of help. ^^
Hmm. I've heard a lot of problems with moving jaws but it would be cool to have one. Not only for more options but I believe it would give better airflow that way.
The only thing with my fursona, is that she isn't exactly any specified kind of cat, and she's mixed with other things, haha. So I guess i'd be a hypocrite because i would likely need to square out and lengthen her muzzle a little for a suit, but She still retains that cat look about her.
Yeah, I've noticed that too, in a way.. I'd say the majority of suits out there are canine. Then you have things like bears or rabbits, and then maybe felines. It could be why many suit builders have trouble. I've noticed those who build many canine suits make other suits with muzzles that tend to be a bit unnaturally long, but usually it isn't too noticeable. Then again, I give anyone props who is able to complete a suit of any kind. I get discouraged when it comes to furring and pattern making, myself. :(
Anyway. I'd love any sort of help. ^^
Hmm. I've heard a lot of problems with moving jaws but it would be cool to have one. Not only for more options but I believe it would give better airflow that way.
The only thing with my fursona, is that she isn't exactly any specified kind of cat, and she's mixed with other things, haha. So I guess i'd be a hypocrite because i would likely need to square out and lengthen her muzzle a little for a suit, but She still retains that cat look about her.
Body padding is halfway done :3
Yeah... That and something I've noticed that bugs the crap out of me is that they make the space between the bottom of the nose and the lips WAY too big. They just look derpy if you do that...
I can't say that any of my suits (a whopping 2. Oh man) have been around long enough to have any issues, but the jaw on my most recently made suit (this guy: http://www.furaffinity.net/full/4448197/) works fine. I actually just went suiting with the owner this past weekend XD
And yeah, I'm pretty sure it helps airflow. Then again, compared to my current suit, June, wearing a giant oven on my face would be an improvement -.-
Aaaaaand worst case scenario, if you make a moving jaw and it gets screwed up one way or another you could always just seal it shut/in whatever position you want and turn it into a static jaw no problem.
This might make no sense, but I'll write it out anyways in case some of it does:
Anyway, I always start with a very simple plastic mesh base for my masks. It's this stuff used for embroidery that you can get pretty cheap at a fabric store. I start by making a simple "helmet" out of it, sewing pieces together using and oversized needle and some yarn. I make a headband first that sits a bit above the eyes, then a piece that goes from between my eyes to the middle of the back of my head, then bisect that with a piece that bisects my head horizontally. Walah! Helmet. I then take a couple more thin strips which I attach near my ear and reaches around where my jaw is. I make a band of mesh that attaches to these strips (not quite at the bottom of them but close) that reaches around the front of my face and reaches out not quite as far as I want the muzzle to reach. I add a strip that connects the tip of this "muzzle" to between my eyes for stability (think the bridge of the nose).
For the moving jaw part, I take some wire (I forget what gauge I used, but I could check for you. Basically you just want something thick enough to be sturdy but thin enough to bend somewhat easily) and cut it a bit longer than the "muzzle." I hook it up on each end of it to the strip that covers the ear. I bend it at a 90 degree angle so, if held up, it faces the same way as the "muzzle" instead of facing straight down. It should be about as long as the muzzle piece when bent this way, if not a bit shorter! I then glue some mesh onto the entire length of the wire. Around an inch and a half or two inches down from the "hinge" where the wire attaches to the mesh (on both sides) I take some thin strips of knitted elastic and sew them onto the mesh on both the wire and the "muzzle" so it connects the two. It should be loose enough so it doesn't pull the "mouth" shut too much, but tight enough that when you pull the lower jaw down it gets pulled back up to close the mouth. You'll need something firm like a piece of wood (I used two pieces of a chopstick glued to a popsicle stick...) to act as a place where your chin will rest. This will make it so that opening your mouth will pull the mask's mouth open, and when you close your mouth the elastic will pull it back shut. This is your moving jaw mechanism.
From there, I pretty much just build off of this very basic frame with foam, adding and cutting away at the foam until it makes the shape I want. I actually end up destroying a lot of the basic mesh frame in the process, which is why I call my method a bit of a hybrid. The mesh is there, but the only part that's really important is the part of the "muzzle" structure where the elastic is attached, the part of it where the wire it attached, and the lower jaw itself, but there's still mesh in there, so it can't be called just foam.
...I'm sure most of that made NO sense whatsoever, if not all of it. I'll gladly send you a picture of the inside of Crackle's head to sort of illustrate what I'm trying to say later. XD
Yeah... That and something I've noticed that bugs the crap out of me is that they make the space between the bottom of the nose and the lips WAY too big. They just look derpy if you do that...
I can't say that any of my suits (a whopping 2. Oh man) have been around long enough to have any issues, but the jaw on my most recently made suit (this guy: http://www.furaffinity.net/full/4448197/) works fine. I actually just went suiting with the owner this past weekend XD
And yeah, I'm pretty sure it helps airflow. Then again, compared to my current suit, June, wearing a giant oven on my face would be an improvement -.-
Aaaaaand worst case scenario, if you make a moving jaw and it gets screwed up one way or another you could always just seal it shut/in whatever position you want and turn it into a static jaw no problem.
This might make no sense, but I'll write it out anyways in case some of it does:
Anyway, I always start with a very simple plastic mesh base for my masks. It's this stuff used for embroidery that you can get pretty cheap at a fabric store. I start by making a simple "helmet" out of it, sewing pieces together using and oversized needle and some yarn. I make a headband first that sits a bit above the eyes, then a piece that goes from between my eyes to the middle of the back of my head, then bisect that with a piece that bisects my head horizontally. Walah! Helmet. I then take a couple more thin strips which I attach near my ear and reaches around where my jaw is. I make a band of mesh that attaches to these strips (not quite at the bottom of them but close) that reaches around the front of my face and reaches out not quite as far as I want the muzzle to reach. I add a strip that connects the tip of this "muzzle" to between my eyes for stability (think the bridge of the nose).
For the moving jaw part, I take some wire (I forget what gauge I used, but I could check for you. Basically you just want something thick enough to be sturdy but thin enough to bend somewhat easily) and cut it a bit longer than the "muzzle." I hook it up on each end of it to the strip that covers the ear. I bend it at a 90 degree angle so, if held up, it faces the same way as the "muzzle" instead of facing straight down. It should be about as long as the muzzle piece when bent this way, if not a bit shorter! I then glue some mesh onto the entire length of the wire. Around an inch and a half or two inches down from the "hinge" where the wire attaches to the mesh (on both sides) I take some thin strips of knitted elastic and sew them onto the mesh on both the wire and the "muzzle" so it connects the two. It should be loose enough so it doesn't pull the "mouth" shut too much, but tight enough that when you pull the lower jaw down it gets pulled back up to close the mouth. You'll need something firm like a piece of wood (I used two pieces of a chopstick glued to a popsicle stick...) to act as a place where your chin will rest. This will make it so that opening your mouth will pull the mask's mouth open, and when you close your mouth the elastic will pull it back shut. This is your moving jaw mechanism.
From there, I pretty much just build off of this very basic frame with foam, adding and cutting away at the foam until it makes the shape I want. I actually end up destroying a lot of the basic mesh frame in the process, which is why I call my method a bit of a hybrid. The mesh is there, but the only part that's really important is the part of the "muzzle" structure where the elastic is attached, the part of it where the wire it attached, and the lower jaw itself, but there's still mesh in there, so it can't be called just foam.
...I'm sure most of that made NO sense whatsoever, if not all of it. I'll gladly send you a picture of the inside of Crackle's head to sort of illustrate what I'm trying to say later. XD
Thank you, SO Much. It made sense to me. n_n I tried a basic mesh method once and made some kind of cat, but I got frustrated when it came to making fur patterns and I just quit. I even got the paws and stuff done, I just never got to the actual head. ;;
And yeah, for the longest time i've been wanting to make my fursona into a suit.. just to have one and go out sometimes and meet people. :D One of my main problems i'll have for IK isn't the construction itself though, but finding the proper shade of grey fur.
Anyway, thanks again. I really appreciate your help. n_n
And yeah, for the longest time i've been wanting to make my fursona into a suit.. just to have one and go out sometimes and meet people. :D One of my main problems i'll have for IK isn't the construction itself though, but finding the proper shade of grey fur.
Anyway, thanks again. I really appreciate your help. n_n
I'm glad you actually understood it! I know I can be a bit vague sometimes XD
For the fur pattern I just use duct tape. Works wonders!
Yeah, finding the right shade can be tough. For Crackle I had to settle for something a bit less red/orange-ish and more golden for his main color. I got the belly color spot on though! :D
No problem! Feel free to ask me anything at any time!
Would you still like a picture of Crackle's workings for reference?
For the fur pattern I just use duct tape. Works wonders!
Yeah, finding the right shade can be tough. For Crackle I had to settle for something a bit less red/orange-ish and more golden for his main color. I got the belly color spot on though! :D
No problem! Feel free to ask me anything at any time!
Would you still like a picture of Crackle's workings for reference?
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