# Best way to make a big fluff-tipped dragonlike tail?



## DerpyTurtle (Jan 30, 2013)

I've been wondering for quite a while. Especially since I have fur above and beyond the colors of the rainbow. XD

There's a LOT of characters like this, so I imagine SOMEONE can help me. xD It's for my alternate fursona Phoenix, who is mainly the mascot for my shop/business whatever you want to call it (her design is incomplete, but that's beside the point because her tail will still be like that)

I want to make her tail. Really badly. XD The real thing wouldn't have such a big mass of a tail for the rainbow part. I'm imagining something more wispy.. But I feel like that wouldn't really be possible without super long fur anyways?
I have an idea of what I might have to do since I don't have super long fur. But any ideas would be appreciated.
Also, what's the best way to do the mane thing coming out the top of her tail? :I


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## Dokid (Jan 30, 2013)

DerpyTurtle said:


> I've been wondering for quite a while. Especially since I have fur above and beyond the colors of the rainbow. XD
> 
> There's a LOT of characters like this, so I imagine SOMEONE can help me. xD It's for my alternate fursona Phoenix, who is mainly the mascot for my shop/business whatever you want to call it (her design is incomplete, but that's beside the point because her tail will still be like that)
> 
> ...



You can use fake hair like they do on some horse tails for fursuits 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





I remember that you can buy these plastic strips and then sew the hair unto it and it stays pretty well. Plus they can be replaced.

Not sure on how to make it come out the top and stick though. Also you could use a delrin rod or foam carved to keep the base part steady.


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## DerpyTurtle (Jan 30, 2013)

Dokid said:


> You can use fake hair like they do on some horse tails for fursuits
> 
> I remember that you can buy these plastic strips and then sew the hair  unto it and it stays pretty well. Plus they can be replaced.
> 
> Not sure on how to make it come out the top and stick though. Also you  could use a delrin rod or foam carved to keep the base part  steady.




Wait, how exactly would I use the hair? XD You mean like attach long pieces to the black part of the tail? o.o


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## Dokid (Jan 30, 2013)

DerpyTurtle said:


> Wait, how exactly would I use the hair? XD You mean like attach long pieces to the black part of the tail? o.o




You can attach it to the plastic strips and then sew that unto the black. I forgot exactly what the process is called though. A lot of fursuit makers use it for making fake hair for heads.


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## Springdragon (Jan 30, 2013)

The process is called "wefting". If the hair is plastic, you can also fuse it together with a heat gun or glue it together by saturating the ends in high temp hot glue.


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## mirepoix (Jan 31, 2013)

I am not a fan of hot glue wefts.  Hot glue can be ugly and messy, and anyone who squishes your tail with their hands will feel each hard bead of glue.  Sew your wefts!
http://www.cosplay.com/photo/1079221/
Use the right arrow key to advance the slides.  I've used this technique before and it works great and isn't difficult.

I will say though, synthetic hair can be limp and get tangled veeeery easily.  I would utilize different lengths of faux fur.  If the black body of the tail is a short pile (seal fur or shaved down longer fur,) the rainbow sections will look longer.  The only furs that you'll be able to find in longer piles than DF fur in rainbow colors is NFT fur, but that stuff is expensive.  Monoyasha's solid foam sergal tail comes to mind.  I would make chunky sections with fur and affix them to the black tail.


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## Artslave (Jan 31, 2013)

That 'yarn tail' method works really well for making floofy tips, and it's less expensive and easier to colour mix n match. Works better for toony/semi toony styles than ultra realistic ones. If you're looking tp make an incredibly realistic tail I'd go with the wig hair(Not the cheap kanekalon either).


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## DerpyTurtle (Feb 3, 2013)

mirepoix said:


> I am not a fan of hot glue wefts.  Hot glue can  be ugly and messy, and anyone who squishes your tail with their hands  will feel each hard bead of glue.  Sew your wefts!
> http://www.cosplay.com/photo/1079221/
> Use the right arrow key to advance the slides.  I've used this technique before and it works great and isn't difficult.
> 
> I will say though, synthetic hair can be limp and get tangled veeeery  easily.  I would utilize different lengths of faux fur.  If the black  body of the tail is a short pile (seal fur or shaved down longer fur,)  the rainbow sections will look longer.  The only furs that you'll be  able to find in longer piles than DF fur in rainbow colors is NFT fur,  but that stuff is expensive.  Monoyasha's solid foam sergal tail comes to mind.  I would make chunky sections with fur and affix them to the black tail.



Yeah, the fake hair wouldn't really give the look I was going for,  and like you said it would just be limp and her tail is a giant floof  lmao.
Something like the sergal tail might work, but the fluff on  Phoenix's tail comes out the sides and the bottom and then has a good  length in itself after the actual black base of the tail. Which is why  I'm thinking I might just have to make a whole 'nother piece for the  rainbow part of the tail and lightly stuff it or something. I have no  idea. o_o



Artslave said:


> That 'yarn tail' method works really well for making floofy tips, and it's less expensive and easier to colour mix n match. Works better for toony/semi toony styles than ultra realistic ones. If you're looking tp make an incredibly realistic tail I'd go with the wig hair(Not the cheap kanekalon either).



I'd be perfectly fine with it being kinda toony. She's a big featherfluffed rainbow phoenixdog thing rofl. XD The only thing though like I said above is that the rainbow part in itself does need SOME length and and volume. So maybe I'd have to like, make something out of wire etc. that extends past the black that I could build onto?


Also does anyone have any ideas about the mane? xD


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