# Reptile fursuit ideas?



## Kazpar (May 25, 2013)

So my friend and I were just talking about making fursuits. 
One of her ideas was to make a tegu fursuit, which I think would be really cool because I've never seen a tegu running around. 
So I guess my question would be:
For making a reptile suit, what kind of material do you suggest using that isn't fur?
At the moment, I'll say that the idea would apply for a partial suit. 
Any ideas?


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## Teal (May 25, 2013)

Some use fleece, I suggest looking at other reptile suits to get an idea of what different martials look like.


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## Paulosaurus (May 26, 2013)

I've been experimenting with vinyl upholstery fabric for that kind of thing. Some types do have a scaly-looking texture, and it can be airbrushed with acrylics. Downside is that it doesn't breathe at all, and acrylics leave it a bit tacky to the touch even when fully cured (have had some transfer to other clothing). I recently found out that a company called Parasol sells actual dyes for vinyl car/boat seats, and will probably give that a try on my next build. (Please note that this is only the second suit I've ever made, so I'm still inexperienced with it and a learning as I go along)


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## septango (May 26, 2013)

(I dont work on long lasting projects, just stuff for film) but liquid latex is easy to shape into scaly skin, just find something like scales and press it into some clay and use that as a mold to make sheets of lizard skin


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## Kazpar (May 28, 2013)

I'll pass these ideas along! They're all great, thank you!!!


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## Kazpar (May 30, 2013)

My friend found a couple materials she might be trying. I'll put the links here in case anyone else is interested. I am unsure of the flexibility and specific information of these fabrics, but here we go:
http://www.distinctivefabric.com/fabric.php?product=GATORVINYL2

http://www.syfabrics.com/View.aspx/...yl/Pearl-Pink-Upholstery-Snake-Vinyl/5355/525


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## Paulosaurus (May 31, 2013)

It's flexible, but not as much as regular clothing since the material is meant for couches and other upholstery, and it tends to bunch up at joints. Most samples I've seen also come with a felt backing and don't breathe well at all. In my own suit, I used strips of like-colored spandex on some of the seams to allow airflow, and to improve fit & flexibility.

The trickiest part, as I said, is the coloring. Most paints either won't stick to vinyl or won't be flexible enough. Acrylic works on its own, though it's better if you mix it with a sizing agent meant for allowing it to stick to fabric. Just keep in mind that even dry, the acrylic has a sticky texture to it and WILL have some transfer to other clothing you wear in addition to picking up dirt/hair it comes in contact with. I'm still waiting on an order of vinyl dye from Parasol to test it out and see how much difference it makes, though I have high hopes since it's meant for car/boat seats according to their website.


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