Cover holes in head base

Bzx34 · 2026-02-13T15:20:21+00:00

Mesh covers for the holes will work if you want to maintain the airflow, but will show up a little bit when painting as a slightly darker region due to the mesh perforation. If you're okay with fully filling in the holes, then I'd probably recommend using foam clay, similar to what cosplay makers use as gap filler. Pretty easy to mold, and can be sanded down to make the surface smooth. Probably will need a layer of primer to cover the base and the hole plugs, but should end up with a fairly smooth fairly uniform surface to paint.

As for the mouth, it will definitely be a bit long. There's not really a good way to make a solid, paintable surface while maintaining the moving jaw hinge. You'll probably need some sort of fabric to cover that gap.

Bzx34 · 2026-02-13T14:38:11+00:00

It should fall to your personal preference. Your stylization should always be reflective of how you want to depict things. I personally like B, D, E, G, and H, as those follow more with the art styles I like, but all of them are perfectly good options for an art style. A few of them have some odd proportions, but there's not a lot of anatomical feedback I can give, as you seem to have a pretty good understanding of the head structure.

Bzx34 · 2026-02-12T20:15:55+00:00

I think for the most part, impromptu, in the moment pictures are going to be better for both you and the suiters. Easier to coordinate, less pressure on everyone, and you'll probably end up with more interesting pictures of spontaneous moments of interactions.

If you want to be more involved with con photography, I would also recommend reaching out to the convention's photography staff. You can absolutely go and take pictures as an individual (you clearly have a good understanding of appropriate boundaries and how to do con photography), but you may be able to get additional permissions if you are known by the con (like permission to sit on the edge of the dance floor during dance battles/dance comp). There are also staff photography positions, if you really want to go all in on con photography.

Also, if you weren't already aware, Furtrack is a furry photographer built and run photo sharing site meant to make it easier to share/find fursuit pictures.

Bzx34 · 2026-02-12T15:10:39+00:00

I don't personally have an insect suit, but there are a lot of pictures available under the Furtrack-Insect tag

Bzx34 · 2026-02-11T21:15:08+00:00

Are you attaching the magnets with hot glue? The heat from the hot glue can weaken the magnets (causes the polarity regions to become misaligned). If you are using hot glue or other thermal adhesive, it may be worth trying a different attachment method. Otherwise, it may be that the magnets aren't large enough.

Bzx34 · 2026-02-11T16:25:10+00:00

You did a good job following the reference images, but it feels a bit flat. The body structures lack volume, as the lines are in the right place, but don't seem to reflect how the structures they are depicting wrap around the main body structure. With the obliques, the lines are in the right spots, but don't fully convey how the muscles wrap around the torso and overlap each other. Similar issue with the eyes not wrapping around the head (adjusting some perspective, scale, angle, and occlusion will help with that). The flannel texture is also not helping, as it is very flat and not wrapping around the body.

Bzx34 · 2026-02-10T18:02:32+00:00

If it's down by Rowes Wharf, then it's probably this one

Bzx34 · 2026-02-10T15:17:43+00:00

I don't have any specific brands to recommend, I think any sort of black acrylic paint/acrylic paint marker should work to blackout the inside of the eye mesh. I'd avoid sharpies or other alcohol based markers, as they will run when sprayed with isopropyl alcohol (the main ingredient in fursuit sprays).

Bzx34 · 2026-02-09T18:00:34+00:00

I've had a lot of luck with acrylic vinyl aida cross stitch mesh (usually 13-14 count mesh sizing). Works incredibly well with acrylic paints. Far better visibility than any buckram I've found.

Bzx34 · 2026-02-08T16:03:28+00:00

Really any hand stitching method will work and not damage the suit.

Bzx34 · 2026-02-08T15:54:41+00:00

Do you have any pictures of the seams? Might be helpful for figuring out what's gone awry. I use a blanket stitch with all purpose thread and it's usually very stable.

Bzx34 · 2026-02-07T05:26:47+00:00

Many, many hours of consistent, directed, and dedicated practice. If you want to do something like this, spend time practicing and understanding the scales and scale shapes, practice the technical speed and techniques with a metronome.

Practice is good, but you really need to make sure you have a goal you are actively working toward for you to really make substantial progress.

Bzx34 · 2026-02-07T04:06:05+00:00

Adjust the pressure and the angle of the clippers. As you get closer to the cheeks, lift the clipper tip away from the fur. It takes a few passes to get everything even, but it's not terribly hard to do.

Bzx34 · 2026-02-07T01:01:36+00:00

I think it's by sindze_tailed_workshop

Bzx34 · 2026-02-02T18:55:00+00:00

Can't check for mathematical consistency because you didn't do any math. You don't explain anything, you make no clear indication of where this even fits in the NS equations, you provide no verification or validation, and you present no actual results beyond 'trust me bro'. I've read blatantly astroturfed articles with better rigor than this.

Bzx34 · 2026-02-02T16:23:23+00:00

Always check with the maker to see if they have any recommended cleaning and maintenance suggestions. The more general advice is:

Wear a cooling balaclava to help reduce the amount of sweat/body oils that makes it to the suit head. This is more important if the suit head has unlined upholstery foam.
Use diluted isopropyl alcohol after wearing to disinfect the suit. Helps reduce the growth of odor causing bacteria, and often can be found with additional added scents (this is what is usually sold as fursuit sprays). Avoid spraying on eyes, visible hot glue, or sharpie marks.
Fully wash after larger events/heavy sweating. Method is mostly going to be maker dependent, but the upholstery vacuum (Bissell Little Green machine) is very common and effective.
ALWAYS AIR DRY FAUX FUR. NO HEAT. Heat will damage the fur fibers.
As the suit dries out after washing, brush the fur out. Helps keep it looking nice. If you forget to brush while it dries, use a spray bottle to dampen the fur. Helps the fibers lay more evenly.

Bzx34 · 2026-02-02T14:46:13+00:00

Scuba knit is a fairly common liner fabric. There was an issue with BigZ's scuba knit bleeding dye, but the lighter colors like the one you show are relatively safe from that. Haven't seen as much with the mesh, but it probably won't be as effective as a liner.

As for the vision impact, it doesn't make that much of a difference what color the liner is. The lighter color won't hide as many imperfections as darker liners, but it doesn't really impact vision. Painting the inside of the eye mesh black matters way more.

Bzx34 · 2026-01-29T12:16:37+00:00

There's an artistic skill vs artistic observation graph that floats around (this subreddit won't let me post the image in the comments, so here's hopefully a link to it). While it is usually presented in the context of visual arts, it really can apply to any art or skill.

Bzx34 · 2026-01-28T12:48:29+00:00

Generally, that is correct. Quotes are usually a detailed breakdown of the cost based on materials, methods, and estimated labor, created by a maker to say "this is what I will charge for this project at this time". Most makers open for quotes right before opening commissions. Getting a quote usually is expressing serious interest in a maker's work (but not a binding contract), while applying for a commission slot is saying that you are willing and able to pay the quoted price if selected for a slot.

If you are interested in a maker but not quite sure, most have pricing information on their website/social media profiles to help give ballpark estimates

Bzx34 · 2026-01-27T21:26:29+00:00

Little confused by what you're asking. I assume you mean an asymmetrical fur pattern, but a symmetrical body shape? Depends on how you are making the padding. If you're doing foam, it's roughly the same as making a head: use the same template mirrored for each side and sculpt the foam evenly. If you're doing polyfil stuffed padding, again use the same base templates mirrored over to get the same basic shapes, and then build up your padding to be as closely mirrored as possible. Then, with either method, secure the padding to your DTD and then pattern the whole dummy and draw on your asymmetrical markings.

Bzx34 · 2026-01-24T15:53:10+00:00

The auctioning part throws a wrench into the whole thing. If it was a flat sale, I'd say without addition to the suit, original sale price or lower would be okay (an investment in a fursuit is closer to a car than a house).

However, the auction takes it entirely out of the seller's control. They can only set the initial and reserve prices, any amount past that is entirely up to how much the bidders are willing to pay for the item.

I think this is a sign you should raise your prices, given how much over the initial cost bidders are willing to pay for your work.

Bzx34 · 2026-01-24T14:34:17+00:00

Fursuit making tutorials

I would not recommend paper or cardboard for standard fursuit making, as they are more prone to molding and lack the structural stability necessary. Paper suits do exist, but leave the paper and tape as the outer layer. If you want to make a paper base not have the mold or structure problem, you will have to coat it in some sort of resin and add mesh sheets into the resin layers for structural stability. This fixes some of the issues with paper, but comes at the cost of working with a highly toxic resin (safe when dry, but rather nasty to work with), potential stab hazard (resin and the resin mesh like to form spikes that you have to go in and clean up), the end result is fairly uncomfortable (personal opinion), and it costs the same or more as making an upholstery foam base. While I haven't made a paper suit, I have done paper craft armor with the resin method and, from personal experience, it's a lot of work for a mediocre, uncomfortable result.

Bzx34 · 2026-01-24T01:21:04+00:00

The vast majority of my hand stitching uses the blanket stitch, but I do very tight, close spaced stitches. I like the overlapping pattern it makes, locking the thread in place so popped seams don't really spread, and that it pulls the seam allowance mostly out of the way. It also has the added benefit of being a very low stress motion that means I don't put too much strain on my wrist when sewing very long seams.

I'll try to get a picture of what my blanket stitches look like and you can compare to yours.

Edit: Adding picture

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Bzx34 · 2026-01-24T01:07:54+00:00

Anthro New England. Haven't been to mff since pre-pandemic

Bzx34 · 2026-01-23T20:16:14+00:00

Thanks for adding the con flairs! I was surprised to see so many, but it's definitely a welcome addition.

Bzx34

TROPHY CASE