![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Horse suit beginnings
Jul. 30th, 2005 04:19 pmOK, one of this summer's goals was to have a full fursuit ready before MFF. I've made a start, ordered the fur, decided what approach I want to take, checked measurements, etc. I'm not as worried about the head as I am about the body, which may seem a little strange but I've made heads before. So at this point I'm laying out the pattern on plain muslin to make what is called a "sloper", a model garment that can be used for fitting and when the fit is correct, then I will pull it apart and use the pieces of muslin as the final pattern for cutting the fur. I want a loose fit, allowing the body to be a bit baggy because in my experience, that is both more comfortable and cooler. Anthro-horses can be astonishingly realistic, as shown by the amazing work done by ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
eposognatus and triggur, but I'm going for something a bit more cartoonish here.
I'm still undecided about velcro vs. a zipper for the front seam. Velcro is easier to install and easier to get in and out of, but I'm not sure how well it will hold. I'm hoping to be fairly active in this suit, provided I can get adequate vision. That's tricky and will involve some sort of compromise for a horse character, but I'm sure I'll find one. I already have a decent tail and ankle feathers from the partial I made for last year, so we're off and running.
I've seen some very elaborate hoof prosthetics that are suitable for professional stage and film work, but I'm not going there, at least not now. They are expensive and time consuming to build, and would take a fair amount of practice getting used to wearing. Simpler and easier to make versions often require the wearer to walk on the balls of his/her feet, or even en point like a ballerina. I have no delusions that my calf muscles are up to that for even the length of a fursuit parade. Falling back on 'Tivo's identity as a Clydesdale, he will have big(!) hooves that allow me to walk on my soles normally (fortunately my own feet are not overly large) and some padding and seam trickery to make it look like he has pasterns even though the joints won't flex naturally. It will look good at least standing still or sitting down, I'm hoping. The feathers cover a lot anyway.
For hands I'm taking good ol' Quickdraw McGraw as my model. He had forehooves with thumbs, so I am designing mittens that will look like hooves as long as the thumb is carried tucked under. Opening doors and punching elevator buttons can be difficult without a thumb, so...compromise. :D
Equine costumes seem pretty scarce when counted against the number of canines, vulpines, and felines, so I expect to get noticed even if only to be laughed at. 'Tivo is a bit of a clown anyway, certainly more clownish than yiffy, so that's probably all right. Photos of progress as this project proceeds.
(Oh, yes. And for those of you who will be present at MFF... 'Tivo is both huggable and pettable.)
eposognatus and triggur, but I'm going for something a bit more cartoonish here.I'm still undecided about velcro vs. a zipper for the front seam. Velcro is easier to install and easier to get in and out of, but I'm not sure how well it will hold. I'm hoping to be fairly active in this suit, provided I can get adequate vision. That's tricky and will involve some sort of compromise for a horse character, but I'm sure I'll find one. I already have a decent tail and ankle feathers from the partial I made for last year, so we're off and running.
I've seen some very elaborate hoof prosthetics that are suitable for professional stage and film work, but I'm not going there, at least not now. They are expensive and time consuming to build, and would take a fair amount of practice getting used to wearing. Simpler and easier to make versions often require the wearer to walk on the balls of his/her feet, or even en point like a ballerina. I have no delusions that my calf muscles are up to that for even the length of a fursuit parade. Falling back on 'Tivo's identity as a Clydesdale, he will have big(!) hooves that allow me to walk on my soles normally (fortunately my own feet are not overly large) and some padding and seam trickery to make it look like he has pasterns even though the joints won't flex naturally. It will look good at least standing still or sitting down, I'm hoping. The feathers cover a lot anyway.
For hands I'm taking good ol' Quickdraw McGraw as my model. He had forehooves with thumbs, so I am designing mittens that will look like hooves as long as the thumb is carried tucked under. Opening doors and punching elevator buttons can be difficult without a thumb, so...compromise. :D
Equine costumes seem pretty scarce when counted against the number of canines, vulpines, and felines, so I expect to get noticed even if only to be laughed at. 'Tivo is a bit of a clown anyway, certainly more clownish than yiffy, so that's probably all right. Photos of progress as this project proceeds.
(Oh, yes. And for those of you who will be present at MFF... 'Tivo is both huggable and pettable.)
