My first Fursuit - Yes I am a Furry

Description

The above image by Screwbald "Here's looking at you"https://www.deviantart.com/screwbald/gallery/Project logs will include the construction of the head, hands/paws, feet/paws, tail and body suit. I will also include images of actual animals in nature as well as fursuits and drawings/sketches that helped me decide the look of my suit.

Marcus is complete at this point with head, paws and tail, making it a very basic partial fursuit.
Professional fursuit making is a very active business activity and suits can cost upwards to $5000 and higher so I am looking for ways to make a quality fursuit but at a lower cost to the consumer or to help people to make their own

Details

This is the current stage in the construction of Marcus.

This is the current state of my fox head base for "Dr. Marcus Foxelhaus". The digital render by @Morning.Star . "Shaken Not Furred"

Oh, BTW I have placed bifocal lenses into the foam. The frames are just for effect and do look kind of cool.

Lets back up a little first. I attended Anthro Crossroads East 2019 in January and that was my first ever FurCon. I have always enjoyed and admired anthro/furry art since being a child , yes that includes Saturday cartoons in the 60's. My interest in furries and fursuits began to perk up several years ago and after attending my first furcon I was hooked and felt the need to take the plunge and make my own costume/fursuit.

Let me say that I can not draw or sketch. I am also stick figure challenged yet can paint landscapes and draft. Go figure :-)

I was split between fox or rabbit and the foxy side of me won out. I next needed a reference to go by for the look I wanted and chose this clip of art from

www.sketchbook.com - How to draw a fox step by step

I next needed to select a method of construction for the foam base and decided on this furry web site http://fursuit.tanidareal.com/savoy/en/03fmakeheada.htm
This site for "Savoy" has a lot of great information for the making of a entire fursuit.

I decided that I did not want the look of a traditional Red Fox so searched the web for nature images of several other fox breeds and decided on a look and color mixed between a Bat Eared Fox,

And a Arctic Fox in summer fur colors.

Project Logs

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Left Foot/Paw Finished ( just about )
Dr. Cockroach • 06/03/2020 at 22:41 • 4 comments

I am just going to show some of the steps in making the left foot/paw. The toes were the hard part but not bad for a first build like everything else with "Marcus"
Where I am with Marcus
Dr. Cockroach • 05/27/2020 at 23:27 • 5 comments

Just a update to show the progress with Marcus. The foot paws are basically finished except for getting the fur put on. Cheers :-D
Foot Paws, At Last....
Dr. Cockroach • 05/20/2020 at 15:55 • 0 comments

Finally getting to making up my first foot paws for Marcus. Making use of tips from other suit makers but I am just going to go one step at a time and see how it turns out. Here are the first baby steps.
The Mad Dr Foxelhaus is in
Dr. Cockroach • 04/29/2020 at 23:50 • 0 comments

New addition for the outfit. The coat is from the Historical Emporium.
Adding mouth detail
Dr. Cockroach • 03/11/2019 at 22:19 • 0 comments

Started adding black felt to the inside of the mouth for Marcus. I also plan on adding a few teeth as well.
Adding fur to Marcus
Dr. Cockroach • 02/24/2019 at 16:38 • 0 comments

First I want to present a video that shows the progress after placing fur onto the Marcus foam base. At this point the ears, eye brows, nose and inside of the mouth need to be finished. I am also going to take my time in trimming the fur to its final look.

The fur was found at my local Hobby Lobby craft store. One yard of this fur was $19.99. Ten short sticks of hot melt glue was used up to this point.

What follows is roughly the pictorial steps in the furring process.

This fur was very dense and it is very hard to find the backing through the fur and the backing is very soft as well. Very easy to work with.

A sample test patch just to see how it was going to look.

The taping process. Masking tape was used to build up the fur pattern pieces.

After taping, the next step was to mark off the pattern cut lines as well as fur lay direction and any marks to assist in final fur placement.

Carefully cut and remove the pattern pieces ( 5 ) and begin the process of laying them out flat onto paper. If the patterns will not lay out flat then small darts need to be cut into the patterns. Much like laying out a world globe flat.

Trim the paper backing to match the pattern piece and then begin the process of marking and cutting out the fur. be careful to place the fur in the desired direction so that the fur is laying the way you want. Cut the fur from the backing side using a sharp razor blade. Do not use scissors as they will cut the fur as well.

The Werewolf look.

Trim the fur real short for the eye areas.

Trying to decide if a mustache and goatee will work for Marcus.
The Foam Head Base
Dr. Cockroach • 02/07/2019 at 11:47 • 0 comments

I am just going to present a series of photos that show the progression of making the head base from start to the point that it is ready to be taped. Most of this work was done in about four days of off and on work and I have never done anything like this before. All that is needed material wise is a roll of 1/2" thick foam, a styrofoam model head from the local big box store and a hot melt glue gun.

The only tool used for cutting and shaping was scissors.

That's is Pocari Roo online :-)

Had to test if I could actually see out of it. My wife was laughing her butt off.

Setting my bifocal lenses into place.

Working on the lower jaw.

Attach elastic straps for wearing the lower jaw.

Keep trimming the foam until you get the shape you want. If too much foam is removed then more can always be added.

Just a short video to check for range of motion.

Test of the lower jaw.

View all 7 project logs

Discussions

Bharbour wrote 06/08/2020 at 22:12

Looks good! What kind of tracks do the paws leave?

Are you sure? yes | no

Dr. Cockroach wrote 06/09/2020 at 08:31

More like a ducks webbed foot ATM XD

Are you sure? yes | no

Dr. Cockroach wrote 06/09/2020 at 08:34

Actually the base is some old scrap flooring but I might have to add a padded layer with greater grip as I tend to slide with these on a slick floor XD

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[this comment has been deleted]

Dr. Cockroach wrote 12/16/2019 at 00:49

Sounds like a worthy project to me. I only went to my first furcon 11 months ago but was hooked and just had to learn how to make a fursuit. PM me if you would like to :-)

Are you sure? yes | no

Xasin wrote 12/16/2019 at 17:20

We should make a list of projects related to this.

One of my next projects is definitely going to be a "Vader San" style synth glove, then work my way up to a full illuminated suit and everything, buuut those are long term plans <.<

Are you sure? yes | no

Dr. Cockroach wrote 12/17/2019 at 12:02

Very long term but that would also be awesome :-)

Are you sure? yes | no

Starhawk wrote 06/08/2020 at 22:43

If you PM (or PM'd?) Dr Cockroach, please PM me as well ;) he and I are close friends, and you've got some exciting ideas ;)

Are you sure? yes | no

Xasin wrote 08/03/2019 at 09:08

Thanks for the link!
That's some good work on the suit - I love the fairly detailed build description, especially with how you handle the foam.

Eventually I'll be working on my own construction, albeit with less fur, and more in the style of a "Synth" robot - especially since I really want to use the #MPRT - Modified planetary robotics transmission to create articulated wings.
Add clear acrylic plates with RGB backlighting and servos to move them a bit as a mane, then a Raspberry Pi with Voice Recognition ...

Bit ambitious, but could be fun ^^

Are you sure? yes | no

Dr. Cockroach wrote 08/03/2019 at 14:00

Thanks, and this is the first time I have tried this :-) I agree your plan is a bit ambitious and certainly will be fun. There will be a lot to learn and share about your project :-D

I was thinking at first a Protogen for your build but your taking it to an new level and will be way cool, Dragon style :-D

Are you sure? yes | no

Xasin wrote 08/03/2019 at 14:13

It's a really nice first attempt! I would have absolutely no idea how to get the basic shapes for the foam right, and I sadly am not a "Just glue it together and see" type of guy >.>

And I know. Luckily I'm studying engineering, so I got a few tools at my disposal. I'm not expecting it to turn out perfectly first-try, but I'll be able to use a lot of CAD knowledge to create 3D printable parts etc.

And Protogen wasn't my template, I was thinking of a Vader-San style "Synth". Their design uses a lot of smooth surfaces that would look great IRL as acrylic plates.

My first goal would be just the wings though, as well as a small aluminium extrusion framework to carry the electronics, then I'll work from there ^^

I'll probably put that on HackADay too!

Are you sure? yes | no

Daren Schwenke wrote 02/19/2019 at 04:02

I did a previous build with an articulated, passive mouth, by hinging the mouth as it looked best for the rest of the head. Then internally I added a chin strap, like the type in football helmets, but with zero stretch. Very effectively transferred jaw motion to mouth motion. How far you bias it towards the hinge = how much your motion is amplified.

Are you sure? yes | no

Daren Schwenke wrote 02/19/2019 at 03:51

"Keep trimming until you have the shape you want" I made the mistake of saying something like that, and someone added... add years of practice and natural talent. :)

The ability to look at a 3D shape and reproduce it, that is a talent sir.

The ability to look at at 3D shape and change it to match what is in your mind... that is an artist.. sir.

Are you sure? yes | no

Dr. Cockroach wrote 02/19/2019 at 10:05

I just need to stop trimming :-) I still have to tape the entire head and cut away the patterns, cut the fur, sew the fur then glue the fur onto the head. That will cover over very fine details... So I need to stop trimming ;-) But I can't help myself :-D

Are you sure? yes | no

Bharbour wrote 02/06/2019 at 13:26

I like it!

Are you sure? yes | no

Dr. Cockroach wrote 02/06/2019 at 13:54

Thank you, There is going to be some electronic hacking along the way with this fun project as well :-D

Are you sure? yes | no

Bharbour wrote 02/23/2019 at 23:59

A fine opportunity for some fuzzy logic :)

Are you sure? yes | no

My first Fursuit - Yes I am a Furry

Description

Details

Project Logs

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Left Foot/Paw Finished ( just about )

Where I am with Marcus

Foot Paws, At Last....

The Mad Dr Foxelhaus is in

Adding mouth detail

Adding fur to Marcus

The Foam Head Base

Discussions

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