Total Newbie... Foam ? for trying to sculpt eels for kids production of Little Mermaid! HELP!!

Burke

Hi there. I am a total amateur but willing to give this a shot. Taking the how to sculpt a dinosaur course and want to get started, but having a problem finding the foam supplies.  I'm trying to create Flotsam and Jetsam eels for a children's theater group for Little Mermaid.  I found this page because I saw someone else's amazing eels that they did.   I'm trying to find foam thick enough to start with for the head and then the body, but I can't seem to find foam locally that's thick enough. Also I'm not even sure which foam to actually use for it. L200 or the 12TF. Can someone please help me find a source to order the foam from that doesn't cost a ton?  We're a small children's theater group, with us parent volunteers doing all the work. It doesn't need to be spectacular, just nice enough and easy enough to sculpt and work with.  Thanks for ANY help.  

Alexander H

Are you able to share a video of the puppets you're inspired by? Thinking about how an eel would wriggle around, I think L200/EVA foam would be too stiff. If you were to use upholstery foam as the body, you can get a lot more flex in there. You can then texture/coat it in a variety of ways to make it look nicer.

Burke

Here is the link to the eels that we love. I went to a local upholstery store and they donated scrap foam.... so I'm going to try.  flotsam-and-jetsam-puppets

Chris Ellerby

You may want to use upholstery foam for flexibility.  That can usually be found in thicker pieces, or glued together with a contact adhesive like Barge.  L200 and EVA are a bit stiffer, and great for props, armor, or structural components.

/Chris