Silicone vs Foam Latex for Creature Skin

Hi,

I'm currently planning on making a curled up sleeping, breathing dragon prop, about half a meter in length for my final project for university and was wondering if anyone could recommend using silicone or foam latex over the other to make the skin.

The aim of the final piece is for it to be more realistic in its appearance but the skin needs to be able to move as I want to try and imitate the breathing motion in the chest and neck either by manual or motorised means.

Thanks in advance,
Kat

Comments

  • Hi Kat,

    Both materials could work for this. and both will have their own pros and cons.

    Silicone
    Pros:
    • Translucent
    • Does not require a special oven for baking
    • Durable
    Cons:
    • More expensive than foam latex
    • Heavier

    Foam Latex
    Pros:
    • Light weight
    • Very flexible
    • Less expensive than silicone
    Cons:
    • Requires oven large enough to bake
    • Not as durable as silicone, or as long lasting
    • Opaque material so translucency needs to be mimicked with paint job
    That's just a quick pro/con list.

    /Chris
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