Realistic Mermaid Tail

Aleah Ford

The mermaids in my imagination are not brightly colored and adorned.  They are simple, sleek, and well-blended.  I chose colors that would both complement my skin-tone (for a more seamless transition) and mesh well with the New England coast-line .


To elongate the tail, the fluke starts at the end of my feet.  This helps give the illusion of fluid movement.  The fluke itself is translucent so that light and color can pass through it. 


This is considered a hybrid tail because it is made from both fabric and silicone.  All of the color was applied to the base (fabric for the body and plastic for the fluke), and clear silicone was used to add texture. 

Fabian Lüscher

Very nice! Can you actually swim in this?
Is it seamless between the tail and your skin, was it made to be at all?

Aleah Ford

Thanks Fabian!  I can swim in this, though it takes more strength to swim in than shorter tails.  Most tails have the fluke start mid-foot, this one has the fluke start well past the toes so the movement is a little different.

It is not seamless at the waist of the tail but under water it blends pretty well!

Matt-a-Magical

Really nice! I'll be working on a mermaid costume/puppet this year, so this is great inspiration for it. Are the scales just painted on and then covered in silicone, or is there another material you're layering beforehand?