Airbrush Demo

[furtech]

This year the demo I did at Further Confusion was a combination airbrush demo and head finishing/detailing/mini-makeover. Since I got no takers for demo heads, I made sure I had something to work on by taking some old foam heads and slapping fur onto them. Again, thanks go out to Eric Yee for coming in and helping out a bunch! He's a far more accomplished air brush artist than I am.



Remember that these were literally done in a few minutes, on the spot. I'd normally take a LOT more time to do head finishing, including making patterns for the eyebrows and such rather than just winging it. Still, I think I got the point across that it's not that hard to add that little extra to a costume. If nothing else, just *brushing* the fur once in a while would help dozens of costumes! That, and a little Aqua Net and you'll look spiffy.

Here are some more pics of the heads that we worked on and a couple of a "spot" experiment I did ages ago.

More pics of the gold head


A gray head with really skanky fur


An old experiment (from 1997 or 1998?) on making spots


Clouded leopard spots (I know, not naturally accurate, but the effect is kind of neat)

Comments

[lacy.livejournal.com]

The airbrushing really brings it to life, the eyes are gorgeous on the gold head as well. :) Any recommendations for specific kinds of paint that you prefer for airbrushing?

[furtech.livejournal.com]

I use leather dyes: they're alcohol-based and easy to fix if you blunder. Badger Air Opaque are good acryllic paints. The advantage of the leather dyes is that they are thin and don't matte up the fur. The nice thing about the Badger paints is that they come in a multitude of colors.

[diadexxus.livejournal.com]

Would you please post this in LJ Fursuit? I am sure people would like to see this!

amazing how different things are with just dabs of paint! eh?
-J

[furtech.livejournal.com]

Good idea-- I just did so!

[pikacello.livejournal.com]

Oh my God, that was a FEW MINUTES?!?!?!
;_; ;_; You are SOOO amazing

[mognetcentral.livejournal.com]

It's true, it's true!!! <3

[crocuta.livejournal.com]

Wow, it really gets the point across. I had to laugh about brushing the fur and aquanet. Then again if someone doesn't brush their own hair will they really take the time out to brush their suit? :)

[furtech.livejournal.com]

Then again if someone doesn't brush their own hair will they really take the time out to brush their suit? :)

The same goes for washing/cleaning a suit...ew.

Aquanet is what you use to make helmet-hair: beehives, trailerpark hair, etc. Amazing stuff.

[crocuta.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I got into an elevator with a suit that was in bad need of a wash. It wasn't to the point where it made your eyes water but it was close. It made the con experience complete. *g*

Trailerpark hair LOL Best description yet of the uses of aquanet!

[bladespark.livejournal.com]

Heeeeeeeeeeeee. *giggles* FC this year was my first furry convention. I almost cried to see some of those sad, old, matted up suits, and tails and things. *drops a single, dramatic tear* The poor, poor neglected fur. Once it was so beautiful, and now it is all dead. Sosad.

Also! *pouncesqueeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees at Lance* I have absolutely adored your work since I saw your Set demon thing at CostumeCon! I came home and searched the net for you, but google failed me! Now I have found your lj, I'm going to be lurking fangirlishly about. If I'd known you were the one doing the airbrush demo I might have made an actual effort to go to it, but I was stuck manning a booth instead.

(And no, I'm not actually going to stalk you. My boyfriend would eye me funny. But man, I soooooooooooooo admire your costume work.)

[purplecat.livejournal.com]

Hey.. are the two 'spots' experiments both completely airbrush? I'm sorry I missed it! How do you get the depth and contrast?

[furtech.livejournal.com]

All of the stuff on the grey fur is airbrushed: I rolled some paper up to make a mask, worked the fur into the hole, then blasted with the airbrush paint. I let that dry completely, then brushed it out. That gives the spots that natural, black-hair/grey-hair blended look, rather than just a spot on top. For the rings, I just blasted paint around the edge of the inside of the hole/mask, leaving the center dye-free.

The big disadvantage of this is that whether you're using leather "dyes" or acryllic paints, the pigment is just coating the fiber (not going into the fiber at all), so that washing or rubbing will wear it off (and onto other things) over time.

[okojosan.livejournal.com]

I was wondering how you did the spots so well!

[jovino.livejournal.com]

dag, sorry I missed your talk. I really enjoyed it last year. I was all caught up selling stuffs in the marketplace and having a grand 'ol time.

next time I should bring in my skanky bunny head. ;)

[skanrashke.livejournal.com]

Blearrrghshshshnerglemufflebumps! Come to an east coast con and teach us this stuff, will ya? ;p FC's so.. far.. and in.. California.. farthest of all far states in a far land! And its California. @,@ Nuff said, lol. Actually, wait.. its' probobly *not* enough..