Welcome to the Fursuit Building forum
Since we've been seeing more and more questions about fursuit construction, I figured it was time that a seperate forum was created for just that. (If you have questions about fursuit programming, we have another forum for that.)
Here are some fursuiting resources that folks posting here might find helpful:
- The Furry Costume Information Exchange
- fursuit.co.uk
- The Fursuit & Costume Archive (photos and videos)
- Fursuit construction on WikiFur
- Maskmaking with Foam from Matrices.net
- Tutorials, Hints, and Tips from BeetleCat Originals
- Tutorials from Bladespark
Happy fursuiting!
Do you make your own fersuits or do you go to some fursuit builder to make your fursuits?
Both of these happen.
The short summary: professional fursuit creators usually make a very quality product, but the cost can be easily $1000-$2000, and it can be an extensive wait. Making it yourself requires a lot of time and effort, but can be done for a much more modest cost, and is a good way to enhance your sewing and costuming skills.
Ten years ago, it was very much a 'make it yourself' thing. But some of the folks who have made them themselves have gone on to do it professionally, and the balance has shifted.
--Chi
I just want to add my two cents.
(Disclaimer: Two cents are redeemable for opinions other than my own. Caveat Emptor.)
A lot of the time I see people new to creating fursuits, and the first thing they do is hop on a forum and ask the most basic questions (where to find certain supplies, what to do to create x, how much fur they should use, etc). I am not calling out anyone in particular, it's just the general thing I see everywhere.
Please folks, if you are serious about wanting to create your own fursuits, DO YOUR RESEARCH. Those questions and more have already been asked and answered several times over! The very first post in this thread has plenty of links for you to start you out with the basics like supplies and construction. Google is your friend. The Fursuit LJ community, http://community.livejournal.com/fursuit/, has hundreds, if not thousands, of pages of information in its memories and on its user page, to create everything in a fursuit from its head down to its toes, even animatronics and fans for the experienced creators. (Don't want to make your own? There is a full list of every professional fursuit maker there as well!) http://www.matrices.net also is a popular go-to place for the beginning suitmaker. If you are a visual learner like myself, there's more than likely helpful youtube videos on the subject.
After you have read through the tutorials, bought your supplies, experimented with (cheaper!) materials to get the hang of what goes on in the construction of a suit, and run into a specific problem that you cannot seem to find on Google/LJ/forum, or wrap your head around, should you ask a question.
Again, I am not trying to dissuade anyone. But all professional fursuit creators were once beginners themselves, and only got to where they are today by practice, experimentation, trial and error, sometimes after YEARS. It is so much better to learn by doing than it is through spoon feeding, plus the sense of accomplishment you feel when you look at the finished suit and say, "I made this."
Long story short, fursuit creating takes time and effort. If you are not willing to put in the time or have the patience to do your research first, then you will NOT have the time or patience to create your costume.
*waves paw franticly* here is so super helpful tutorials on fursiut stuff! more to come!
www.matrices.net
www.beetlecatoriginals.com
www.bladespark.com
Look me up on Fur Affinity,Deviant Art, even Youtube!