Show off your first fursuit VS your latest!

[Feralteddy]

I want to preface this with that there should be NO judgement here, everyone starts somewhere. I want this to be a positive thread showing how far you suit makers have come!

This was the first one I ever made, I was 14 and matrices.net was a big inspiration to me so I used their guide. It took me a long time to realize why it looked so off, I think one of the biggest problems (among many) were that the ears were too small - I made them before I actually made the head base, and I spent so much time hand-sewing them that I didn't want them to go waste. I wore it for Halloween that year and one lady genuinely asked if I was a horse.

This was my 2nd, a step up but still not great. It was pretty small and the ventilation was poor so I could only wear it for a few minutes at a time. After this one I gave up and just stuck with making furry art.

I would love to see the progress you guys have made over time!

 

[Paulosaurus]

The Mk-1, made over the course of about 2 weeks right before Further Confusion 2013 as a result of an "I can make one of those..."

The Mk-4, made as a demi-partial in the fall of 2018, with feet and legs added spring of 2019.

 

[Feralteddy]

The Mk-1, made over the course of about 2 weeks right before Further Confusion 2013 as a result of an "I can make one of those..."

The Mk-4, made as a demi-partial in the fall of 2018, with feet and legs added spring of 2019.

Wow, that recent one really looks amazing! I've always wondered how people construct reptile suits, this is definitely a better option than fleece (that's what I tend to see used).

 

[Paulosaurus]

Wow, that recent one really looks amazing! I've always wondered how people construct reptile suits, this is definitely a better option than fleece (that's what I tend to see used).

Thanks! It took some experimentation in both process and materials as evidenced in the heads below.

The Mk-1 (far left) was just cheap all-around. Mask was sculpted from air-dry clay and molded with silicone caulk. Teeth are painted craft claws, fabric was cheapest I could get from Hobby Lobby. Overall it was made in just over 2 weeks on a budget of maybe $150-$200 USD.

Mk-2 (second left) was first attempt at making something actually decent. Got a plaster cast of my own face and some plasticine clay for the head sculpt and actual smooth-on products for the mold and cast. For the scaly skin I used textured upholstery vinyl and a LOT of airbrushing. Looked neat, but the wrinkles were really obvious and it was hell to wear since it didn't breathe at all. The teeth are resin, but just glued directly to the jaws. While i have mouth movement, the lower jaw is free-floating on a handful of elastic straps.

Mk-3 (center) was testing a new process where the skin was stretch cotton. I still used the upholstery vinyl for scales, but in the case they're larger pieces glued onto the base fabric with space in between to breathe and maintain stretch. This one was also giving resin eyes a try rather than use-your-own. Teeth are a proper jawset with added tongue. this one also uses a more common V-hinge for the jaw motion.

Mk-4 (both on right) was a refinement on the Mk-3 with more professional overall construction and much better base sculpting. I also made two versions, one more toony and one more realistic/feral in shape. The realistic one is also my first try at using the frontal sinus cavity for vision ports rather than tear-duct vision.