merimask | New Kitsune!

I did it! I totally redesigned the kitsune so that they'd be 20% larger, yet have the same proportions of the smaller original kitsune mask. See? New one on the left, old design on the right for comparison.

Shaping will always play a role with these because they have such a simple outline, but really I think I came pretty darn close. Below are two more of the new larger kits (both available right now in my Etsy shop).

Really, to my eye, you can't tell these are significantly larger than the old design, which was my goal. I'm just going to stop making the smaller mask entirely. These are generic enough to fit just about anyone, so it's a safer bet that more people will be happier with these.

I know it seems like a silly thing to fret so much over one design, but I hate it when people have a problem with something I made. It feels like failure to me. Plus, the kitsune is so darn popular. I just want it to be as perfect as I can make it.

In other news; it is a gorgeous day out there. I am going for two bike rides...not one but two! *smooch* Hope you are all having lovely, wonderful Fridays out there. ^_^

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

One wonders, one does, are the eye-openings (or the masks themselves) large enough to allow wearing eyeglasses underneath? Also, without a measuring device in the photograph, they certainly don't look much larger. They don't look much different (other than individual decoration, say) from each other at all, so you did a grand job getting the proportions correct.

Hmm...not really compatible with eyeglasses. Some can be worn over the front but rarely underneath (unless they are really small frames). Everyone has different frames too so there's no way to make a generic "eyerglasses" mask. It's wear contacts or go a little fuzzy-sighted while you're wearing the mask. ^_^

A lot of people with glasses just wear the mask higher, over their forehead, sort of like a baseball cap.

It is Herself that's commenting on the eyeglasses; I believe she has worn contacts in the past, is not currently. Me? That's one of my ... squicks. Foreign Objects In/On Eye. No. Just, No. However, I am willing to wear Otter & let the World be blurry. *G* I mean, if there's something I need to read, I can shift things about.

As for any models in Studio, they won't need to read anything while wearing Kitsune. *G*

The change in the outlining of the eyes is a fascinating one, and the extension of the eyebrows further past the eye openings. Are the ears on the new ones about the same size as the ears on the old ones, or have they been scaled up? They look slightly smaller, proportionately, but that may just be a quirk of the photographs.

They're both lovely, but definitely different if given more than a glance. I would be vastly curious to hear about the design choices. Would a straight scaling-up not work? I don't have a sense of whether a 20% increase in the size of the eye openings would make it look wrong when worn (and being a crazy larper, I tend to like masks with larger eyes).

Cool!

Everything has been re-done on those...even the eye hole size (larger, rounder, less slanted eyes).

The problem with the last up-sized kitsune mask was that I enlarged EVERYthing and it threw the mask off; the ears behaved differently & lost that close-together catlike appearance that is so key to the look of a traditional kitsune. The muzzle was too much like the wolf mask.

With this new pattern I left the ears alone (mostly...they are very slightly bigger) and the muzzle mostly alone too (I just made it a hair bigger) but the face/eye area is a full 20% bigger (same size as my wolf masks are). Then I re-did all the markings and carvings to fit the new proportions.

Yes, the earlier large kitsune had bent ears instead of ears in line with the rest of the mask. I think that one worked, too.

I guess I'm just surprised by how many little changes there are in the markings -- things I wouldn't have thought to change, or would have tried very hard to just scale up from the original design. This is where the 'artist' and 'designer' aspects of your work become oh so obvious. :)

They look awesome!
Bad news though -- it seems the package you sent didn't come in, and CanGames is tomorrow/Sunday. :( Sucks, really, I was looking forward to showing off your stuff. So, what I'll be doing is showing off the mask I've got, and I'll pick a few pictures of your work and make a one-page spread to show people, use your business card I got with my mask, and print out my own business cards for you so people can take them and go to your Etsy sight.

I'm really disappointed the post office was so slow with sending the package. That really stinks. Well, I'll do what I can though. I like helping friends. :)

Aww...I had a feeling that package wasn't going to reach you in time. Canada is SO slow (I can send things to Canada & Japan on the same day, & the package sent to Japan will arrive a week before the package in Canada gets to its destination).

Anyway, like I said on the phone (sorry I had to run! ^_^ ), thank you so much for passing out my information anyway. I really appreciate it! Good luck & have fun at the convention.

To let you know: A lot of people liked the masks we had shown off, and were often looking at the print up of your Etsy page, so that's something. Both business cards we have for you were taken. :)

I've been invited to host my company in Toronto, and I'd be more than happy to show off your work there and drum up more business for you. :)

New Kitsune!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject