Fursuit Price Question

[ZergDaeva]

Now even though i'm completely fursuit making inept, i'm thinking of making my own.  I want to do this mostly because it would feel more like it was MY character, because it is.

Is it cheaper to buy the supplies for a suit and build it yourself (and i'm talkin' a FULL suit)?  I would have to buy my own airbrush kit since I don't already own one, but other than that I have most of the tools machinery-wise.

I'm thinking i'll practice making a fursuit head with some newspaper or something first to practice forming so I don't have to buy a ton of new foam every time i mess up.

[White Wolf Guardian]

Well since fursuit makers want a commission for their efforts, I would imagine making it yourself would be cheaper if that's what you're saying?

[Crash the dog]

It is indeed cheaper to make it yourself, but I wanna recommend an idea to you, if you don't mind.

Marf, I have a number of friends who decided to make every part of their fursuit by themselves EXCEPT for the head, which they had commissioned. The fursuit body, hands, feet, and tail are all MUCH simpler and easier to make than the head, which takes a LOT of practice and effort (and money!) to make it look "sort of" how you want it. You could always complete your fursuit this way, and then practice making a head by yourself at your own leisure, without having to worry about completing it quickly to have your entire suit finished and ready =3

I didn't take this route with my fursuit; it was entirely commissioned. But it's totally a good idea, and I know my friends who have done it this way are happy with their choice.

[ZergDaeva]

That's a great tip!  I will definitely consider having my head commissioned.  My fursuit will still be cheaper overall.  The only issue is making sure the artist is using the correct color, but to be sure i'll send scrap material from my own.

I'm drawing up reference sketches now.  I'll put them up later and people can tell me what they think!

Exciting!

[Crash the dog]

Good luck =3 And don't be afraid to try again if you make a mistake, even the best fursuit makers had to start somewhere.

...Not that I'm speaking from experience, since I commissioned mine and all Marf.

[juut]

Mine cost about 50 Euros (I believe the value of the dollar and euro are not that far apart at the moment) in total, and is a full suit. However, I used hair-dye to coulor it, rather than airbrush, the cost of which is way out of my budget. Perhaps that is an idea for you too?

I must say I didn't find the head all that hard to do, working on the second one now, so I'd certainly at least give that a try too before commisioning it if I were you. It feels even more your own if you make it all yourself.