Mostly Into Plush Snakes -- And Modifying Them

[Ssssnake]

Hello, all. I'm mostly into plush snakes. I have some figurines, but I like plushies because they lighter, flexible and just plain fun to display and handle. I take existing ones and add detailing through oil-based markers, creating different species -- or trying to -- along the way. Each of my snake plushies become unique and I like that.

[bmathison1972]

Welcome to the forum, Ssssnake! Not a lot of people here collect plush, but there are a few. If you check out our Animal Toy Blog (link above), you will see we invite plush reviews, and some people have done plush snakes! If you would like to contribute any yourself, let us know

[AnimalToyForum]

Welcome to the ATF! Good to have another plush collector on board. I look forward to seeing your customs!

[Gwangi]

Welcome! I don't collect plush but I do have a daughter and use her as an excuse to buy ones I like. I have the Wild Republic blue rock rattlesnake, which I reviewed for the Animal Toy Blog. Love their plush snakes in general.
http://animaltoyforum.com/blog/2020/05/07/blue-rock-rattlesnake-wild-republic-by-km-international/

[sirenia]

Welcome aboard! Good of you to slither in! Look forward to seeing more from you.

[Ssssnake]

I'll start with my latest conversion. The base model -- made to resemble the Burmese Python -- is a "Tiger Tail Toys" of China nine-foot python, this one being the "Yellow" version. So far, I've yet to see one imported into the states. I had to get this from AliExpress a while back.

The "Brown" version can be bought in the States, through Viahart of Texas. I have six so far. Viahart seems to be the only U.S. importer of these nine-foot plush pythons. I'll note in recent days, it appears my suggested specs came through, as I suggested a newer version of the rare "Green" version, which was only available through Chinese vendors. It went "dormant, not extinct" and I failed to land one for years of "trying". The new "Green" version is named as an Ananconda. Looks like the new design is more of what I suggested. And now an "Albino Burmese" is offered through Viahart, with a newer design than the "Yellow" one I have.

My techniques are not the best, I admit. I'm no wildlife artist, but knew a lot of snakes when I was younger -- my own collection and working at a zoo and a natural-history museum. I work off memory now that I'm much older. I try to replicate what I recall. And as you see and will see, that's the best I can do.

No snakes are furry. The plushies lack that shine real snakes have. They plushies also lack color shifts common in real snakes. To try and replicate that, I use oil-based markers on the fabric. I first leave the base fabric color, then apply another coat that will allow some of the undercoat to come through. After that, the final coat is applied, which I hope reveals -- when the plushie is turned, twisted or coiled -- to have that pattern shift of all three colors show. And display different under varied light.

The belly scales are also painted, with one overcoat. The color depends on what accent I'm seeking. Then I use a black oil-based marker to accent the pattern forms and the belly scales. The plastic eyes also get oil painted. For that, I use a color that "stands out" from the body colors, while adding a real "glean" to the eyes like a real snake.

I let the paint "set" for a few days. Then comes a good amount of buffing and rubbing out. Which is, for me, a two-fold bit. It removes any excess paint -- which I get -- and blends the lines together to make it more uniform -- while bringing out that "shine" or "glow" that the fabric doesn't have. Neither do real snakes.

I cut off those ridiculous big tongues they come with. Quite unrealistic. And I cut off the tags, of course, since I've never had a live snake that had such tags. I'd say I create what could be described as "props". I find the added oil-paint finish also adds to its rigidity, making it a bit stiffer to appear more realistic when I "handle" them. Put a heavier coat in the upper body and neck area if you want to have it "strike" or to hold it out without it "flopping." Works out great.

My "props" often "freak out" my neighbors, even the passersby when I put them in the front window. Well, it's nice to know they are very often mistaken as real. That was my intent. They even scare me sometimes, since they are all over my flat and yes, often give me "dirty looks".

This the African Rock Python conversion. Note how, I hope, I got that brown under lower light or if "compacted or coiled," the dark look, but still get the tan (lighter shade) to even a "tinge" of green -- with the patterning more prominent when stretched out or placed in brighter light. Sunlight works the best to see both effects.

More to follow if you want. Note my older smart phone isn't the best at making good-quality photos, I admit.

[Avian]

Wow! These look awesome! I've never seen anything like this done before

[Ssssnake]

This conversion came before the above-cited "African Rock Python". Since the "Brown Python" was easily obtainable at the time through Viahart, I "tried" (in quotes) to use its orange/brown fabric coloring to create a Reticulated Python. The true Indonesian Retics I knew had some difficult color shifts to reproduce. In sunlight, they appeared primarily "brownish". But under artificial light or in darker conditions, the pattern appeared blue to gray. With white speckling. The main challenge was trying to duplicate its "Oriental Rug,Reticulated" pattern. Since I've yet to find the same body in a pattern-less, pure white form (topside) -- but one with the belly scales I use for tracing -- I tried this one. I think down the road maybe some bleaching might work on the newer-design "Albino Python" recently released, but admitted I'm no wildlife artist so that task would make me work at it. A strong white overcoat experiment decreased the stock pattern, so I tried to make it a bit more "Reticulated."

This one got a undercoat of oil-based white paint. After it cured for a few days, I applied a second oil-based gray coat. After that cured, I applied an aqua blue oil-based top coat. Then accented the white speckles or "spots". And true to what I recall, I did its eyes in oil-based bright orange. How well I recall those big, orange eyes! The belly got a coat of gray oil-based paint, since the white "bled" too much of the plushies' stock bright orange through. As usual, oil-based black paint outlined the patterning and the belly scales. When that entire "mess" cured after a few days, I did the usual tasks of intensive rubbing down and buffing (to remove excess paint and blend all the elements together. And to also give a glean like a real one).

Before this pandemic, I did submit a spec for a Retic. But China and the U.S. were hit and I won't expect any new designs or builds. The spec calls for the Chinese artists to try that Reticulated Pattern much better than I could ever do. But the best part would be the size: Simple double the size -- dimensions-- of the existed nine-foot python "bodies." I envisioned the "Queen Mary" of snake plushies: An 18-foot, yes, that would be life size, "realistic as possible" Reticulated Python. Bright, big orange eyes and all! That would be the prize of my collection and face it, one heck of an addition to any "home decor." At least for me! Especially if you have a few "laying around, coiled or "hanging around" as they do, with Retics being semi-arboreal. I once raised a female Indonesian Retic who not only got bigger (nearly 22 feet) but loved to climb! And man, could she get up there!

So I envision this one as a sub-adult female Retic, considering for now the best body I could to modify is only those nine-footers.

[Ssssnake]

Thank you, all, for the warm welcome here. It's great to find a forum like this. Being the admitted newbie, I found the "Repaint" thread more suited to what I do. I will post there from now on. Rather than re-post, I'll try to link my earlier posts to that area for feedback.

[sirenia]

That is genuinely impressive!