Dante
Garetto
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Hyena Fursuit Head

June 2024

After using a pattern off Etsy and EVA foam for my first run at making a head, I decided to try the 'traditional' method of handcarving upholstery foam for my next project. While the process was very similar, I had significantly more control over the shape. I sold this one on my Etsy store a few months after completion.

  1. A white upholstery-foam head base held up in front of a workbench, its eye sockets and jaw outlined in marker. A glue gun and a printed fursuit pattern lie behind it.
    1/14I started by making a 'bucket-head base,' cutting out holes for the wearer's ears, eyes, and nose/mouth. I then glued together several sections of upholstery foam, carving it down into a top and bottom muzzle using scissors and box cutters
  2. The foam head base on a bench with the eye holes cut out, the layered foam muzzle and cheek pieces beside it marked with blue and black guide lines.
    2/14I started by making a 'bucket-head base,' cutting out holes for the wearer's ears, eyes, and nose/mouth. I then glued together several sections of upholstery foam, carving it down into a top and bottom muzzle using scissors and box cutters
  3. A hand holding the foam base up to the camera, the built-up muzzle now attached and its contours drawn on in blue. A reference drawing of the character is open on the monitor behind.
    3/14Once the snout started taking shape, I glued it to the base and continued to shape the head
  4. The foam head from the front with paper mock-up eyes taped into the sockets and two large foam ear blanks resting either side, checking the proportions before the fur goes on.
    4/14Adding and carving away at sections of foam allowed me to sculpt the shape on the fly and correct for mistakes; I added some large ears and paper eyes to draft the approximate final look
  5. The whole foam head covered in masking tape and drawn over in black marker — the fur pattern being traced directly onto the form, with markings for the eye, the ear and the nose.
    5/14Once satisfied with the shape, I began patterning one side so that minor inconsistencies in the symmetry of the foam would be tucked in by the layer of fur
  6. Close view of the taped pattern around the eye socket, covered in pen lines, blue registration ticks and small arrows marking the direction the fur pile should run.
    6/14Adding seam markers so the patterned pieces would match up properly and arrows for the direction of the fur, which is an essential step for a smooth, clean shave
  7. The head part-furred: brown and tan fur laid over the muzzle and brow with the raw foam ears still bare, seen from above on a work surface.
    7/14Patterned and half sewn layer of faux fur, which I opt to shave after application to ensure I do not overshave early on and leave seams too visible
  8. The finished head in profile on a red stool, showing large upright ears with pink inner fur, a long brown muzzle and a big yellow-green eye.
    8/14Adding in the handpainted eyes and giving a rough preshave lets the personality of the final product shine through, with the bottom of the chin left unsewn so I can properly adjust the fur as I glue it down
  9. The finished head seen from above on a checked tablecloth: a hyena face in brown and tan fur, dark purple nose and eyelids, and two yellow-green mesh eyes.
    9/14Added a nose, some eyebrows, eyeliner, and hair tufts as the final additions to this hyena's design
  10. The finished head at an angle on a porch table, showing the cream chest ruff, the tan eyebrow markings and the spotted crest running back over the skull.
    10/14Right side/front diagonal view of the head
  11. The back of the finished head on its stand, showing the dark brown mane and cream neck fur brushed out, with the grey foam base visible underneath.
    11/14Angled back view of the head, where the hair tufts are longer and more prominent
  12. The finished head from behind and slightly above, the mane's blend from dark brown through cream into ginger visible across the back of the neck.
    12/14Angled back view of the head, where the hair tufts are longer and more prominent
  13. The finished head tipped back to face the camera, showing both mesh eyes, the purple nose and the open mouth with its white teeth.
    13/14Front view of the snout, which you can see has some slight asymmetry; something to improve on but also something that gives it a bit more personality
  14. Close view of the open mouth held in one hand: a stitched cream jaw with sculpted teeth and a pink fabric tongue set into the black lining.
    14/14I also made teeth and a tongue for the inside of the mouth, later gluing and sewing down some felt to cover the seams between the faux fur and the mouth lining

Skills

  • Fabrication
  • Patterning
  • Sewing
  • Painting