SATYR (hair)

Lets take a quick look at the hair.  I have visited a neighbor's pasture and spent some quality time chatting with his goat to get the hair the way I want.

 I am using a chocolate colored lambs wool for the hair. This works well because the the base of the lamb's wool is straight while the tips are curly. This lets me have both types of hair on the legs without having to iron the hair to straighten it or curl straight hair. It also has a consistent color match since I use the same dye lot.

Hair has different growth patterns which vary with different species and at  different places on the body. The goat's hairs run in a rather parallel linear pattern down the leg. As you get closer to the hip area the pattern can develop a swirl or loop pattern but we are not going up the leg that far.
The lower leg will have shorter, straight hairs while the mid leg and thigh hairs are longer and curled.
Starting above the hoof, I lay a bead of glue around the leg and press 1/2' long hairs into the glue. This is repeated up the leg until I pass the first joint.
* To get the layers of hair to look staggered and more natural, place the hair in the glue them slide the hair up the leg slightly as you attach. The lower layer of hair will stick and stay; the upper layers in the clump will slide over the lower layers before grabbing into the glue.

 

 The hair above the hoof and at the back of the leg are left long while the rest of the lower leg hairs are trimmed in an irregular pattern to avoid the look of straight layers.
Just a personal preference note here: I wanted the lower leg to look very thin so it accentuates the goat leg. I think a fuller layer of hair makes the leg look like a human leg with a hoof on the bottom so I am trimming this very close to the clay.

The mid and upper sections of leg are done the same way but with the longer curly sections of the wool.
The exposed end of the hair (where the hairline and the leg transition to skin) is laid in one thin row at a time and blended into the skin. The darker shadowing we painted before is now extended up the leg a bit so it looks less like a set of chaps on our guy. Wouldn't want you thinking he is one of the Village People. (If you don't get that reference, you are too young!)
I used a super hold hair spray to give n oily look to the hair and to get it to pose the way I want. (Avon Advance Technique Volumizing Spray Gel) Soak the hair and you have about five minutes to pose and style it. Give a great "sweaty man" look to hair. (Come on ladies you know...Lord of the Rings, Pirates, Uh huh!)

The hair on the head is done as detailed in the Tristan blog but left log. He gets stylish sideburns to complete the style. Once again the hair is sprayed and styled. Still pondering a small goatee without mustache for him.  Any thoughts?

Eye lashes are added using the straight brown hairs of the same pelt.
Hair is added to the armpits and groin areas. (no spray, no styling- that would just be weird)
That's it, thanks for tuning in. Have a great day!