List of upcoming projects

Starting sometime this fall/winter, I will actually finally be starting The Monarch and Dr. Mrs. The Monarch. A year after I said I was starting to do them. Better late than never. After that, the list of stuff I want to make now includes Seras Victora from Hellsing, and Diablo from Diablo.

I want to do smaller costumes that will be easier to transport and bring to other cons farther away (thus the first two on the list), but I also want to do something as a show piece for the next costume contest I enter. Thus, Diablo. Also, Diablo is scary and would be great for Halloween. Although Tyrael is impressive, it's not impressive to the general public; i.e. I didn't scare as many kids this year as last year. Plus I apparently want to add to the catalogue of Blizzard based costumes I seem to be making.

Now that I'm actually done with grad school and winding down with the left over details from graduating AND will be actually employed for a while doing grown up things, I'll have more free time to devote to making costumes. Hooray!

I won!

I won the women's category at Baltimore Comic Con 2014! Not the grand prize, that went to a huge Batbot, which was ridiculous, but still, v. cool to win. There were maybe 40-50 (maybe more? terrible at estimating) entrants in the women's category, and I honestly thought a lot of them were really good and could have placed. Was not expecting first place at all.

The whole weekend was great, the weeping angel was a huge crowd draw, and even before I got the whole thing on, people were crowding around to get pictures.  Below are a few pictures of the Tyrael costume from the con. The whole thing ended up looking really great. I did have a small malfunction and a piece fell off, but I brought my glue gun, so no big deal.

I did stand around in it for almost 4.5 hours and holy crap, that thing is a really physically demanding costume. My shoulders and knees are going to be yelling at me for a few days. I've done armor before, but not with a huge heavy chest piece over the harness with huge wings. Could not sit either, the things I do for a good costume.

Getting close...

Comic Con is in less than two weeks. I have about 3 working days left to get the wings together, and about a week to do the chain mail.

Slightly freaking out about the fact that the costume isn't done yet, but its getting there.

Over the weekend I finished all the painting and sprayed everything with an acrylic sealant, which did wonders to the costume and made everything really nice and shiny. I was worried about the paint, because on the pieces that are rounded and will be bending a lot the paint was cracking whenever I picked it up wrong. However, once I sprayed on the sealant, the texture changed and it became malleable and stopped cracking. So glad I decided to spray all the pieces with that stuff. Thank you Mod podge.

Here are some picture updates from last night, when I started putting everything together:

Hooray for getting things together! The sword is looking great, all the lights are installed, and its now fully painted. The chest has the tabard and the circles attached, and I set the velcro for the shoulders. I can't glue the shoulders down, because otherwise I wouldn't be able to get in the chest.

I may need to alter the shoulders, as they are huge when I put them on and may be too beefy looking as is, but I'll figure that out later today when I do a wear test.

Back from vacation, and super duper productive

So after defending my thesis, I went on a vacation, and got back just last Tuesday. In the past week, I have gotten a lot done. Everything still needs paint, but the bulk of the armor is now done, and the wings and sewn items are the only major things left to fabricate.



So far, I've completed the shoe/foot armor, as seen to the right. It's made from foam and worbla, the heel is attached to the arch piece by snaps, so it can rotate. Everything will get elastic attachments to the shoe.



Next, the lower leg and upper leg armor have been completed, although I don't currently have a picture of the upper leg armor. I'm going to add more velcro to the lower leg armor so that it doesn't bow out as much at the back.












I've also completed the knee pieces, the forearms, and the upper arm pieces. Most is foam, the forearms are worbla. To the left, you can see progress pictures of the forearms, with all the detail complete on one of them. They've now been gessoed and are ready to be sanded and painted.

What's left to do is the hand armor (need to make the gloves for that) and the upper thigh plates that Tyrael has. I have a pattern for those, so I just need to cut, form, and detail those pieces. I'm hoping to get that done today, so I can move on to painting and sewing. I have a week basically to finish, as I'm going away for labor day next wednesday. Then a few days before the convention for any last minute stuff.

However, based on how much I've been able to accomplish in the last week, I'd say I'm in a good place to get everything done in time. Bring on the costume competition!

I'm done!

With graduate school! Done! That took forever. On to bigger and better things (maybe).

Tyrael updates

So I have made some progress on the chest armor. Currently, it needs a few more coats of gesso, then it gets the crap sanded out of it before being painted.

This is my first time working with worbla, so there's some trial and error going on. I started the chest by trying to make a form out of craft foam to wrap the worbla around (I've read this is a good method for working with worbla). However, making a form to go over a chest that isn't flat is difficult to say the least. After screwing around with foam for a couple of hours, I ditched it and just decided to use the foam pieces as patterns for the worbla.

So after cutting out the worbla and trying to shape it, I realized how it will show every single little ripple if its lying on any non-smooth surface. Oh boy. Now that I've worked with it a bit, I realized doing the chest first wasn't the best route to go, but it didn't turn out too badly.

The first picture, you can see the front section and the back have been attached to each other (worbla sticks to itself wonderfully). I then added the collar, and did all the edge details with worbla strips. There's also small details around the collar.


There's going to be some rippling in places that I can't sand out, but most of it will be covered with other armor/fabric, so the small problems I see all over the place won't be very noticeable. The last chest picture shows the chest after about 4 coats of gesso. It needs maybe 2-4 more coats before its time to sand. I'm doing the gesso thing since worbla is a rough texture and not very metal like if painted raw. Thus the creation of a smooth surface for painting with the gesso (again, read about it on le internet).

I made the chest as one solid piece, but after adding the collar and the bottom pieces on the stomach, I couldn't get it on and off with the wing harness on (almost got stuck in it).

I ended up cutting the back in half, with cut out sections for the wing harness spokes, and added velcro closures. It goes on and off much more easily now, without scrapping my arms up from the worbla (that happened).

Other things I got done this weekend are the base forearm armor pieces. I need to add all the details and then gesso/sand/paint. Those are worbla over craft foam, they are much sturdier than the plain worbla chest. Live and learn.

The other thing that's mostly done are the circle armor pieces that go on the chest. They need to be sanded, and the worbla spikes need to be sanded and shaped, but they will be ready for paint after that.

There's a bunch left to do, but with the chest assembled, everything is much more manageable. Especially since I'm about to go on vacation and won't be working on anything for the next two weeks.

Because I'm defending my thesis tomorrow. Yep.

Sword!

 When I made the Shepard armor a couple of years back, I made a prop gun out of foam to go with the armor in one day. While I think it was pretty good for being made in a day, I was never really happy with the way it turned out, there were seams all over the place that no amount of paint would cover up (although I was probably the only one who could see them).

This time around, the weapon is being built much more slowly and deliberately, and I think its coming out really well. There's still quite a number of seams to cover right now, but it needs another coat of mod podge, then a coat of primer, then its sanding time.

Top left is the hilt pieced out before being sanded and attached to the blade. Top right is after the biggest piece of the hilt was attached. Bottom left, the whole hilt attached, and bottom right, with the grip detailed out with the pommel on.

The pommel needs to be sanded down and details need to be added to the hilt and pommel before being painted, but it's mostly done. It won't get painted until I'm ready to paint everything, but it's looking pretty good for just being white foam at the moment. I'm contemplating coating the blade in worbla (its a bit floppy at the moment) to make it stiff, but we'll see how much time I have after the rest of the armor is done.

Oh yes, those are lights in the hilt and pommel, this thing is going to glow so much.

Speaking of armor, here's what the shoulders look like at the moment.

 The are all still separate pieces, I need to paint them before the final assembly. I will also probably need to cut down the interiors of all the small pieces before final assembly.

Next to be made: chest armor and those circular chest pieces. Break out the worbla!

Materials: Acquired

Remember when I said The Monarch and Dr. Mrs. The Monarch were my next projects? Yeah, well, nope. Last post I forgot about that, and well, Tyrael is started ahead of those other two. They are still on the docket, but I decided I wanted to compete Tyrael in a costume contest prior to the other two.

Anyways, I now have a huge sheet of Worbla in my possession as well as all the other things I was missing (like paint and fabric), and I'm getting ready to build the chest armor. Currently working on the hilt of the sword, and once that's done and primed and ready for painting I'll move onto the chest. Once the sword is done, I'll post progress pictures of that and the shoulders. Which are, by the way, all ready for paint and assembly, just haven't taken a picture of those yet.

Actual costuming

Whoa what is this, an actual update? Yup, I started a new costume. This is the base of the sword for the Tyrael costume, El'Druin. As you can see, it's just a  foam blade on the sword base which is a metal yard stick and a piece of PVC glued on for the handle, but its at least started. 

Activation energy to actually start something is usually pretty high, so I'm quite happy that I've finally started. 

I'm waiting on some lighting elements to be shipped before I get to the hilt, but I've got it designed out onto some foam, so it'll assemble quickly once I've got the missing items. 

I've also gotten some progress done on the shoulders, but I'll wait to post about those until more of that is done. 

You might be able to see that there is Mod Podge in the picture, I'm using it to coat all the pieces and make them stiffer, more durable and less likely to tear, and as a base for all the eventual paint. I'm making the majority of pieces out of 1/16 inch foam, which is quite malleable, but also quite flimsy. I might end up making the chest out of worbla, but I haven't gotten there yet, so we'll see (answer is probably, but I need to order it). 

Things I still need to buy: that worbla, stuff for the wings, shoes, strapping, buckles, velcro, so much paint.....

Ugh, but its going to look baller when it's done, the shoulders already look sweet; spent a couple of hours today cutting out tiny scrollwork to add raised detail to the pieces.

No activity....because I'm graduating

So nothing for the past few months and nothing for the next couple because I'm finally finishing grad school. Once done though, I'll be back at it since I'll be ostensibly unemployed for a bit. Hooray!

inactive spring

Hey blog,

So I decided not to do the awesome con stuff, it was too much work, too short a time frame, and too little money.

So going back to figuring out Dr. Mrs. The Monarch; I think for the chest, I'll be using a plastic mannequin and cutting out the shape that I want. I looked up a couple of sites/videos, and it looks like that is the best option (and cheap). No having to figure out how to make a split front corset.

I think I'll order swatches of materials in the next few weeks and decide on fabrics soon. Small steps.

small hiatus

Hi, haven' posted in awhile. Haven't been working on anything, so nothing to post about. However, I might go to Awesome Con in DC in a month, and if I do that, I'm taking Kerrigan out of retirement and buying the airbrush finally to spruce her up. Then do the venture bros costumes, then do Tyrael. Lots to do, just got to get started.

Costume wishlist

I need to stop thinking up new projects before I even really start on my current one. Somehow the idea to make a Tyrael (the archangel from the Diablo games) is now running around my brain. Bad brain, stop it, start your current costumes first. So just going to add that to the wishlist of costumes I want to make. Chell from Portal is on there (mostly I just want to make the long fall boots) as well as some various and sundry other pieces I'm not really remembering at the moment, but that I know are on there.

However, a Tyrael costume would be soooo cool, it has armor, and wings, and lights in the wings, and a sword, and, and.... I am a costume nerd.

Ok, got that out of my system.

New costume first step: acquire shoes

Went out last weekend to get shoes for the costume. Decided to hit up Goodwill for cheap shoes, as they will be bastardized and covered over so they don't have to look good or be a particular color, just the shape I want.

I ended up getting two different pairs of shoes, stiletto pumps with a really high heel, probably over 4 inches, and boots with a lower heel, probably about 3 inches. Reason I got two? Well, combined they were $14, so there's that, and when I tried them on, it was with socks on and the pumps were really tight. I am a size 8.5, and apparently there were no 8.5 size shoes in Goodwill, and the pumps were an 8. I was hoping without socks, they would fit better, but they are still sort of tight. Sometimes I fit an 8 no problem, but they might just be too tall and tight.

If I go with the boots, I'm going to have to cut them down as the boot is bulky and has a zipper already. I'll rip out the zipper, cut them down to booties, and cover them over from there with boot covers. I want the boots to be tight to my leg and as cartoonish as possible. I may still try and use the pumps as they don't need any modification, but I'll have to wear them in first. They might not stretch out, time will only tell.

Next step: buying material. Also, do I want to make my own leotard, or buy one? Tough choices. 

New year, new post

So I have started the planning phase for the next set of costumes, The Monarch and Dr. Mrs the Monarch (hopefully the Dr title will be legitimate by the time I wear the costume, and yes I made the mistake decision to go to grad school way back in the stone ages and am just finally finishing).

First step is to get an airbrush. I've been wanting one for some time, and I was recently advised on what type to get and such by someone who actually knows about these things (yay to good advice!). I will hopefully buy it at the end of the month, along with some worbla for the crowns and chest plate for the monarch.

The first thing I think I will be doing is the shoes. I like to start costumes from the bottom up, since when I start, I usually have no clue what I am actually doing, and learn as I go. Shoes/bottom of the costume you don't notice as much as the top.

For the shoes, the Monarch will have either worbla or paper mache or some other stiff material for the toe curls, and then fabric backed with interfacing or something else flexible yet supportive over that for the boots since they are tall. I will have to get myself a pair of cheapish heels to snackrifice for this costume since I'm out of shoes I can use for costumes that I conveniently have for whatever reason. I will also be doing the same fabric and backing treatment for the Mrs.'s boots, as they are thigh high.

Contemplating if I can get away without a zipper in either pair or not. Time and planning can only tell. For now, I'm still in the budgeting and planning to buy things phase. Although these costumes look fairly simple, I'm probably going to end up spending a lot to make them (because I can't do anything the simple and cheap way, now can I?). Worbla, material, paint, airbrush, potentially making moving parts (maybe an arduino, someone slap that idea out of my head please), shoes, wig, ahhhhhhhh! At least I gave myself 8 months-ish to do all of this.