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.