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SlothBear posted:This is awesome. How annoying is the battery? I'm assuming that's a battery? How long does it last? It's a driver and a 9v. Surprisingly not annoying! The driver I have is only about 2.5 inches long and an inch deep or so, and it + battery fit really well in the pocket. The wire I got is supposed to last 3000 hours before dimming to half brightness(I got standard thickness high bright long life from coolneon.com). My only regret is not getting thicker wire. Oh well! It's probably better this way. Still working on the drat skirt. Finally got around to pinning the pattern pieces to the fabric and it is impossible, size wise. The fabric I have is 44 instead of 45 across and I guess that makes all the difference  it simply won't fit. Solution: improvise with the pink fabric I got. It's just the waistband anyways, no one will see it.
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Aug 30, 2012 07:30
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Psychobabble! That is so cool!! Not much, but here's some progress I made on my Heather Mason costume (with the help of my wonderful friend who is a wizard  Please note the awkward stance and the "I Don't Know What To Do With My Arms" face. We were also able to convert a pink sweater into a sweater vest for a school uniform variant of Nia Teppelin from Gurran Lagann. Christ, I need to learn how to pose 
Happy Landfill fucked around with this message at 02:19 on Aug 31, 2012 |
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Aug 31, 2012 00:06
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Happy Landfill posted:Psychobabble! That is so cool!! Woohoo, Heather is one of my favorite video game characters of all time  I usually default to one knee out and hands on the hips if I don't know how to pose, it helps if you have a prop to wave around like a fake lead pipe or something.
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Aug 31, 2012 01:18
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I'm planning on the pipe actually but if that doesn't work out my younger brother has a fairly realistic looking toy handgun that could also work. That's a good idea and I'll definitely keep that in mind! I've also heard that standing at a 3/4 angle is a lot more flattering. It's a lot easier when you have a prop or the character has a signature pose (did Usagi from Sailor Moon last year so that was easy), but I tend to do characters that don't really have those, like Rhyme from TWEWY and Sophie from Howl's Moving Castle. Just smile and try to look pretty I guess! Edit: also, I agree, Heather kicks copious amounts of rear end.
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Aug 31, 2012 02:18
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Funhilde posted:Thanks! I'm doing a Return of the Jedi Luke as well so that looks like a great resource . It most definitely is!
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Sep 3, 2012 03:54
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McPantserton posted:GenCon is over already!? Bummer. How the gently caress did you not even place with those works of art!?!?!?! Seriously? Did Robert Downey Jr. enter the contest in his Iron Man costume?? Also, do you have a cosplay profile somewhere like facebook or something? I'd love to keep track of your projects.
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Sep 3, 2012 18:58
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Mr. Mailman posted:How the gently caress did you not even place with those works of art!?!?!?! Seriously? Did Robert Downey Jr. enter the contest in his Iron Man costume?? Aww, thanks  I'll confess I was a bit disappointed, but I'm really proud of the work I and the rest of my group did and I had a blast, which is what's important. I'm running a panel this upcoming Sunday at GeekKon in Madison, WI about big costumes and armor, too, and I'm crazy excited for that!We do have a blog that we don't update enough and a Facebook that gets a little better treatment--we're the Foam Corps on Facebook and foamcorps.net. Incidentally, I was doing costume repairs for GeekKon today and I learned that I utterly loving hate Rustoleum spray paint. I was out of Krylon silver so I tried Rustleum, which I had laying around in my supplies closet, and it immediately bubbled/cracked like all over my belt piece! I ended up having to gently massage all the lovely paint off of the foam with a paper towel and acetone and it's still not as nice as it was before. Rustoleum sucks. Krylon forever!
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Sep 4, 2012 03:57
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Happy Landfill posted:Please note the awkward stance and the "I Don't Know What To Do With My Arms" face. The only way to pose, for any costume is to flex like you're trying to embarrass Arnold Schwarzenegger, and pull a ridiculous face. Never be serious, always have more fun than everyone else in the room.
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Sep 4, 2012 05:49
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McPantserton posted:We do have a blog that we don't update enough and a Facebook that gets a little better treatment--we're the Foam Corps on Facebook and foamcorps.net. Sweet! I will add you. Check out my prop/costume page at https://www.facebook.com/TridCloudwalker Also, yes. Rustoleum sucks. However, I use Plasticote when I can (Advanced Auto Parts sells it). Krylon is my backup when they don't have the color I need and I don't feel like whipping out my airbrush.
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Sep 4, 2012 05:56
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The only thing I've ever found Rustoleum good for is painting an old wrought iron garden bench.
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Sep 4, 2012 15:55
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If I were trying to recreate this vest, what materials should I look at? I was thinking Cordura, but was told it's really difficult to work with.
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Sep 4, 2012 18:03
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Cinnamon Bastard posted:The only way to pose, for any costume is to flex like you're trying to embarrass Arnold Schwarzenegger, and pull a ridiculous face.
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Sep 4, 2012 19:28
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Rubber Slug posted:If I were trying to recreate this vest, what materials should I look at? I was thinking Cordura, but was told it's really difficult to work with. What game is that? Might help with the context of the parts. You could maybe use a linen. It's got a nice texture to it. Is not horrible to work with, it just wrinkles like a bitch and a half.
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Sep 4, 2012 20:22
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So I am thinking of doing a black mage costume for a convention coming up next year; not the typical Vivi costume, but this: Thing is, I have little to no experience in sewing or clothing creation or what have you, so I am currently boning up on all the sewing knowledge I can find at the moment (and trying to find garments that I can simply modify for this, such as the shirt). This certainly isn't the most complicated thing out there, but I'd certainly like something that isn't 'baseball cap and a vest'. Still, would this be a Bad Idea to attempt to do? If not, what's a good way to get started? Killer_Frost posted:What game is that? Might help with the context of the parts. That's Half Life 2. The costume in particular is worn by Civil Protection, bad gestapo-like people who crack down on the citizens for the smallest infractions.
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Sep 4, 2012 21:02
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Killer_Frost posted:What game is that? Might help with the context of the parts. Hmm, yeah. Linen might work. Isn't most linen a finer weave than what's in the picture, though? It looks really coarse, which is why I was looking at cordura. Morpheus posted:Thing is, I have little to no experience in sewing or clothing creation or what have you, so I am currently boning up on all the sewing knowledge I can find at the moment. High-five! Rubber Slug fucked around with this message at 21:18 on Sep 4, 2012 |
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Sep 4, 2012 21:14
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Rubber Slug posted:Hmm, yeah. Linen might work. Isn't most linen a finer weave than what's in the picture, though? It looks really coarse, which is why I was looking at cordura. I got some pretty thick weave linen for my Jedi robe. It's not perfect but in a pinch. I've also seen a cotton that's got a nice thick weave in the fabric store, you might just go wander around. You might also be able to use cross stitch cloth. I think there are places online that you can buy it by the yard. It's going to have that same weave but you can get it with bigger or smaller spacing.
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Sep 4, 2012 22:06
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Alright, I'll look into that as well. I was hesitant about shopping at local stores because their prices are so much higher than what you can get online, but I'll at least be able to get a better look at the fabrics that way. VVV Thanks! That's awesome! Rubber Slug fucked around with this message at 22:35 on Sep 4, 2012 |
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Sep 4, 2012 22:14
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Never shop in local stores without coupons. Protips: - JoAnn has a mag called Fashion Fusion, which has eight 40%-50% off coupons on the back for $4. They're good for six months. You likely won't see it on display anywhere, so ask for it at customer service. - Get on JoAnn's mail/e-mail list for more coupons. - JoAnn's takes competitor coupons (Michael's, Hobby Lobby) and they will allow you to use as many coupons as you want as long as they're all different (unlike Michael's, which has a very strict one coupon per person per transaction policy). - JoAnn and Michael's both have phone apps that will deliver coupons to your phone, as well as alert you of sales. - http://printable-coupons.blogspot.com/2005/12/jo-ann-coupons.html I use a combination of this, eBay, and other fabric websites to get what I need, but about 50% of the time I'm able to make do with stuff I've found at JoAnn on the cheap. Coupons! Rufus En Fuego fucked around with this message at 22:29 on Sep 4, 2012 |
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Sep 4, 2012 22:25
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I can't read. Most online retailers will send you swatches of fabric so you don't have to commit. Fabric.com does plenty of online coupon discount codes.
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Sep 4, 2012 23:09
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I just did Dragon*Con and had an awesome time. I did a very basic Daniel Jackson cosplay but it was addictive. Now I'm planning on upgrading for D*Con 2013. Anyone interested in forming a Stargate cosplay group for Dragon*con 2013?
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Sep 5, 2012 23:19
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Would this place be the spot to babble about Halloween costume stuff or should I just wait until the appropriate thread appears?
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Sep 6, 2012 06:11
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I had fun at PAX but I think I might want to go bigger costume wise next year, for at least a day. As for Halloween costume construction I don't have a problem with it I would be interested in more progress pictures/writings. As for my progress I just ordered wigs, right now I am debating if I want to use Wonderflex or try Worbla's for my Black Gold Saw legs. I have seen some really amazing stuff made with both though from what I hear Worbla's seems to be more reusable and a bit easier to work with as far as sculpting. Any input or suggestions would be much appreciated.
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Sep 6, 2012 16:21
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So I have somewhat successfully done Henchman 24 from Venture Bros, but I have had some drama with the giant wings. First off, Henchman 24 looks like the guy on the right:  For my first go at the wings I took a bike box and cut two halves and glued them together. Unpainted they looked like this:  After $30 of acryllic paint (and a lot of huffing paint fumes) the costume came out something like this:  Took the costume to two cons for 4 days in costume total. It was a ton of fun but the wings took quite a beating in the interim. I also was not too pleased with the cost and side effects of all the paint. I'm thinking of getting a new thing of wings and wondering what might work better. First requirement is that it comes out colored yellow and I don't have to worry about painting it. After a few hours of googling I found no hits for posterboard of sufficient thickness and sufficient size (48"x48"). I was actually considering plastic sheeting, specifically High Density PolyEthylene (HDPE). 1/8" and 48" by 48" would be 15 pounds, so probably 13 or so pounds after cutting the square to butterfly wing shape. It's the stuff cutting boards are made out of, so will flex before breaking, and can hold itself together. Am I crazy for thinking this way, or is there a source of decent thickness cardboard that comes in large sizes and colored I am just missing?
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Sep 6, 2012 16:57
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Maxwells Demon posted:Wing Problems So you could use foam board but I feel like you would just run into the same damage as before. You could also by sheeting but cutting could suck and the materials could be way expensive. If you want something cheap that would be more storage friendly I would say get a thick gauge wire and bend it to the shape you want for the wings, if you want to get fancy extra sturdy solder in some pieces for support. Then get thick stretchy dance fabric in yellow and sew fabric covers. This way you could fold them over for storing them and they are more pliant so that bumping at a con isn't as damaging. I figure it's cheaper than the plastic but if you want super stiff and less fabric look I would stick with that, see if maybe they can custom cut them if you don't have the materials for it.
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Sep 6, 2012 17:33
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HDPE is pretty good stuff, and not that heavy. My friend actually went as Henchman 21 this year; I'll ask him what he used, and I think he said he had a better idea for next year.
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Sep 6, 2012 17:44
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I honestly think it'd be easier and cheaper to dumpster-dive for a refrigerator box, then spray paint it orange every time you wanted to wear the costume than to build it out of heavy-rear end plastic. That's what my friends and I did when we did henchmen for Halloween a few years ago. 
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Sep 6, 2012 17:47
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Thanks for the quick replies. I feel like the thick gauge wire/fabric idea is good, but there's so many ways that could rip as well as requiring some innovation as to how to keep it taut while affixing it to the wings and then sew it around the wire. I guess with a sufficiently large wire/tubing and then canvas-like material those become moot and then the thing is packable. I'm definitely liking that as a back up idea, and there definitely are tarps/raincoats/something available in yellow. McPanserton: those guys look great but the wings are so small. Any larger and they probably come up against the fold lines which I chose to go with. And the fold lines were absolutely the weak point of the costume. For me a lot of the fun with the costume was either that I am spot-on with the voice and how horrifically inconvenient the giant wings are for everyone. Thanks for the ideas in case the search for the plastic method turns out too expensive or they laugh me out of too many places for asking for one single sheet.
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Sep 6, 2012 18:41
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Maxwells - If it were me I would sew them then slide them on, make the stitching as tight as possible leaving only enough stretch to slide them over the frames and then stitch the two sides together at the back which you could cover seams with craft-foam or more fabric or whatever you wanted to on the harness. I have seen lots of wings made this way and it always comes out really nice. And they are more durable than you would think, just general awareness will keep them safe, most people wont have knives or anything and they will stretch to points a bit due to the nature of the fabric. I wonder if I am explaining this well or just making it more confusing?
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Sep 6, 2012 19:32
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Has anybody used reflective paint? We want something that will light up when it's hit by a camera flash, like the safety strips on a dayglo vest or the metal on a traffic sign. If there isn't a satisfactory paint product I'm willing to just buy reflective tape, but it needs to be applied to a very small area (carved runes in a staff) and using tape would be really painstaking with lots of tiny cuts.
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Sep 6, 2012 19:58
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Are there any resources or tutorials you guys would recommend for costume and armor making? I have an ambitious Halloween costume I wanted to look into, but don't even know where to start.
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Sep 6, 2012 19:58
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Network42 posted:Are there any resources or tutorials you guys would recommend for costume and armor making? I have an ambitious Halloween costume I wanted to look into, but don't even know where to start. What is it specifically? We could probably give you better recommendations for blogs or materials based on what you're hoping to build. if I don't know how to get started on a project, I generally look at other builds on blogs like Volpin Props or Kamui Cosplay, but then I sort of do my own thing anyway, mostly.
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Sep 6, 2012 20:03
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RazorBunny posted:Has anybody used reflective paint? We want something that will light up when it's hit by a camera flash, like the safety strips on a dayglo vest or the metal on a traffic sign. If there isn't a satisfactory paint product I'm willing to just buy reflective tape, but it needs to be applied to a very small area (carved runes in a staff) and using tape would be really painstaking with lots of tiny cuts. Reflective road paint uses tiny glass beads.  Maybe give that a shot?
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Sep 6, 2012 20:16
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Rufus En Fuego posted:Reflective road paint uses tiny glass beads. All the ones I've been able to find so far seem to have awfully big chunks in them, haven you seen something a little more smooth?
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Sep 6, 2012 20:26
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RazorBunny posted:All the ones I've been able to find so far seem to have awfully big chunks in them, haven you seen something a little more smooth? I work for a paving/striping company and our paint's really smooth. I think the brand we use is 3M. Maybe call a local paving contractor and see if they'll give you a sample? If not, I can see about sending you some from here, though we only buy it in white and yellow. Other than that, there's Rust-Oleum, I think. Also reflective road marking tape, but that stuff's thick and wieldy. Is really silvery paint something you considered, a la mirrors?
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Sep 6, 2012 20:43
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Rufus En Fuego posted:I work for a paving/striping company and our paint's really smooth. I think the brand we use is 3M. Maybe call a local paving contractor and see if they'll give you a sample? If not, I can see about sending you some from here, though we only buy it in white and yellow. Other than that, there's Rust-Oleum, I think. Also reflective road marking tape, but that stuff's thick and wieldy. Is really silvery paint something you considered, a la mirrors? It's for a costume my husband is doing, and he doesn't want it to be shiny except when light hits it. I think he would really like something that's mostly translucent, but I'm sure if he can't get that he'd be fine with colored paint. I found a few possibilities after doing some more online searching.
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Sep 6, 2012 21:06
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What about clear glitter? I've never tried photographing it but it sparkles in the light. And those clear glass beads from Michael's.
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Sep 6, 2012 21:12
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RazorBunny posted:It's for a costume my husband is doing, and he doesn't want it to be shiny except when light hits it. I think he would really like something that's mostly translucent, but I'm sure if he can't get that he'd be fine with colored paint. I found a few possibilities after doing some more online searching. What about using stickers they use for house numbers? It probably even comes on a roll or in sheets.
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Sep 6, 2012 22:46
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Clear glitter is almost never actually clear, it will look pink or blue (usually) under light. I have a friend who did her cards for Gambit out of the reflective sign material then put the part she didn't want to "glow" in a photograph over it. Instead of cutting little pieces of reflective material you could try it that way. Paint the other color over the top of the reflective material.
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Sep 6, 2012 22:59
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I have perfectly clear glitter that flashes white when hit with light. It's not iridescent (pink/blue) at all. It exists.
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Sep 6, 2012 23:03
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Yeah, I work as a screen printer and we use clear non-pink/blue glitter all the time. Our bucket says it's called sugar glitter.
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Sep 6, 2012 23:07
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