Cosplay creation: Like Halloween all year

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Hobbies, Crafts, & Houses > Cosplay creation: Like Halloween all year

Mad Dragon: Feb 29, 2004

foxatee posted:

Oh is that why I hate cars and trucks with those loving blue headlights? I always feel like I'm blinded by those fuckers.

http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/blue/bad/bad.html

# ? Oct 18, 2015 18:55

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# ? May 9, 2024 20:28

CherryCat: Feb 21, 2011; That's a strawberry.; College Slice

The rough beginnings of a cloak, still needs hemmed and shaped and the hood added.

# ? Oct 18, 2015 23:41

Pb and Jellyfish: Oct 30, 2011

Ok, so I have come into possession of a Canadian military flight suit, and I was looking for some ideas for costumes. Looks like this:

but without any patches or anything. My girlfriend got one too, and is planning a Ripley cosplay with hers. I realize there is some easy stuff like top gun, but I would love any and all ideas that involve a flight suit. I also have combat boots, but I cannot have any weapons as props (I want to be able to wear the outfit to the school I work at). If it matters, I am a 6ft tall white male, bearded, average size. Thanks

# ? Oct 19, 2015 00:47

Deadite: Aug 30, 2003; A fat guy, a watermelon, and a stack of magazines?
Family.

I use flight suits for the base of my EL wire suits. Easy to get on and off, comfortable, and lots of pockets for battery packs

# ? Oct 19, 2015 01:34

Tamir Lenk: Nov 25, 2009

I may play around with the skull painting per this thread. As Taskmaster needs a gun, I dicked around with some scraps to come up with this:

# ? Oct 19, 2015 04:58

cloudy: Jul 3, 2007; Alive to the universe; dead to the world.

Pb and Jellyfish posted:

Ok, so I have come into possession of a Canadian military flight suit, and I was looking for some ideas for costumes. Looks like this:

but without any patches or anything. My girlfriend got one too, and is planning a Ripley cosplay with hers. I realize there is some easy stuff like top gun, but I would love any and all ideas that involve a flight suit. I also have combat boots, but I cannot have any weapons as props (I want to be able to wear the outfit to the school I work at). If it matters, I am a 6ft tall white male, bearded, average size. Thanks

Before I finished reading I was thinking, "be Ripley!". I'm making a Ripley costume for Halloween. Everyone should be Ripley.

# ? Oct 19, 2015 07:36

chitoryu12: Apr 24, 2014

Cut off the sleeves, add plastic or cardboard armor plating, and be a Colonial Marine to go with your girlfriend.

# ? Oct 19, 2015 07:44

McPantserton: Jan 19, 2005; IRONICALLY SWEALTERING

I'm taking a Frostmourne break to work on my Halloween costume! Woo! It's going to be a bit more work than I usually want to do for Halloween but whatever, I can't not go as Furiosa.

Started off with a rubber gasket + dowel, sculpted the details on top...

then covered in worbla and very tediously cut out.

For the shoulder I made the base shape but the tire tread thingers are longer than the gap and overlap on one side, so I cut strips, glued them on top where they overlap, and glued them flush on the other side.

Did the shaping over a trash can + an acrylic hemisphere I have around for shaping to get a bit of compound curve, and heated/twisted the strips one at a time.

Not sure if I'll get the arm done in time or not but things are coming along decently so maybe I can manage.

# ? Oct 19, 2015 19:26

FISHMANPET: Mar 3, 2007; Sweet 'N Sour
Can't
Melt
Steel Beams

Pb and Jellyfish posted:

Ok, so I have come into possession of a Canadian military flight suit, and I was looking for some ideas for costumes. Looks like this:

but without any patches or anything. My girlfriend got one too, and is planning a Ripley cosplay with hers. I realize there is some easy stuff like top gun, but I would love any and all ideas that involve a flight suit. I also have combat boots, but I cannot have any weapons as props (I want to be able to wear the outfit to the school I work at). If it matters, I am a 6ft tall white male, bearded, average size. Thanks

I keep telling people I'm going to (but never get around to actually doing it) be a pilot from FreeSpace/FreeSpace2. The costume would pretty much be a flight suit but with custom patches and medals from the game. Only problem is the patches are all such low res and I've only found a handful online where people have remastered them into anything high res enough to be turned into a mission patch.

Medals would also be tricky but in the grand scheme of things much easier to make.

# ? Oct 19, 2015 19:58

Come And See: Sep 15, 2008; We're all awash in a sea of blood, and the least we can do is wave to each other.

Directed here from the Cosplay thread. Hello everyone. :shobon:

My roommate is throwing a party this Saturday, and I've decided to dress up as a sort of bio-wizard. To complete the look I'm hoping to make a parasite-like staff.

Coating, painting, and sealing the pole is no problem...

But attached to the top I want the staff head to appear like this...

I have zero experience/talent, but I have a credit card and a day off coming up. What would be the easiest way for a complete novice like me to put this together?

# ? Oct 20, 2015 04:39

Dr_Amazing: Apr 15, 2006; It's a long story

I want to do a sort of cyborg costume for Halloween. Is there a cheap, easy way to look like I have embedded wires and poo poo in my skin?

# ? Oct 20, 2015 05:04

gamera009: Apr 7, 2005

Any recommendations for getting plaster to cure without cracking? I have a huge amount I'm shaping for a large turtle shell. :smith:

# ? Oct 20, 2015 05:48

Stupid_Sexy_Flander: Mar 14, 2007; Is a man not entitled to the haw of his maw?; Grimey Drawer

Damp cloth over it will help.

Any reason you are using plaster and not water putty? Stuff is way stronger, and also doesn't crack nearly as bad.

# ? Oct 20, 2015 06:22

blastron: Dec 11, 2007; Don't doodle on it!

Tomero_the_Great posted:

Directed here from the Cosplay thread. Hello everyone.

My roommate is throwing a party this Saturday, and I've decided to dress up as a sort of bio-wizard. To complete the look I'm hoping to make a parasite-like staff.

Coating, painting, and sealing the pole is no problem...

But attached to the top I want the staff head to appear like this...

I have zero experience/talent, but I have a credit card and a day off coming up. What would be the easiest way for a complete novice like me to put this together?

What I'd do is drill a tiny hole straight down into the top of your staff, then get some stiff wire and glue that in so it sticks out straight. Bend it so that it forms the core of the shape you want to work with, then start adding some stuff to thicken it up.

There's a great kind of self-hardening epoxy clay called Apoxie Sculpt. Basically, you mix two parts together until it forms a smooth clay, which is workable for about an hour before it starts to set up. At that point it becomes rock-hard and can be sanded smooth. Wrapping clay around wire is a bit tricky, but if you wait about 15 minutes after mixing the clay, it will firm up enough to be way more usable. Try doing it in two passes: one to get a bunch of clay covering the wire, and another to get it up to the thickness and texture you actually want.

# ? Oct 20, 2015 06:44

gamera009: Apr 7, 2005

Stupid_Sexy_Flander posted:

Damp cloth over it will help.

Any reason you are using plaster and not water putty? Stuff is way stronger, and also doesn't crack nearly as bad.

It's what I had in the basement. :haw:

I'm low on plaster so I may switch over. It looks like I should be able to use the water putty to finish off the surface just fine.

# ? Oct 20, 2015 13:07

Reformed Tomboy: Feb 2, 2005; chu~~

blastron posted:

There's a great kind of self-hardening epoxy clay called Apoxie Sculpt.

Paperclay would probably work as well, using that same method.

# ? Oct 20, 2015 17:17

Tamir Lenk: Nov 25, 2009

CzarChasm posted:

That looks cool and I really like the shield.

If it were me, I would take a little more white paint and try and obscure the black curved line going around the top of the skull, and do a little black dry brush around the cheeks/teeth. But that's just my 2 cents.

Took a stab at fine-tuning the skull.

# ? Oct 20, 2015 19:20

Come And See: Sep 15, 2008; We're all awash in a sea of blood, and the least we can do is wave to each other.

blastron posted:

What I'd do is drill a tiny hole straight down into the top of your staff, then get some stiff wire and glue that in so it sticks out straight. Bend it so that it forms the core of the shape you want to work with, then start adding some stuff to thicken it up.

There's a great kind of self-hardening epoxy clay called Apoxie Sculpt. Basically, you mix two parts together until it forms a smooth clay, which is workable for about an hour before it starts to set up. At that point it becomes rock-hard and can be sanded smooth. Wrapping clay around wire is a bit tricky, but if you wait about 15 minutes after mixing the clay, it will firm up enough to be way more usable. Try doing it in two passes: one to get a bunch of clay covering the wire, and another to get it up to the thickness and texture you actually want.

Reformed Tomboy posted:

Paperclay would probably work as well, using that same method.

Going to get started with this tonight.

Thanks a ton!

# ? Oct 20, 2015 19:31

CzarChasm: Mar 14, 2009; I don't like it when you're watching me eat.

Dr_Amazing posted:

I want to do a sort of cyborg costume for Halloween. Is there a cheap, easy way to look like I have embedded wires and poo poo in my skin?

Not sure how cheap is cheap for you and exactly what look you want. You could get a bottle of liquid latex at any Halloween store for about $15. Then you could pick up some random flexible wires from any broken electronics you may have lying around (plastic coated) or Radio Shack/electronics store. If you wanted cheaper, and bigger wires, you could go with something like a box of drinking straws.

Either way, what I would do is take the latex and make a small, thin "puddle" (preferably on a silicone mat if you have one, so it doesn't stick) and try and get a small shape out of it. Before it completely sets, put some of the wires into it so they are secured. Wait for it to set, and then, depending on the look you are going for, add a little more latex to cover. I would suggest brushing it on in thin coats. Let it completely set and then you should be able to peel it off the mat and paint it to match your skin tone. After that, you can glue it to your skin using spirit gum. I would recommend shaving if necessary.

I'm going to try a similar technique to make a two part face mask for a Two-Face costume, with a set of teeth embedded and then more burned up skin over that.

Tamir Lenk posted:

Took a stab at fine-tuning the skull.

FWIW, I think it looks better without the black line at the brow.

# ? Oct 20, 2015 19:46

oneof27: May 27, 2007; DSMtalker

Who has worked with the transparent Worbla? I am working on a contract to build some puppets for a show. I got an order of it to make a full figure puppet with and I started playing with it today. That stuff is finicky as all heck.
FYI I am making a two foot tall hand operated puppet of the mythical Echo. Basically a wind spirit. I want to embed her body with some LEDs to give her an inner glow and make her body a little ephemeral.

# ? Oct 21, 2015 00:08

Hamhandler: Aug 9, 2008; [I want to] shit in your fucking mouth. [I'm going to] slap your fucking mouth. [I'm going to] slap your real mother across the face [laughter]. Fuck you, you're still a rookie. I'll kill you.

So I am putting together a Mad Max halloween costume this year, and was wondering if anyone had any ideas on the mask:

I put this together for the mask:

Basically it is a garden tool attached to a Halloween store plastic chain/collar

I also bought a crappy pre-made rubber version, as I am of little faith in my abilities.

Here is them put together, as I'm considering cutting out some sections of the rubber mask to act as the parts underneath the tool(slightly shifted over for some reason):

The problem being is that it is essentially supported by my jaw holding up the "collar" part of the shackle. Any idea how I could support it better, or in general do it better?

Also I am making a Nux dummy(you can see the little easter egg I am considering for the tumors on the neck)

Here is the sketch/fabric test for the face:

# ? Oct 21, 2015 22:53

canyoneer: Sep 13, 2005; I only have canyoneyes for you

Thank you smart and clever goons for guidance on my X-wing helmet.

I found a full face motorcycle helmet that fits nicely for $10 on Craigslist. My plan is to saw off the full face part to make it a 3/4 or open face helmet. I've also got some of the famous harbor freight foam tiles to use to build up the top of the helmet (the mohawk ridge and ear things). My plan is to trial and error cut some foam strips to hot glue on top for the raw shape, and then bondo over the top to smooth it out before priming and painting.

Here are my questions:
Can I use bondo paste directly on the foam, or should I use a fiberglass resin+cloth base layer first?
How would you recommend sealing up the jagged edge from where I saw off the front of the helmet? I'm thinking using resin/bondo to seal it, paint it, then put a U strip of rubber to line it upholstery style.

# ? Oct 22, 2015 04:32

McPantserton: Jan 19, 2005; IRONICALLY SWEALTERING

Catfish Noodlin posted:

x

My husbo is going as Max too and I think for the mask his strips will be rigid, which helps but also there's a vertical bar between the upper and lower so his upper strap sits over his ears, which will hold it up, and the lower is then held up as well from the vertical strip. So if the rubber isn't staying, maybe add additional vertical support?

canyoneer posted:

Thank you smart and clever goons for guidance on my X-wing helmet.

I found a full face motorcycle helmet that fits nicely for $10 on Craigslist. My plan is to saw off the full face part to make it a 3/4 or open face helmet. I've also got some of the famous harbor freight foam tiles to use to build up the top of the helmet (the mohawk ridge and ear things). My plan is to trial and error cut some foam strips to hot glue on top for the raw shape, and then bondo over the top to smooth it out before priming and painting.

Here are my questions:
Can I use bondo paste directly on the foam, or should I use a fiberglass resin+cloth base layer first?
How would you recommend sealing up the jagged edge from where I saw off the front of the helmet? I'm thinking using resin/bondo to seal it, paint it, then put a U strip of rubber to line it upholstery style.

You should be able to do bondo directly onto EVA, we did it a bunch for our Valkyria Chronicles stuff and the EVA was just fine. EVA is a lot less reactive than more brittle/porous pink foam type substances, which bondo totally destroys. For jagged edge, I think your plan sounds good, I'd sand/file the plastic schniblets off and fill with whatever seemed easiest/cleanest that I had around haha.

# ? Oct 22, 2015 05:00

Network42: Oct 23, 2002

Considering that's a trident pointing at your eyes, you may want to make it out of something other than metal if you are unsure of your abilities.

# ? Oct 23, 2015 17:36

vivisecting: Dec 13, 2012; it's been 15 years but im still upset that yamato became an astronaut and yet absolutely no one joined the federation since thats actually more plausible than that ending

The costume designers on set made their fork part out of rubber. Maybe you could do something similar with EVA foam or craft foam?

# ? Oct 23, 2015 19:43

Funhilde: Jun 1, 2011; Cats Love Me.

Here is an Ariel dress I made for a client. I think it turned out pretty good.

# ? Oct 24, 2015 02:31

Come And See: Sep 15, 2008; We're all awash in a sea of blood, and the least we can do is wave to each other.

Tomero_the_Great posted:

Going to get started with this tonight.

Thanks a ton!

Update:

Well, I bought and added the paper clay (Polyform Model Air) to some jewelry wire, so now I'll wait until 24 hours pass.

But... I am worried this will just collapse the moment I cut the support strings. Unless this clay becomes super strong overnight I might be in trouble. What can/should I do to salvage this project? Add more wire and coil along / around the whole thing? :ohdear:

# ? Oct 24, 2015 07:36

Transmogrifier: Dec 10, 2004; Systems at max!; Lipstick Apathy

Just have to share this in progress cosplay a Warcraft friend is making. She was at Blizzcon last year as the Arakkoa. This year she's doing a Goren.

https://vine.co/v/eVDmuiAYmUO

# ? Oct 24, 2015 19:55

McPantserton: Jan 19, 2005; IRONICALLY SWEALTERING

Transmogrifier posted:

Just have to share this in progress cosplay a Warcraft friend is making. She was at Blizzcon last year as the Arakkoa. This year she's doing a Goren.

https://vine.co/v/eVDmuiAYmUO

Please convey my admiration, this is loving awesome. Goddammit I want to go to Blizzcon so bad.

I forgot to take pictures today but I'm charging forward on Furiosa, hoping to do the arm good enough for Halloween tomorrow. I went thrifting yesterday and scored like 10 belts (mostly real leather) for about $2.75 at a by-the-pound Saint Vincent store, which is a huge help for this costume yayyy!

# ? Oct 24, 2015 21:43

Stupid_Sexy_Flander: Mar 14, 2007; Is a man not entitled to the haw of his maw?; Grimey Drawer

Holy poo poo that is awesome.

Hope they are popping some fans or a cool pack or something in there. Looks like after about 15 mins you'd be sweating your nuts off.

# ? Oct 24, 2015 22:17

Reformed Tomboy: Feb 2, 2005; chu~~

I've been following their progress on Facebook. We are in some of the same groups. I hadn't seen the walking test though, that's amazing. And so is how they planned it all out; by making a scale model first and scaling everything up.

# ? Oct 24, 2015 23:03

Transmogrifier: Dec 10, 2004; Systems at max!; Lipstick Apathy

McPantserton posted:

Please convey my admiration, this is loving awesome. Goddammit I want to go to Blizzcon so bad.

I forgot to take pictures today but I'm charging forward on Furiosa, hoping to do the arm good enough for Halloween tomorrow. I went thrifting yesterday and scored like 10 belts (mostly real leather) for about $2.75 at a by-the-pound Saint Vincent store, which is a huge help for this costume yayyy!

I'll definitely pass it onto her. I'm really looking forward to your Furiosa, especially how you do the arm.

Stupid_Sexy_Flander posted:

Holy poo poo that is awesome.

Hope they are popping some fans or a cool pack or something in there. Looks like after about 15 mins you'd be sweating your nuts off.

I'm pretty sure she is! This is her Arakkoa from last year:

Reformed Tomboy posted:

I've been following their progress on Facebook. We are in some of the same groups. I hadn't seen the walking test though, that's amazing. And so is how they planned it all out; by making a scale model first and scaling everything up.

Yeah her work is just incredible. I want to pick her brain about an Anzu costume for next year. She posted the walk vine on her Twitter last night.

And just so this post isn't all about her I'm working on a pair of Stormrider's Shoulderwraps for my own Blizzcon cosplay. Right now it's not impressive but I guess not horrible for my first time really working with foam and second shot at shoulders:

Terrible workshop in the basement for the time being. Was not able to get my garage sorted out this summer like I had hoped.

# ? Oct 25, 2015 00:59

McPantserton: Jan 19, 2005; IRONICALLY SWEALTERING

Transmogrifier posted:

I'll definitely pass it onto her. I'm really looking forward to your Furiosa, especially how you do the arm.

The arm mayyyy end up being fairly uhh bullshitty for Halloween, I basically have tomorrow to do it. XD We shall see! I'm kind of treating this rendition of the costume as a chance to try and push myself to do something quickly for once, I'm such a slow crafter normally and I am super enjoying just hot gluing a ton of weird garbage together this time around without too much concern for screen accuracy hahaha. The short timeline for making it ended up with me and the husband spending our whole Friday evening watching horror movies and hot gluing fabric strips to my boobs. Oh, cosplay.

# ? Oct 25, 2015 05:16

my cat is norris: Mar 11, 2010; #onecallcat

Re: Mad Max masks -- ran into a group of cosplayers at the PA Ren Faire who'd used the garden implement method for the mask. Max had mounted it to the frame/straps of a welding mask. Not sure if that would be helpful to you! I'll post a pic of the mask later.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000I5JQIO/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?qid=1445781471&sr=1-4&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70 <- for reference

my cat is norris fucked around with this message at 14:59 on Oct 25, 2015

# ? Oct 25, 2015 14:57

hhhat: Apr 29, 2008

Everyone stop and try to say "mad max masks" the times fast

# ? Oct 25, 2015 20:47

Tamir Lenk: Nov 25, 2009

Did a test fit of my Halloween outfit

# ? Oct 26, 2015 04:11

my cat is norris: Mar 11, 2010; #onecallcat

my cat is norris posted:

Re: Mad Max masks -- ran into a group of cosplayers at the PA Ren Faire who'd used the garden implement method for the mask. Max had mounted it to the frame/straps of a welding mask. Not sure if that would be helpful to you! I'll post a pic of the mask later.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000I5JQIO/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?qid=1445781471&sr=1-4&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70 <- for reference

Ohhh here's the pic I promised (click for bigger):