DarkSpyda04
New Member
Hello, I am new here having created only a pyramid head helment of sheet foam insulation and a cool looking but patheticly flimsy double-sided spear prop. Laugh and say I'm biting off more bark than I can chew but I'm looking for advice on the current project (albeit ambitious) that I have in mind. Anyone remember Resident Evil Code Veronica the video game? Remember the bandersnatch? A creature that almost resembles a skeleton hiding under a blanket of skin with one large arm and one that's nothing but a stub. Below is an image of the creature as it was displayed ingame followed by a closeup of the upper body and face.
http://projectumbrella.net/files/imagecache/preview/images/bandersnatch%2520s2.jpg
http://lparchive.org/Resident-Evil-Code-Veronica-X/Update%25207/Bandersnatch35.jpg
For this Halloween of 2012, I am planning on making one of these things from scratch but wearable. I am not in any way in over my head or at least I hope not. I understand that there are a LOT of complications and therefore have been spending the last few days doing nothing but research and pondering on design choices.
The game plan so far has been to create a duct tape dummy to hold the basic shape of my body at the final pose that I will match while in the getup so that additional shaping can be added in with ease before I go to town during the final stages with liquid latex and later remove the dummy.
In particular, I will have to wear this costume in five parts. These are the feet, legs, torso, arm, and head.
The torso for one I wanted to have as part of a full-body suit and connected to the legs but recent planning has me leaning towards slipping the torso on like a shirt or so to speak. The torso will have to comprise of a rig similar to larger football shoulders but only made through casting and molding and all that to best fit the final pose as the rig itself will be resting on my left and right shoulders while the left arm will be supporting the right to comfort it being stretched out. If I tried a fullbody suit that I climb in through the back, it would make the torso hell to construct as it would get in the way when I have to climb in the suit.
For the legs, I'm figuring suspenders put on prior to the torso as to not require a belt. I'll also have to add knee pads to give them that extra fine look. Gone over with a few layers of liquid latex as a finish, of course.
As for the mask, I have a styrofoam head in stock from last Halloween but I haven't given it that much thought other than maybe a latex skull with skin stretched over it and collected on the bottom so that it can be tucked into the torso. I've never worked on mask creation but there are more than enough tutorials out there to figure something out.
But what's really troubling me at the moment is that ginormous arm which will with the combined weight of gravity, fall away from the shoulder at every opportunity. If I try connecting the arm to the torso, it will most likely drag the entire rig down and wreak all sorts of havoc not to mention simply tearing off and collapsing in a pile on the floor. The only idea I have is a counterweight at the right shoulder which in theory would displace much of the weight on the arm itself. Even then if the arm connected all fine and dandy the weight on the arm itself might cause stretching and tearing. The only solution I've thought of for that is constraints halfway down the arm to seperate the weight and thus reduce the stretching.
I am looking for advice and suggestions on this project or at least until I have enough to go on in actually making the list of supplies I'll need and making the thing. I know it's an ambitious project, but I'm willing to learn what I must to actually tackling it.
http://projectumbrella.net/files/imagecache/preview/images/bandersnatch%2520s2.jpg
http://lparchive.org/Resident-Evil-Code-Veronica-X/Update%25207/Bandersnatch35.jpg
For this Halloween of 2012, I am planning on making one of these things from scratch but wearable. I am not in any way in over my head or at least I hope not. I understand that there are a LOT of complications and therefore have been spending the last few days doing nothing but research and pondering on design choices.
The game plan so far has been to create a duct tape dummy to hold the basic shape of my body at the final pose that I will match while in the getup so that additional shaping can be added in with ease before I go to town during the final stages with liquid latex and later remove the dummy.
In particular, I will have to wear this costume in five parts. These are the feet, legs, torso, arm, and head.
The torso for one I wanted to have as part of a full-body suit and connected to the legs but recent planning has me leaning towards slipping the torso on like a shirt or so to speak. The torso will have to comprise of a rig similar to larger football shoulders but only made through casting and molding and all that to best fit the final pose as the rig itself will be resting on my left and right shoulders while the left arm will be supporting the right to comfort it being stretched out. If I tried a fullbody suit that I climb in through the back, it would make the torso hell to construct as it would get in the way when I have to climb in the suit.
For the legs, I'm figuring suspenders put on prior to the torso as to not require a belt. I'll also have to add knee pads to give them that extra fine look. Gone over with a few layers of liquid latex as a finish, of course.
As for the mask, I have a styrofoam head in stock from last Halloween but I haven't given it that much thought other than maybe a latex skull with skin stretched over it and collected on the bottom so that it can be tucked into the torso. I've never worked on mask creation but there are more than enough tutorials out there to figure something out.
But what's really troubling me at the moment is that ginormous arm which will with the combined weight of gravity, fall away from the shoulder at every opportunity. If I try connecting the arm to the torso, it will most likely drag the entire rig down and wreak all sorts of havoc not to mention simply tearing off and collapsing in a pile on the floor. The only idea I have is a counterweight at the right shoulder which in theory would displace much of the weight on the arm itself. Even then if the arm connected all fine and dandy the weight on the arm itself might cause stretching and tearing. The only solution I've thought of for that is constraints halfway down the arm to seperate the weight and thus reduce the stretching.
I am looking for advice and suggestions on this project or at least until I have enough to go on in actually making the list of supplies I'll need and making the thing. I know it's an ambitious project, but I'm willing to learn what I must to actually tackling it.
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