"Don't turn your back. Don't look away. And DON'T BLINK." My full size WEEPING ANGEL

Pete SSS

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RPF PREMIUM MEMBER
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This is a LONG running, marathon of a project. It's not currently a priority, and work keeps getting in the way! I first started it in early summer 2011 I think, and I'm still a fair way off finishing, but I think there's enough progress to share now, and a thread might help motivate me to finish her off. I've got a TON of photos of this, so I'm going to drip feed them, so as not to overwhelm you!

So this is work in progress thread, and I guess will be a tutorial too. It's a fair amount of work, but not too expensive, and should be achievable for most makers here if they fancy having their own Angel in their life.

It started off in a pretty brutal way, hacking up a nice new mannequin. I managed to snap this up for £20 on ebay, and didn't have to drive too far to pick her up. This was a great piece of luck, as not only was she cheap, but she was also standing in a helpful, neutral pose. She wasn't standing with her hand on her hip or anything.

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The first thing was to alter her nice straight back, and have her stoop a little. So I picked up a hack saw, and cut a wedge out of the fibreglass along her stomach

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As the fibreglass was fairly thin, I was able to bend her back over slightly, once I had removed the wedge, and thus close up the gap I had made. I then used some polyester bridging compound to seal up this new join. This is , essentially, a fibreglass paste. Think polyester resin, mixed up with glass fibre "chop"

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At this point, I just want to note that my wife has recently given birth to our first baby, by emergency C-Section, and that last image above now has horrible new connotations for me!

I then repeated the process, higher up the torso, to further arch the mannequin's back.

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I used some good old duct tape to hold her in place while the bridger went off.

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Next was her arms. The same process, hack saw, bridger, tape etc.

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At this point, I also fixed her, permanently, to her heavy steel plate base. You can see, beneath the bridger that I scratched up the back of her leg to give a nice deep key for the resin to penetrate.

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Thats all your getting for now. Next up will be some cleaning up of the new joints, and the beginnings of her clothes.

Thanks for looking!
 
Re: "Don't turn your back. Don't look away. And DON'T BLINK." My full size WEEPING AN

Excellent! this is going to be a great build, can't wait for more!
 
Re: "Don't turn your back. Don't look away. And DON'T BLINK." My full size WEEPING AN

You wan't overwhelm us. turn the faucet up just a pinch. I'm subscribed. can't wait to see more.....
 
Re: "Don't turn your back. Don't look away. And DON'T BLINK." My full size WEEPING AN

Looking forward to this one!
 
Re: "Don't turn your back. Don't look away. And DON'T BLINK." My full size WEEPING AN

Thanks for looking chaps, and thanks for the Subs,

You wan't overwhelm us. turn the faucet up just a pinch. I'm subscribed. can't wait to see more.....

Ha, sorry to tease, but it's taking me a while to sort through the pics, shrink them, them upload them to photo bucket etc. and with a brand new baby, its tough to find the time! I'll try to keep the thread updated as often as I can!
 
Re: "Don't turn your back. Don't look away. And DON'T BLINK." My full size WEEPING AN

No problem. I was just kidding. family always comes first. and congratulations as well ....
 
Re: "Don't turn your back. Don't look away. And DON'T BLINK." My full size WEEPING AN

I love the ingenuity. I would have stupidly tried to sculpt pretty much from scratch. Modifying a manikin for the foundation is really clever and simple. I'm going to learn a lot hanging around here, haha.
 
Re: "Don't turn your back. Don't look away. And DON'T BLINK." My full size WEEPING AN

What a fantastic idea. Are you going to have interchangable heads for when anyone blinks?:)
 
Re: "Don't turn your back. Don't look away. And DON'T BLINK." My full size WEEPING AN

I love the ingenuity. I would have stupidly tried to sculpt pretty much from scratch. Modifying a manikin for the foundation is really clever and simple. I'm going to learn a lot hanging around here, haha.

I've seen people here making their own mannequins using PVC piping as a base, some of those builds are really effective too!

What a fantastic idea. Are you going to have interchangable heads for when anyone blinks?:)

Ha, no, just the one head I think. I've always found the blank looking face much more creepy than the roaring face, so I'm sticking with that one. However, I think I will keep the articulation in the arms, so that I can raise and lower them a little when no-ones looking. ;)

Cheers chaps! More pics soon!
 
Re: "Don't turn your back. Don't look away. And DON'T BLINK." My full size WEEPING AN

Awesome !

Watching intently and hoping to pick up a few ideas.
 
Re: "Don't turn your back. Don't look away. And DON'T BLINK." My full size WEEPING AN

Awesome! Subscribed

Awesome !

Watching intently and hoping to pick up a few ideas.


Thank again for the subs!

Time for your weekly update....

I have done some rough filling of the new joints. Just some body filler, then hacked back with some 60 grit paper. These will get much more attention later on, at this time, I was just trying to get all the elements in place.

Then I moved onto the skirt. I used and old cotton dust sheet as the base.

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I then used some of the bunching tape used in the top of curtains to make pleats. I just VERY roughy stitched this onto the top edge of the dust sheet.

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Then I pulled the strings on the tape, to bunch it up into pleats, then I wrapped the top edge around the mannequin's waist. I tacked it into place with some pins to keep it from slipping out of place.

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Then comes the messy part. To make the angel's new skirt into "stone" I used this Gypsum cement.

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I laid down a bid drop sheet, then set the angel in the centre. Then I put on some big old rubber gloves and started dunking my hands into the bucket of Gypsum. Then I covered the whole skirt with the cement, working it into the weave of the cotton, to make certain it really soaked in. I used some water to thin the cement slightly, and to help smooth out the finish a little.

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Once the skirt was good and soaked, I set to draping the fabric into what would be it's final position. I raked my fingers down the skirt, to separate the pleats, then I dragged the pleats around to the side slightly, just to add a bit of "movement"

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I then had to leave her for few days, for the Gypsum to set.

Then I went through a similar process with her top. I just cut some cotton fabric pieces, then, again using little nails, tacked it onto the Angel. Just as before, I pleated the fabric a little, this time with some rough stitching.

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Before I "dressed" her back, I had to set in some sockets for her wings. I drilled some holes into her back, found some suitably sized steel tubes, cut them to size, then glassed then into place using some more bridger.

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Then I tacked some more fabric on her back, and cut some holes for the wing sockets, and tacked the front fabric, to the back fabric under her arms.

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Then I broke out the Gypsum again, using the same technique as before.

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Then, again, I had to leave her for a while to set. Thats all for now chaps.

Next up, her head I think.
 
Re: "Don't turn your back. Don't look away. And DON'T BLINK." My full size WEEPING AN

I have no words. This is just amazing in so many ways.

Now I want a weeping angel...if only it wouldn't terrify me every time I saw it. :lol

-Nick
 
Re: "Don't turn your back. Don't look away. And DON'T BLINK." My full size WEEPING AN

Looking bloody great !!

Question tho....... how hard does the cement set ? If you went to pick it up would it compress/crack/bend where you are applying pressure ?

There isn't any support under the material is there ? you know like a frame work.

Again looking great !
 
Re: "Don't turn your back. Don't look away. And DON'T BLINK." My full size WEEPING AN

Hey crypto,

I suppose one could put non-expanding spray foam under the skirts to stabilize it; if there's a cracking problem that is.

Dan S
 
Re: "Don't turn your back. Don't look away. And DON'T BLINK." My full size WEEPING AN

what a great idea! not a massive Dr. Who fan, but nice!
 
Re: "Don't turn your back. Don't look away. And DON'T BLINK." My full size WEEPING AN

Looking awesome so far

Ta!

I have no words. This is just amazing in so many ways.

Now I want a weeping angel...if only it wouldn't terrify me every time I saw it. :lol

-Nick

Yeah, that is a bit of a concern! I'm not convinced the wife is a big fan! :lol

Looking bloody great !!

Question tho....... how hard does the cement set ? If you went to pick it up would it compress/crack/bend where you are applying pressure ?

There isn't any support under the material is there ? you know like a frame work.

Again looking great !

No, there's nothing underneath except her legs. There is defiantly some flex, but not a huge amount, not enough to worry about. When I move her about I hold her by the waist (just like an awkward first dance!) where her hips are directly beneath the cement, so it's nice and secure. Once I've refined the set cement, sanded/filed off the rougher parts, I plan on coating it all in some Polyester Resin, to help protect from the elements outside, and to further strengthen the structure.

Hey crypto,

I suppose one could put non-expanding spray foam under the skirts to stabilize it; if there's a cracking problem that is.

Dan S

I have considered this, and may still go down that route if it becomes necessary, I can just drill a hole around the back at her feet and blow some rigid foam in.

what a great idea! not a massive Dr. Who fan, but nice!

Cheers!

Fantastic build so far!

Thanks man, she all looks a bit "slap, dash" a the moment, but like I say, much more to come...
 
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