*2.0 UPGRADE!! New progress on page 8!* Apocalypse/Knightmare Batman Build Thread

[Mr Mold Maker]

EDIT: VERSION 2.0 STARTED. Skip to the end of the thread for the latest photos.




Hey folks!
I am currently putting together the Apocalypse Batman costume, mainly to use as a lifesize display. If I can wear it, even better, but not a huge priority... This will come into play later.

I suppose I should start off with what I have already gathered.
At the moment the parts I've got:


(EDIT: COWL sculpture has been scrapped. Ordered cowl from Gauntlet FX.)
Cowl. This is being done by myself. Sculpting is almost complete, molding very soon. Here is a WIP picture of the cowl. This cowl is BEN SIZE! Huge! Meaning, no, it probably won't fit you, and no, I probably won't sell any, but right now it's just too far away to say anything for sure. Please do not PM me about purchasing the cowl!


Goggles. (on the way, should be here Thursday!) Cheap $9 pair from eBay, no way I'm paying for Nanninis just to weather them. Those are TOO nice for me to ruin.


Hand Wraps. Just green cloth that I will be weathering shortly.

Boots. I have boots that will work, but I am still looking for a better set.

Green Pants. They are green, and very pant like. Also looking for better ones.

Dye Sub suit on the way soon from vendor, going to cut into just T shirt area, probably short sleeve. I ordered from Zentai-Zentai before I found out about them stealing patterns and the drama there. If this offends anyone I do apologize, but the order is already made. Cost was $93 including shipping to the US.. We'll see what that's like when it gets here! If all things go well, I'd like to upgrade this to UD Replicas jacket as I absolutely love the look of it.


Production Made emblem recast - also arriving Thursday. The final deep scratches will be added by hand once the emblem has arrived.


Emerson Combat Knee Pads.


Right-Leg Tactical Holster. (This piece is NOT accurate. You will want a Safariland holster for accuracy.)



What I need:
Gloves.
Gauntlets. (Had some from Tigerstone, sold, probably will reorder from them.)
Scarf. (Done, posting soon!)
Trench Coat/Duster (Purchased on eBay, coming soon!)
Utility Belt (Kit from Cosplay Chris, mostly finished!)



There are a few sellers that are offering very nice belts, and I'll probably pick up a kit to finish myself.
Gauntlets I'm probably going to hand sculpt as well, to match the cowl's final texture.


My plan for the lifesize is to cast a hollow resin cowl to go for that empty suit look seen in the trailer, just as the Apocalypse version. I am exploring my display options, but I'll likely just modify the cheapest mannequin I can get my hands on to work.

This thread will more or less be a build log of my progress on the costume. If you are making an Apocalypse Batman costume as well, feel more than welcome to jump on. My thread is your thread! Now that the boring stuff is out of the way, the fun stuff can come....in three more days!! See you Thursday!

 

[Mr Mold Maker]

Re: Mr. Mold Maker's Apocalypse/Knightmare Batman Build Thread and BvS COWL SCULPT

Update time! The USPS decided to deliver my goggles and emblem early, but hey, I ain't complaining! :lol

Task number one was the goggles. I began by cutting down the semi-round middle piece into a square shape. (THIS IS NOT ACCURATE.) I did this with a rotary tool and a cut off wheel. I also ground down the writing on the piece.

The leather came brown, and the screen used goggles are black I believe, so I just painted it with a flexible acrylic paint.

The dust effect was done using some Fullers Earth, and Texas Dirt Powder. I began by hitting the painted leather with dulling spray to seal it in, and then I hit that with some hair spray. While it was still wet, I dropped it into the bag of dirt, and shook it up a bit. I may go back in and add more dust, but we'll see.

I believe that about covers it, so here are some pictures!



Next up will be the emblem!

As I said before, I picked up a casting remolded from a "production made" emblem. The only problem is, if the origin is as claimed, it is not the final emblem they used. I had originally just planned to add the accurate deep gouges into the emblem itself, but I believe I'll have to pull a mold and add the proper detailing into a resin master.
Again, something I don't plan on selling. There are so many great sellers that have these already that I don't see the point. If you'd like the clean emblem, I can recommend you the person I bought from, or for the clean or damaged emblems, you can always check out the amazing Tiger Stone FX.

Likely molding the the cowl sometime next week, so I'll probably do the emblem around that time too.


More updates to come, stay tuned!

 

[horrorfx]

Re: Mr. Mold Maker's Apocalypse/Knightmare Batman Build Thread and BvS COWL SCULPT

Gah!! This will be awesome, man! Can't wait to see it all come together

 

[Mr Mold Maker]

Re: Mr. Mold Maker's Apocalypse/Knightmare Batman Build Thread and BvS COWL SCULPT

Gah!! This will be awesome, man! Can't wait to see it all come together

Thanks Chris, I appreciate it man!

Used many tips and tricks from your videos along the way, so thanks for that!

 

[Malibu139]

Re: Mr. Mold Maker's Apocalypse/Knightmare Batman Build Thread and BvS COWL SCULPT

Yep this is gonna be cool!

 

[Mr Mold Maker]

Re: Mr. Mold Maker's Apocalypse/Knightmare Batman Build Thread and BvS COWL SCULPT

Yep this is gonna be cool!

Thanks man!





Realized I had some Mold Max and fast cat left over from an older project so I went ahead and made a quick mold.
I'll pull a hard copy out to add the battle damage to some time tomorrow. It just isn't feasible cutting the damage into the urethane casting as its paper thin. There were a few little air bubbles and off cuts on the emblem I recieved so I'll fill those as well.

My gun holster should be here tomorrow as well, so I'll have an update with how I weathered it as well.

Stay tuned folks. Cowl sculpture update will be here soon as well.

 

[Mr Mold Maker]

Re: Mr. Mold Maker's Apocalypse/Knightmare Batman Build Thread and BvS COWL SCULPT

Update time!

Purchased Gauntlets from Tiger Stone FX. Decided against sculpting them myself as the cowl is taking up enough of my time as it is. Tiger Stone sells an absolutely beautiful pair. I bought just the gauntlets in black, and will be doing some small paint work on them myself. I am not sure whether or not I'll be making the hand wraps, but my thinking is the green fabric will cover that anyways so it's not really needed.


Found another pair of pants that look a little better I think. They're not exactly the same color, more of a beige than green, but I think they look good. First I removed all the visible tags and logos from the outside, and then I began weathering with a few colors sprayed out of my airbrush. Random patters in earthy shades. A dark brown, a light brown, a tan color, and a black. I may end up ditching these, as I found a pair that is pretty dang close to the screen used ones. The only problem is they're around $150!! I'd much rather have that kind of money go towards the jacket or upper suit than the pants, but we'll see!



Holster arrived and was lightly weathered. It's not the color I had hoped, but it will work. Just need to paint the buckles from green to black and then I'll post some photos of that.

On to the emblem.. A friend brought up a great point. The reference we have been using doesn't really show the deep scratches that the "normal" suit has on the emblem. At this point, I can't say for sure whether or not they're there, so I may end up just using the clean emblem. I've got a resin piece out, that I still plan on adding the correct scratches to, but again, we'll see!

Cowl sculpture is currently chilling as I need to extend my cores shoulders. When I started this I had no intentions of finishing it, it was just supposed to be practice. Next time I suppose I should use the proper core from the start! Once it's extended I can add the shoulders and back, and finish up sculpting and texturing the cowl. Hopefully by the end of this week or the early next.



More updates will be coming soon, keep an eye out folks!

 

[Mr Mold Maker]

Re: Mr. Mold Maker's Apocalypse/Knightmare Batman Build Thread and BvS COWL SCULPT



I almost forgot! The finished goggles, as modeled by my 31" Batfleck! Won't need to see through them, so I went all out! I have the backup pair I can always do in the lighter style I originally posted.

This was done exactly the same as posted above, hair spray and a Fullers Earth/Texas Dirt Powder mix. It was sealed in lightly with crystal clear, and then the "clean" areas were carefully wiped out with some alcohol.

 

[Salvador Elias]

Re: Mr. Mold Maker's Apocalypse/Knightmare Batman Build Thread and BvS COWL SCULPT

Here's a knightmare pic that I haven't seen on here. It shows a little more of the torso.

 

[Mr Mold Maker]

Re: Mr. Mold Maker's Apocalypse/Knightmare Batman Build Thread and BvS COWL SCULPT

Progress has been slow lately, as I'm mostly just waiting for all the different pieces to arrive from around the world.
Gauntlets have been ordered from Tiger Stone FX, and I'll be documenting the painting. A belt kit has also been ordered from Cosplay Chris. I've got some cool ideas for the belt once it gets here so keep an eye out for that.

A quick update on the Knee pads. Got the accurate model and color pads, (they are indeed black in the film) and weathered them up. It's actually weathered a little too much in this pic and I've since taken it down a little.


So the left side shows the knee pad after some weathering and the right side is how they come brand new.

What I did, for those curious, was just rub my Fuller's Earth and Texas Dirt powder mix into the surface of the pad, and then lightly sealed it in with Matte Finish. While the Matte Finish was still wet, I scrubbed more of my dust mix into the pads. (Pictured is right after that process) I then went in when everything was dried and lightly removed all the loose powder and got the final look.



The cowl's core has been extended and I'm finishing up the sculpture right now. I'm aiming to have it done this week or the next at the latest!!

 

[Mr Mold Maker]

Re: Mr. Mold Maker's Apocalypse/Knightmare Batman Build Thread and BvS COWL SCULPT



Been avoiding updates on this for long enough. Losing track of this piece.. Veered too far off course.

Hopefully I can get it back on track... If not.. I watch the movie, and then I try again.

I was hoping to have this finished up this week, but it's just not going to happen. I need to take my eyes off it for a while.. Sculpt something else.. And then come back with fresh eyes. I'm not giving up, this cowl will be made.

 

[Salvador Elias]

Re: Mr. Mold Maker's Apocalypse/Knightmare Batman Build Thread and BvS COWL SCULPT

Cowl's looking bad ass! In case you haven't seen this, here's a video of the cowl up closer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-onoWM6np-w
Also here's a link to the full suit in closer detail. http://pulse.therpf.com/close-up-photos-of-batman-superman-and-wonder-woman-costumes
Hope it helps. Can't wait to see it finished.

 

[Mr Mold Maker]

Re: Mr. Mold Maker's Apocalypse/Knightmare Batman Build Thread and BvS COWL SCULPT

Cowl's looking bad ass! In case you haven't seen this, here's a video of the cowl up closer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=-onoWM6np-w
Also here's a link to the full suit in closer detail. http://pulse.therpf.com/close-up-photos-of-batman-superman-and-wonder-woman-costumes
Hope it helps. Can't wait to see it finished.

Thanks, I appreciate you taking the time to link them for me!

I've actually got the full photos, and have been using them as best I can for reference.

 

[Mr Mold Maker]

Re: Mr. Mold Maker's Apocalypse/Knightmare Batman Build Thread and BvS COWL SCULPT



Still pushing some clay on this one.. Definitely feel like I'm getting closer. Texture is not anywhere close to final, I just push it in every so often to check my progress.

I had originally planned on running this out of urethane solely for the color aspect, but I've decided to go with latex. Urethane just doesn't do it for me when it comes to full head cowls. I may in the future make up a core and try running a foam copy, but we'll see.. Way to far down the road to say anything for certain.

 

[Fawbish]

Re: Mr. Mold Maker's Apocalypse/Knightmare Batman Build Thread and BvS COWL SCULPT

Looks brilliant chief :thumbsup

 

[Mr Mold Maker]

Re: Mr. Mold Maker's Apocalypse/Knightmare Batman Build Thread and BvS COWL SCULPT

Thanks Fawbish, I appreciate it!

 

[Mr Mold Maker]

Re: Mr. Mold Maker's Apocalypse/Knightmare Batman Build Thread and BvS COWL SCULPT

Small update. Got the belt in, and the pouches finished, a picture of the suit, and a nice new toy.


EGLM. Can be seen in the trailers being held by Batman. There are two bipod adapters that go on the rail, but they are expensive.. May buy one and pop a mold to do resin castings for the launcher. Had this one for quite a while, but just got around to painting the orange cap black. Went for a metallic almost graphite look, and I feel it's a good match to the launcher's body.


Here is a WIP shot of the belt kit.


A quick write up on the belt kit. I purchased from Cosplay Chris, or Chris Stanley, and could not be happier. Everything came professionally packaged and fantastic, very little filling to do at all, and the pouches appeared to have been cleaned up even prior to shipping. For what it cost? Absolutely amazing deal. The only small issue is the lines on the pouches go the wrong way. It would be easy enough to fix if anyone really wanted to.. I don't mind the look, so I left them. They will likely be obscured by the coat anyways.
Like I said though, very easy fix and a quality kit.


For finishing the pieces (finished pics will be up tomorrow morning I hope. Ran out of sunlight today.) I painted them black, hit them with a custom mix of metalizer powders suspended in acrylic.. Think of it almost as cold casting.. Placing down a thin layer of real metal. I then wrapped the "black" areas with a special book makers leather paper. It's not the exact same material used for the pouches because it's rather expensive and near impossible to find outside of So Cal, but it's good enough. In different lighting they can come across as gold, bronze, black, or gun metal.. Exactly what I was hoping for.

So.. Onto the suit.


I'm hoping it's just the lighting or camera used, but I can't say I'm particularly happy with it.. The color.. The pattern.. It could be better. A lot better. That's absolutely no fault of Zentai-Zentai as they've done awesome work and been great along the way. I shouldn't have rushed to find a pattern.

Once it arrives, I'll do the best I can to modify it to my liking. I plan on just cutting out a "T-Shirt" area if you will, for use on the statue. Once newer, more accurate patterns come out? Upgrades are definitely in the near future.


In other news, the knee pads have been attached to the pants with some Velcro. Still looking for the right mannequin as well. Batarangs have been purchased from a member here, but they won't be shipping for quite a while..they'll be getting a sweet chrome paint job when they're here though

 

[reaton89]

Re: Mr. Mold Maker's Apocalypse/Knightmare Batman Build Thread and BvS COWL SCULPT

Loving the progress on this. You're really capturing the look with your cowl sculpture. Nice work.

 

[Mr Mold Maker]

Re: Mr. Mold Maker's Apocalypse/Knightmare Batman Build Thread and BvS COWL SCULPT

Loving the progress on this. You're really capturing the look with your cowl sculpture. Nice work.

Thanks Ryan, I appreciate it! I've been following your Deadshot thread and can't wait to see how it turns out!

 

[reaton89]

Re: Mr. Mold Maker's Apocalypse/Knightmare Batman Build Thread and BvS COWL SCULPT

View attachment 598210

I almost forgot! The finished goggles, as modeled by my 31" Batfleck! Won't need to see through them, so I went all out! I have the backup pair I can always do in the lighter style I originally posted.

This was done exactly the same as posted above, hair spray and a Fullers Earth/Texas Dirt Powder mix. It was sealed in lightly with crystal clear, and then the "clean" areas were carefully wiped out with some alcohol.

Did you use the Cosplay Chris tutorial for your big fig or just do your own thing? I picked 1 up recently. The detail is really great for the price. I'll probably do an overhaul after I've seen the movie.