Batman cowls and foam latex...

[Ramiel]

I've read so many tutorials on casting, molding, sculpting, etcetera...
But there is something I've never found...
I'm working on a personal batman costume (created and drawn by myself) and the hardest part will be the cowl (or at least it will be FOR ME).
The cowl is similar at the Begins one, but here is my "question".
I'm a complete noob of stuff like foam latex and fiberglass, and I need any kind of help, I can sculpt the cowl over a cast of my head, but that's all. :confused
I need tips on the materials, how they works, how to mold and cast the cowl and how the foam latex works...
And I'm really curious about the "head space" inside the mask, how do you leave room for your head when you fill the molds with your "filler" (urethane, foam latex or whatever...)?
Thanks in advance for your help.

Sorry for my poor English...

 

[AlpineDarthMaul]

You can buy a book with all the info you need about mold making and running foam...

Techniques of Three-Dimensional Make-up, by Lee Baygan.

You should be able to special order it from most book stores, but if not look online. I reccommend FXSupply.com for the book and all the supplies needed to get it done.

 

[Jawafive]

What's wrong with doing the cowl the slush latex way? It's going to be far more cost-effective to do it this way. You're looking at over the 500 and maybe even 1000 USD mark JUST to make a mold and casting of your cowl if you want to go the foam latex route and this is assuming you get EVERYTHING right the first time around. Foam latex isn't necessary to do a cowl. If this is the way you want to go that's your choice, but there are far easier and cheaper alternatives.
I can try and help you out with the mold making process if you want to go a cheaper way.


-Matt

p.s.- your english is great, seriously.

 

[AlpineDarthMaul]

Slush latex is okay and yes it is cheaper. But I'd rather do a bat-suit/cowl out of foam latex any day.
For me it all comes down to movement.. The foam latex will flex and compress with your movement and wont buckle nearly as bad as slush latex. Plus it would be more light weight to wear, but you'd be trading durability.. the foam would be more prone to ripping.

For beginners, GM foam is easy to use and not too expensive. Yet, a person could also do a thin coat of slush molded latex and then do a polyfoam fill to get the same results as foam latex without the cost, or the need of an oven big enough to cure foam latex.

 

[Ramiel]

Thanks for the replies guys, like I've said, I'm a beginner, so I think I need some practice...
Matt, do you have any example of a slush latex cowl?
(and thanks for the kind words for my still basic English )

Alpine, thanks for the info, I will check that book (hopefully, it will be enough easy to read for me... lol )

 

[Jawafive]

ok, and this isjust a dumbed down version of what you do but it would basically be as follows:

1) make your sculpt
2) make a plaster 2-piece mold
3) pull the mold apart, clean up the insides, put it back together with some straps
4) brush in your latex

Should probalby run you under $200 USD to do all that. You could do a silicone mold then make a resin copy of the cowl, sand it smooth as glass, make another silicone mold, then do a urethane, foam filled master and then make your plaster mold, but it gets much much more costly.

-Matt

 

[Ramiel]

Thanks, I will try for sure the latex method.

BTW
I still don't understand exactly, how can you leave the "space" for your head with the foam method (just curious)

Thanks again for the help.

 

[AlpineDarthMaul]

<div class='quotetop'>(Ramiel @ Jul 3 2006, 04:30 AM) [snapback]1272885[/snapback]</div>

Thanks, I will try for sure the latex method.

BTW
I still don't understand exactly, how can you leave the "space" for your head with the foam method (just curious)

Thanks again for the help.
[/b]

When you make your two piece mold for slush molding, you only use the two halves. When you use foam latex, you need to use the life cast you sculpted on INSIDE the two halves. That is how the space for your head is created....

 

[Ramiel]

Thanks I wasn't sure about it (but I was thinking something like that )