Best way to make a skull cap with heavy appendages: Help Please!

[RadioactiveWave]

Hi everyone,
Bit of advice needed. A friend is wanting to make a skullcap with fairly heavy appendages for a costume from Appleseed, seen here:

I had been thinking to use something like silicone, but the problem we've been discussing is the weight of the "metal" parts of the headpiece, and how to make them look realistic without being too heavy.

Any suggestions and advice would be GREATLY appreciated on how you would go about making this and with what stuff,

Thankyou everyone!!

Kelly

 

[Jayn]

ethafoam rod aka backer rod..can also be heat-formed

 

[RadioactiveWave]

ethafoam rod aka backer rod..can also be heat-formed

Thankyou! Now we just need to figure out the actual skullcap part. Thinking Silicone, but not sure how to make it strong enough?

 

[Dung0beetle]

Thankyou! Now we just need to figure out the actual skullcap part. Thinking Silicone, but not sure how to make it strong enough?

The skullcap only needs to be thin at the edges. You can have it thick and strong all over and taper it gently toward the edges. That way, you can use stronger materials and maybe have a rigid 2 piece shell (so the wearer can get their head in) that holds the hose appliances. The shell would then be coated in latex to blend smoothly with the head. The hose appliances only need to appear to have weight to them. Foam would be my choice. It can be sealed with white glue and painted easily.

 

[RadioactiveWave]

The skullcap only needs to be thin at the edges. You can have it thick and strong all over and taper it gently toward the edges. That way, you can use stronger materials and maybe have a rigid 2 piece shell (so the wearer can get their head in) that holds the hose appliances. The shell would then be coated in latex to blend smoothly with the head. The hose appliances only need to appear to have weight to them. Foam would be my choice. It can be sealed with white glue and painted easily.

Thankyou Dung0beetle! It turned out she had gotten backer rod for the foam bits; and will be using a pulp-mache for the rest of it. My recommendation of silicone and latex went unheard it seems; but not to worry.

Thankyou everyone