Bodysuit Questions From A Total Newbie

[Shattuck]

Hello everyone, I found this forum by pure chance and I am really hoping someone can help me out. I saw the tutorial on making a bodysuit of of the Mr. Incredible costume, but I have a few questions about making one on a slightly more restricted budget. I have a zentai suit and I was hoping that I could use that as a base for the latex. I assume I would have to cover myself with duct tape or something so that the latex doesn't bleed through and get stuck to my hair or something, but essentially my plan right now is:

Wrap myself in duct tape.
Put on zentai suit, smooth out any wrinkles.
Put on latex layers (50/50 mix with distilled water)
Dry with a blowdryer between layers
Paint

Here are the issues I am having right now: Making the muscles. I need to pad the suit up somehow that will stay permanent. Any suggestions? Is there any really thin foam or anything that would work? Should I use paper mache or something under the latex? I am a little confused on the best way to do this.

How long does the liquid latex take to dry? Will a blowdryer help or just mess it up? Is there a specific brand I should be using? I found some made by Monster Makers, but I'm not sure which latex to buy. Can I use the mask-making latex or does it have to be the fancy foam latex?

For the paint, those acrylics that they sell at Wal-Mart will work right? Do I need to coat it with anything afterward to make sure it stays on? Also, do I need an airbrush to make it smooth? If so, what is the best airbrush I can get for cheap? I don't have a ton of money to drop on a compressor or anything, so I'm hoping there is a cheap, effective brush or some other way of getting a smooth coat of paint.

Along the same lines, how do I make sure the latex is smooth? I want to texture it later, but I want the initial layer to be as smooth as possible. Do I need to use an airbrush for that too, or could I just brush it on somehow? If I need to use an airbrush, does it need to be a special kind, or could I use the same one I would use for the acrylic paint.


Sorry for all the questions, I tried to read the Mr. Incredible log and it was really helpful, but I am still unclear on a few key points.

 

[xdmray]

that is a lot of questions. i suggest you keep reading more threads. all of these questions have answers already.
but first off, you won't be able to wear the suit while latexing it. it's just not a good idea. you need to make a duck tape dummy (DTD) of yourself to put the suit on it.
there are tuts for making a DTD.

from monster makers, the rd407 or mask making latex is what you want. NOT the foam latex- you need to bake that.
and most common way to add musculature would be to use upholstery foam.

that should get you started, while you are making the DTD and then adding foam to your suit, you can be reading up on some of the other things.

 

[khan1]

if you're on a tight budget,you're better of to save a while longer than to rush in to it.the cheap stuff you ask for(airbrush) is not real good for the job,if its real cheap the layers wont be smooth or you get drops and spatter.if you can, save.you will be working on your suit for at least a year,if not longer and as xdmray said:read,read and read.good hunting