Craft Foamies help

[Labrynth]

Hey guys I know a good number of you use the foamies for a lot of your stuff... who knew Iron Man could be made with such a thing? Anyway, I've been wanting to do a Baroness Comic version and know which one I want to do. I want to recreate her body armor with the foamies if I can but I'm having trouble even fathoming how to get the curves needed over my bust. Also, will the foam not really tear or do I need to seal it with some Mod Podge or something to give it some strength? I want it to have a shine to it... can I just spray paint it or do I need to use another kind of paint?

*snerk* Obviously this is my first time around of doing something our of craft foam.

I know how to get it the way I want it up to my bra line, then I'm floundering. This is the style I want to do:

I considered doing this with Wonder Flex but since I want to do this for Dragon Con I really wanted something a little more light weight and breathable. I see a LOT of people with the same fiberglass style and so don't want to do that. Not to mention I always hear them complain about how heavy and hot it is. I want to make this as heat friendly as possible... if there is such a thing in Atlanta in September.

Any tips or suggestions are appreciated.

If anyone is interested, this is the almost finished version of Movie Baroness I put together for D*C a few years ago...

 

[Knowone251]

Ok, so there are several things you can do to craft foam.


1: Plasti Dip. This is a rubberized spraypaint that is used to coat tools ect. Only comes in a few basic colors and you have to throw conventional spray paint wisdom out the window. You have lay it on thick, but not so thick that it runs. You need to be fairly close to your piece while spraying to get a slick coat. This stuff is intended to leave a texture if used as directed. USE A RESPIRATOR! This stuff is nasty. Some people prep their pieces with gesso, white glue, or krylon H20 Latex spraypaint, but this just keeps the foam from soaking up so much plasti dip, extra coats will work too. Once this is all dry Armor All will give it a nice shine or leave as is for a nice sateen look. Then glue vinyl on the back side to reinforce it. Ive used superglue, E6000, Fabra-Tac, and WeldWood contact cement. I used this method to make a Batman Returns chest piece. The issue is that you will eventually see crease marks at any bend points.

2: You can make a fabric top layer. My wife did a Quorra piece this way. She cut out the design and then cut a wrap outta a nice black vinyl and used WeldWood contact cement to put it on. Works nicely, holds up to movement, but time consuming and contact cement STINKS. Respirator also needed.

3: Design Masters Spray paint. Its made for florists and silk flowers, come in lots of colors and is fairly flexible. I haven't used it on craft foam, but i know people who have. Worth a shot if you need some specific color.

BUT no matter what you do, its still gunna be HOT! There is just no getting around that.
No matter what you do though, Its still gunna be hot!

 

[Knowone251]

OH also, if you have a manaquin or dress form or someone who you trust A LOT and some very thick clothing you can use a heat gun to stretch and form the foam into a shape. Helps with the chest/bust area specifically.

 

[Labrynth]

Thanks a bunch for the tips. I hadn't thought of attaching fabric to it. Or Armor-Alling it either. LOL this is why I ask these things!

I don't have a dress form or anything, but I can probably improvise with a corset and a pillow.

Unfortunately everything is hot in September in GA! Tho after doing a full leather Vampire Willow costume several years ago i swore I'd never do THAT again. I lost 6 pounds that day.

 

[CelticRuins]

More to add, even though Knowone covered a great deal there!

I've been working with fun foam for a while now, and the only thing I can't stand about it, is the fact that it will wrinkle. It mainly wrinkles in high-stress areas, of course, but if bent too much it will permanently wrinkle, even with Plasti-dip on top. It's NOT good for high-stress or long periods of use.

I've made quite a bit with fun foam, though! It's able to be layered, glued in most ways, painted with most paints, and it can be heat-molded!

Now, craft foam will bend and stay pretty well, but if you want that extra UMPH of bend or shape, take a hair dryer, on a lower setting, heat up the foam until it starts to slightly 'glimmer' in the light. After that, bend it in the way you need it bent, and it will pretty much stay!

A really good tutorial can be found here: Craft Foam Armor Tutorial

I'm in the final stages of making my boyfriend's Tron Program armor, entirely out of craft foam, seen here: Flickr: peregrintook310's Photostream

I made my Zelda armor from it:

Bayonetta guns and various ornaments on the costume:

AND a Harley Quinn pop gun. The barrel is fun foam, where as the base is a cap gun:

I can't get away from this stuff! I just made a Huntress mask out of it today! I'll be making most of her leg guards and utility belt pouches out of it too! I'll be making Gambit from the 90's X-Men cartoon's chest armor from it, in the coming months.

It's definitely an awesome, extremely affordable medium!

 

[Sakara]

I know EvilFX used 2 kids bowls attached to a frame and heat gunned some eva foam over it. Created an awesome bust shaped armour.
Mass Effect N7 Armor Build! « Evil FX / BioWeapons.com

 

[CelticRuins]

Oh that's WIN! I might use a similar method to make a Ghost from Star Craft!

 

[Labrynth]

Keep the tips and tutorials coming! I'm learning LOTS!!

 

[Knowone251]

Thanks a bunch for the tips. I hadn't thought of attaching fabric to it. Or Armor-Alling it either. LOL this is why I ask these things!

I don't have a dress form or anything, but I can probably improvise with a corset and a pillow.

Unfortunately everything is hot in September in GA! Tho after doing a full leather Vampire Willow costume several years ago i swore I'd never do THAT again. I lost 6 pounds that day.

You can get the half torso hanging manaquins for fairly cheap
Ladies Hanging Torso Form (Black)

 

[Labrynth]

You can get the half torso hanging manaquins for fairly cheap
Ladies Hanging Torso Form (Black)

Oh wow I never imagined they could be that cheap!! Thanks!

I'm starting to wonder if a serial killer and a costumer's house looks at least a little similar... LOL

 

[StaggzCosplay]

indeed craft foam is very very hard to use... i found a new way for points and details though while i was working on my new rinzler suit. if you take a screw driver to the back of the craft foam and gentley press down on it and draw what you want to spike up. then you can put hot glue on the part you want to spike up, and then bend it together and hold it until the glue dries. for making shapes over your body, use a heat gun, but make sure the craft foam isnt to hot when you put it down on your body or you will burn yourself...