Thanks heaps! I'm keeping your Ganon thread in mind too for when I venture into the realms of silicone casting. I can't wait to play with some dragon skin, that stuff sounds too awesome
Darunia - Ocarina of Time build
- Thread starter fallimar
- Start date
Thanks heaps! I'm keeping your Ganon thread in mind too for when I venture into the realms of silicone casting. I can't wait to play with some dragon skin, that stuff sounds too awesome
Fatmandu
New Member
Thanks heaps! I'm keeping your Ganon thread in mind too for when I venture into the realms of silicone casting. I can't wait to play with some dragon skin, that stuff sounds too awesome
Where do you order your silicone and Dragon Skin from? Casting has been interesting me for a while, but I've been wondering about how expensive it is.
It's pricey, particularly dragon skin. Not sure where you're from but here in Oz it's relatively tricky to get, but the odd ebay seller has it. A lot are in the US if you want to shop around, searching for "smooth-on silicone" generally does well. You can get some cheaper moulding silicone to play with first, get used to the stuff. I'm using pinkysil for my first moulds and I'm working up to making some fibreglass moulds for casting silicone in. Got to sculpt more first!
springsteel
Well-Known Member
This is looking so cool! Hair is amazing.
Alpha Proto
Sr Member
Smooth-on products are expensive, but I have been very successful using them. Not to say they are idiot proof, but I have gotten good results.Thanks heaps! I'm keeping your Ganon thread in mind too for when I venture into the realms of silicone casting. I can't wait to play with some dragon skin, that stuff sounds too awesome
Since I have 5 gallons of liquid latex, I am wanting to try making a latex mask cast from a stone mold. There is not a lot of room for error. Latex is also far less expensive than silicon. The tear strength will be lower than silicon so it could rip easier. On the plus side it will be easier to air brush than silicon. I am not looking forward to the smell of latex , but it isn't as toxic as airbrushing with silicon.
I want to make Hyrule Warriors Ganondorf next. He has very spikey hair. I only got one wig for the hair and while it is long not the perfect match for Ganondorf. So I will shape some foam into spikes, and glue the wig hair to the foam. This will make sure the hair keeps the spike shape while still being flexible.
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Awesome! I'm doing some of the hair work soon so you can see if you like how it turns out using my methods, it'll give you somewhere to spring off anyway. This is entirely new to me so I'm playing it by ear! I bought some primer to grey out the hair spikes a bit before laying the hair on - I find having a flat, darker under layer gives the hair more depth. Laying it over white might make it flat. All experimental though!
I've done some latex casting, I find it very easy to do. Making stone moulds on the other hand - not had much luck with that. The dang things keep getting pits in them that I have to fill in. I'll get them working some day.
Alpha Proto
Sr Member
I am loving what you have so far. I looked through everything you have done so far and now I have questions.
How thin is the foam you are using for the hair forms?
Also, how did you had the texture to the hair forms? Did you cut them in with a blade?
How thin is the foam you are using for the hair forms?
Also, how did you had the texture to the hair forms? Did you cut them in with a blade?
Thanks again
The foam I'm using is... just over a centimetre (a little under half an inch) thick, though since I'm cutting it myself from a thicker sheet it's a bit patchy in thickness. It's a bit denser than the usual upholstery foam, which helps keep the rigidity with less thickness and weight. For the texturing - yes, it's all done with a standard snap-off blade craft knife. You go through blades like crazy since you have to keep them sharp to cut channels but it works. I just cut at a shallow angle in sweeping lines and then mirrored the angle as best I could whilst bending the foam slightly so the cut opened a little so I could see where to go.
Now I'm laying some hair I'm finding that a lot more of the texturing than I expected is being lost, so if I did it again I'd cut wider and deeper channels, which would mean using thicker foam. It does work though, there's enough variation in the surface to look a bit organic.
~~~~~
As for general progress, I gave the hair and beard a quick once over with flat primer to both darken the colour and hide the glue lines and marker stains. I've been laying hair, my first go with my standard gel adhesive was a bit of a bust, but I've switched to spray contact adhesive and it's going a lot more smoothly and with less visible glue. I've got two hair colours going on, the base layer is this blonde colour and I've got white coming in the mail to add some variation and highlighting. I'll airbrush the spiky tips with a tan colour to match the OoT character model.
I've also been thinking on the hand extensions. I really want to have moving fingers and was considering buying something until I found that I... well, I couldn't find any.
After reading some tutorials, watching creature shop challenge and poking through my random boxes of craft clutter I found some of those plastic toy wiggly snakes and thought I might be able to prototype something. So, I did. A lot of duct tape, sewing elastic and huge drinking straws later I came up with this:
It's functional, but far too complex and flimsy for what I wanted, and the elastic slipping would have been a problem. Also, the spindly construction wouldn't lend well to chunky foam fingers, so I simplified mark 2:
Much better and easier to work into the suit. Also, they're chunky foam fingers.
Now I'm a little stuck on how to make a frame for the fingers to attach to and for my hand to go in, I don't have access to the kind of tools I'd need to work something up out of aluminium and I've not worked with PVC piping before. I'm considering trying to work something up out of thermoplastic or even just foam and cardboard, though I'd prefer something rigid and easy to work with, and preferably lightweight. Suggestions for materials thoroughly welcome!
I decided to run with thermoplastic because I've had some sitting around for ages looking sad in its little bags. I spent this afternoon smooshing it into the vague shape I need and I now have two slightly derpy looking but functional frames.
Added a little foam to the finger too, seems to work just fine. Now to make lots of fingers, maybe redo the prototype as it's a little long. It is working, though now I've got the nightmare of trying to strap and brace them, fit my hands in so they can move, prevent it from flapping around and then figure out how the heck to get them into the costume so they're actually wearable!
Added a little foam to the finger too, seems to work just fine. Now to make lots of fingers, maybe redo the prototype as it's a little long. It is working, though now I've got the nightmare of trying to strap and brace them, fit my hands in so they can move, prevent it from flapping around and then figure out how the heck to get them into the costume so they're actually wearable!
Sure, if I can get them to work
Hopeful though, I've gotten this far - which is further than I thought I'd get when I started this build!
springsteel
Well-Known Member
I honestly thought a good-looking goron costume wasn't possible. Eating my thoughts, because this is fantastic!
Ok! Dying the fabric tonight. I did some test swatches to try and figure out the right dye mix and here they are (top is undyed):
I think I like the right hand one, though if it's more yellow gold like the middle one I won't be disappointed. Might have to get more yellow dye to do the whole lot though. I'll see how it comes out and re-dye if necessary.
I'm working on fabricating all the fingers in an assembly-line fashion. Tedious, but it gets results. Pics when they're all attached to the hand frames.
I think I like the right hand one, though if it's more yellow gold like the middle one I won't be disappointed. Might have to get more yellow dye to do the whole lot though. I'll see how it comes out and re-dye if necessary.
I'm working on fabricating all the fingers in an assembly-line fashion. Tedious, but it gets results. Pics when they're all attached to the hand frames.
Woo! Progress that looks like progress!
I've dyed the fabric, which came out nicely if a little patchy - nothing I can't fix up with my trusty but temperamental friend Mr Airbrushington.
I did run out of yellow dye halfway through though, and when you've got a rapidly cooling but still hand-burningly hot tub of dye sitting looking too brown, you don't want to run out of yellow. Thankfully I have a brain and a trade certificate in commercial cookery because the spice rack came to the rescue - turns out turmeric -can- dye synthetics. The more you know!
Note to self - buy more turmeric.
... uh, yes. It didn't photograph well in the dodgy night time lighting so I'll post pics when I get some decent ones. I did however work for ages on production lining the fingers for the mech hands and trying to figure out how they sit on the frames. temporarily popped them on a frame so I could make rude gestures at my friend who was over painting miniatures and am rather chuffed with the results so far, though I've got to foamgineer up the knuckle joint a bit for a better range of movement. Still pretty happy - no experience whatsoever in making anything like this so yay!
I've dyed the fabric, which came out nicely if a little patchy - nothing I can't fix up with my trusty but temperamental friend Mr Airbrushington.
I did run out of yellow dye halfway through though, and when you've got a rapidly cooling but still hand-burningly hot tub of dye sitting looking too brown, you don't want to run out of yellow. Thankfully I have a brain and a trade certificate in commercial cookery because the spice rack came to the rescue - turns out turmeric -can- dye synthetics. The more you know!
Note to self - buy more turmeric.
... uh, yes. It didn't photograph well in the dodgy night time lighting so I'll post pics when I get some decent ones. I did however work for ages on production lining the fingers for the mech hands and trying to figure out how they sit on the frames. temporarily popped them on a frame so I could make rude gestures at my friend who was over painting miniatures and am rather chuffed with the results so far, though I've got to foamgineer up the knuckle joint a bit for a better range of movement. Still pretty happy - no experience whatsoever in making anything like this so yay!
PartyPyrate
Active Member
Okay... Space Pope and Darunia.... What the hell can't you make?
Grunt, apparently
Got him on the back burner due to engineering problems and inability to practice on the stilts due to back issues. Boo.
Thankyou! Technically sister... though that's always sounded odd to me anyway
Thankyou! Technically sister... though that's always sounded odd to me anyway
Well, as I dress as Link I was merely referencing the game.
You go, girl!
No worries, it was about 3am when I finally finished up and managed to post last night so any kind of nuance was lost on me, haha!
Fistbumps from the disembodied foam hand of the great sage of fire.
