Dragon Age Inquisition: Dorian Pavus

[tjbro13]

Hey all! I'm putting together a Dorian costume, which I hope to have done at least in a preliminary state by Halloween! Specifically, I'm putting together his default outfit as seen in Haven and Skyhold, which looks like this (if you'll excuse the poor quality lighting that is the Skyhold library):


I've already bought the fabric, which includes three different colors of pleather and two custom printed cottons, courtesy of a lovely artist called Meglish on Spoonflower who recreated the in-game designs for printing: http://www.spoonflower.com/collections/105987-dragon-age-by-meglish?iref=clk-xs-fab-collection-name
I'll be able to fudge my way through making patterns, and I've already stolen his haircut, which leaves only a couple of questions for now:

1. What's a reliable place I might be able to source a stage moustache and soul patch? I'm looking for something I'd attach with spirit gum, not a cheap self-adhesive one.
2. I don't have a great deal of experience with foam; would it be possible to make the more sculptural metal pieces like on the greaves and the more extravagant buckles out of craft foam?

Thanks for reading, I'll be sure to post lots of progress pictures as the build starts!

 

[TunaSpleen]

Hello! RPF newbie here, but definitely old hat in terms of cosplaying Dragon Age. I think you could easily get away with making Dorian's armor from EVA foam, and not even the thick gym mats, either--the thin kids' craft stuff is way easier to work with for beginners and can be reshaped with heat easily too. Looking at his knees, the main trick is using multiple layers stacked on each other to give it some bulk and durability. That's what I did when making my Knight Enchanter armor:


The boot snakes would require some more durable material, as the boots will definitely bend while walking and put ugly creases in foam there.

 

[tjbro13]

The last of my fabrics came in the mail today! The "dusty grey" pleather is a little cooler than I'd hoped (especially in natural lighting), but nothing a little weathering couldn't fix! Here's a photo of all of them together, for posterity and contrast. I'm very excited to get this thing started!

 

[tjbro13]

Hello all! Progress has officially begun! Off to a quick start, the construction of the chaps is already through and I'm a quarter of the way done with the detail stitching (which, naturally, is the time-consuming part). Unfortunately, it also doesn't like to show up in photographs, particularly with my camera's quality!


I've also started putting together Dorian's Igneous Staff, the interesting bit which I've also attached! It's still unfinished, but I'm happy with how it's coming along!

Another serendipitous moment of costuming: the fabric cutouts from the chaps are a perfect size and shape for the leather pauldron! If I can keep my patience long enough, I'll be finishing the stitching on the chaps before starting the pauldron and knee/elbow armour! As always, any advice or questions are appreciated!