Dragonslayer Ornstein Cosplay

[Gonturan0]

Yo. I'm new here, and I've never cosplayed in my life. However, I've always wanted to wear a cool suit of armor, and I have recently discovered pepakura.
So I'm gonna build Ornstein's armor. Ever since I saw it in game, I loved it. The big red plume, the lion helmet, the everything, really. And pepakura is essentially putting together a big 3D puzzle, and I love puzzles. Yeah, it will involve sculpting and sanding and painting and making chainmail and strapping everything together, but I am an artist. This is just another big art project. Who knows if I'm gonna finish it, though.

Anyway, I've decided to post my progress so that if I do something stupid, or if I need help, I can get feedback.

I've started with the left forearm piece, but I put it together, and I can't get my wrist all the way through. It's too small anyway, so I'm going to bring it from 11 inches to 13 inches in length so it's the proper size. The tiny little rim pieces are also a pain. I fudged the part that goes over the top of the hand a bit, so part of the edges of the v's aren't at the right angle. At least this forearm bit was a test run.

 

[Gonturan0]

Here's the larger version of the forearm piece. It's not difficult to fit my wrist through, and with some padding it will stay in place. I got the tricky little edge bits right this time. I'm making the right forearm part next, and then I'll move on to the upper arm parts and the elbow.

 

[Gonturan0]

psyche
I decided to work on the helmet
I've done nothing but fold, glue, and cut paper for three days
and it does not fit
16.45 inch width wasn't enough

I am going to work on my drawing of Godzilla on a skateboard and chill out. Then I will add 3 inches to the helmet, shuffle the pieces around, and build it when I get more cardstock.

 

[Frenzy1971]

Watching with interest. This is a deep dig and will be cool!

 

[Gonturan0]

Watching with interest. This is a deep dig and will be cool!

Thanks for watching, Frenzy.

It turns out my judgements of the helmet were premature, and yet, not really. One is not supposed to try on a helmet while wearing glasses, and one should recall that the edges of the helmet should probably hover an inch above the shoulders. After all, I'm going to be wearing the chest plate too, and that's bulkier than clothing.

I can, in fact, fit the helmet on my head. It stays in place if the edges of the mouth rest on my cheek bones. However...

I had to open up a big slit in the back. That can be patched up easily enough with some more cardstock, but the bottom of the helmet is somewhat distorted by the wide seperation in the back. I could size up the helmet by a few inches so my head could fit inside without the distortion, but then the distance between the mouth and bottom of the helmet would be widened and I might not be able to see out. The helmet may also collide with the chest plate. Plus I'd have to build it all over again.
The helmet right now is 25.12 in x 16.45 in x 16.84 in, and if I add 2 inches to the width or depth, the height increases by 3 inches.
I think my best option is to try patching the back of the helmet when the chest and back pieces are built. It's the upper half of the helmet that catches the eye, and I don't think anyone's gonna care if the neck's a bit thick. The back of the helmet will also be partially covered by the big plume. I still have to figure the plume out, but that's for later.
I have both the forearm pieces built, and I'm going to move on to the arm and elbow pieces next. For real this time.

 

[Frenzy1971]

that is some amazing pep work. You have the skills. And patience. I tried pep for about a month and couldn't hack it. Bought a 3d printer.

 

[Gonturan0]

that is some amazing pep work. You have the skills. And patience. I tried pep for about a month and couldn't hack it. Bought a 3d printer.

Thanks. I'm just able to do long monotonous work like that easily with some music on. I'm not sure about the skill part, as it's essentially cutting out pieces of paper and being picky about getting the numbers to line up exactly. If you don't get the pieces lined up just so, it skews the whole piece. That's all. Admittedly it is frustrating; some of the pieces ripped, and I had to tear and reglue some of the flaps. And some of the corners on this helmet were tricky! I could barely get the flaps to even touch and I just had to hope the hot glue was cool enough for me to stop holding the seams together.

Honestly, I'm making everything out of cardstock instead of foam because foam looked too difficult to me. I'd have to figure out all the angles myself and try to get that stuff to bend and curl just so, plus I'd have to get a heat gun. I'd rather go to the trouble sanding bondo into a smooth bend. However, I think I'm going to eventually try my hand at it for detail work on the big waist/skirt parts and for the chest plate. I'm not sure if I want to try my hand at moulding the shape of all those curling parts...

We'll see if I've got any skill for coating my pepakura with fiberglass resin and sanding down the bondo.

 

[Gonturan0]

it has been a long, painful day but at least I can cover both my arms with nice paper

yes I know there's only one arm covered here but trust me, there's more
The pieces separated by the elbow piece were actually one entire piece. The problem was that I couldn't bend my arm. I'm pretty sure Ornstein was familiar with battle strategies such as Bending Arms, so I cut it in half. The separation will be hidden by the elbow piece anyway.
I tried being clever and scaled up the elbow piece before I put it together, but alas, the standout parts of Ornstein's armor are not oversized elbows. I printed it again at the original size and the piece fits perfectly, for what it is. It's going to need some velcro and elastic bands to keep it from sliding around.
Next I'm tackling the chest and back pieces. After that will be the shoulders. The chest and back are going to be pretty big, so I'm waiting on making the shoulders and making final adjustments to the helmet.

 

[JediSauja]

However, I've always wanted to wear a cool suit of armor

I totally get this

You are doing an incredible job.

Scaling is my biggest nightmare. All that work and it doesn't fit, so frustrating. I'm working on a samurai armor and little things like accounting for two layers of kimono under the breastplate can throw the size off. Ugh.

Your armour will be epic, I can't to see pics of you in full regalia

that is some amazing pep work. You have the skills. And patience. I tried pep for about a month and couldn't hack it. Bought a 3d printer.

This board need an LOL Like button.

EDIT: Don't I feel silly. Turns out they do

 

[Gonturan0]

Okay, so I’ve built the whole upper half of the armor. I can only see people if I tilt my head at the right angle. The pieces aren't in quite the right positions in these pictures, but I had to enlist my dear cousins to help out. Those shoulders won't sit right until I employ duct tape wizardry.
The helmet... doesn't look right. I’m still on the fence as to whether to patch the helmet or make it bigger, since it floats off the surface of my torso, and I don’t want people to be able to see my neck. Then again, it might be fine once I put some foam under the straps that sit on my shoulders, and the torso's raised up a bit. Or not; that's a biiiig gap. Hmm. Might just have to build the whole thing again. The shoulder pieces will also have to be attached to the armor somehow.
IDK how long the lower half is going to take, since I’m starting my new job Tuesday, and I have to also do work for a college class for two more weeks. But the lower half of my armor shall be finished, eventually.

Anyway, I’ve got some questions that I would like answers to.

SOME QUESTIONS

Where do I find a plume?
Okay, so Ornstein’s got a big plume in the back of his helmet

and it’s critical that I get my hands on some long red hair. Red yarn would look lame. The problem is, I’ve got no idea where to get this stuff. Do they have this sort of thing at Goodwill?

How do I make the two separate torso pieces attach and detach easily?

I can’t slip into this thing without separating it at the bottom, and somehow I have to attach the side skirt pieces under the armor temporarily. I’m thinking that I might chain the skirt part permanently to the back part, since attaching anything back while the torso’s on would be a pain. Temporary attachments at the front are doable. Anyway, I can only use one arm to attach a side together once I’m in the armor, since the chest is so bulky that I can’t reach a side with the opposite arm.
The top join will be hidden by the shoulder parts, so if there’s any hinge or some other attachment up there, it wouldn’t be visible. Not that I’m necessarily gonna put a hinge there.
I know of a guy who’s used magnets, and I’m friends with some dudes that could help me work with making the metally bits he’s used, so that’s a viable option. I’d like to hear other ideas though; I can’t be the only one who’s had to deal with this.

Anyway, that’s all for now. IDK when you’ll hear from me again.

Amusingly, my family was in favor of staying in low poly town. I am definitely not staying in low poly town. I'm going to sculpt the curves or die trying.

 

[JediSauja]

This forum a "Holy crap!" Like button. That is crazy. Good work man.

 

[Gonturan0]

PSYCHE I'M STILL ALIVE
Idk why the right skirt thingy is bent in the photo. looks alright when it's not on me.

the thighs are the most annoying part to wear, besides the chest and head. I'm gonna have to find a way to hold them up. might use the belt that will hold the chainmail and skirt things, or I could use suspenders. but those things CANNOT slip down or they're gonna shift all over the place and restrict my movement. moving my legs far at all is gonna be a chore. same with my arms. ;-;

I have found answers to my previous questions.
1. I'm gonna buy a cosplay wig, cut a hole through the helmet, and feed the hair through the hole. There will be a band around it to make the hair stay in a plumy ponytail shape.
2. I'm gonna need four computer magnets for four points on the sides to keep things from shifting around. There's no other way to get the sides to attach and to hide the join.

I've bought most of the stuff for the sculpting stage, and my grandpa's gonna let me use his garage for this, so I'm gonna work on multiple parts at once as I wait for things to dry. IDK when I'll get through this stage. I have to go back to college, and I'll only be home on weekends. Knowing me, this will not be finished in a timely fashion. I'll have to take completed parts to my dorm and slowly add details as I wait on other parts that need shaping. Multitasking will be key to ever finishing this.

Things I still need:
the wig
rings for chainmail
hinges for the torso join above the shoulder, unless I use more magnets or some other method
foam for padding
foam for details on the skirts and other parts of the armor
metallic gold spraypaint
black acrylic paint
red fabric for inside of skirt
a black turtleneck and black pants that cling to my body, but not too much
velcro
elastic straps
sewing knowledge
rebuilt helmet
gloves to cover my hands, preferably leather
the spear, eventually
time
common sense
cheetos

 

[Gonturan0]

Currently coating everything with resin. I'm gonna let everything bake in the sun because OH GOSH THIS STUFF STINKS. I wear a respirator while I work with it, so I smell nothing, but I store the stuff in my grandpa's garage while I'm waiting, and... wow what a stench. I think I should have looked into safer and less stinky alternatives to this stuff.
I'm also thankful that I saw the tip to line the cups that I put the resin in with aluminum foil. I looked at a cup that had some of the resin on the bottom and it had melted, partially.