DRG's 2015 Halloween Costume Contest Entry - Groot (Completed + Build Photos!)

[DRG]

Re: Groot - 2015 Halloween Build Progress Thread (with Photos!)

Finally complete!



The one big change I made late in the game was cutting away the inside and back of the lower leg pieces. This helped my mobility quite a bit, as I couldn't even lift my legs to get into the stilt feet easily before. I had to compensate for this by added vine pieces to the back of the legs. Not perfect, but it needed to be done for functionality's sake.

I also made a change after these pics were taken to my shoes. Once I took these pics I realized at the last minute my feet were often visible through the cracks. So I covered the toe in burlap to make it more 'natural' if it was peeking out.

 

[Psicorp7]

Re: Groot - 2015 Halloween Build - Completed! (with Photos!)

The photos...they no show up. Want to look at Groot, but no Groot. Me sad. :cry

 

[DRG]

Re: Groot - 2015 Halloween Build - Completed! (with Photos!)

The photos...they no show up. Want to look at Groot, but no Groot. Me sad. :cry

Ugh, yeah I don't know what happened there. Hopefully this time sticks!

 

[SonOfKrypton]

Re: Groot - 2015 Halloween Build - Completed! (with Photos!)

That is amazing! The mask and gloves are incredible and the moss adds dimension. Nice work!

 

[Psicorp7]

Re: Groot - 2015 Halloween Build - Completed! (with Photos!)

Outstanding!! Groot is a tough character and you did a great job!

 

[swfan67]

Re: Groot - 2015 Halloween Build - Completed! (with Photos!)

Great job! Love seeing the progress pics.

 

[DRG]

Thanks everyone for the kind words. The costume survived Halloween without any major pieces falling off (which was a concern of mine). I did adapt the legs after the first wear at the party to make them more transportable... I added buckles so the lower leg front 'flaps' were removable so I could get in and out of cars wearing the overalls.

I went to a local con and had a lot of people take pictures of/with me, so that was really cool. And the little kids seemed to love it, which is always fun.

My only fiasco was I stumbled in the stilt feet at end of the con (due to my own clumsiness) and the screw eyes holding the bungees busted out of the foam. So if anyone is reading this at some point down the line and wants to use the idea, it held up fine over normal use but did not sustain a traumatic stress. But I think that was a good thing because the foam broke instead of my ankle, as the design allowed me to safely land on my feet as the stilt feet just sort of rotated to the sides of my feet. So I think they did their job... and that was the last time I needed to wear the feet.

I think if I ever redid the idea, I would secure my toes in better (the stumble was largely because the stilt foot had rotated slightly downward when I stepped, so my weight came down on the front 'tiptoe' edge of the foam block and not the flat bottom surface) and make the soles out of a slightly 'squishier' foam (especially at the front) that could handle moderate changes in terrain more efficiently.